INDIAN POSITIONS ON COP 21: WHO IS SAYING WHAT? | Heinrich Böll Stiftung | India Office

INDIAN POSITIONS ON COP 21: WHO IS SAYING WHAT?

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris is being held from 30 November to 11 December 2015. Due to its size India, India has become the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, and global pressure on it to do more to combat climate change is rising. At the same time, a considerable part of its people remains poor, and India’s per capita carbon emissions are just a fraction of those of the developed world or China.

Here we document recent views from India on what the country should do, and is doing, in the climate negotiations at Paris.

INDIAN POSITIONS ON COP 21: WHO IS SAYING WHAT?

Climate Action Network South Asia: India must support 1.5°C goal

Instead of its apprehension of added burden of mitigation, India should put forward its proposal and make the rich world accountable towards higher ambition on mitigation, Sanjay Vashist, the Director of Climate Action Network South Asia says.

Greenpeace appeals to Prime Minister Modi “to play heroic role” in Paris talks

Greenpeace urged the Prime Minister to “support 100% renewables for all by 2050”.

India’s Environment Minister blames developed countries for Chennai floods

India’s Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Friday linked the Chennai floods to the global warming caused by developed nations in their bid to industrialise in the last century and a half.

Maneka Gandhi: “India is one of the main players in destroying the climate”

The Union Women and Child Development Minister and well known environmentalist said on Thursday that India should reduce emissions, despite low per capita figures.

Times of India: Climate change and Chennai floods in Paris

According to Indian participants in Paris, the floods in Chennai and parts of Tamil Nadu are an “example as how the countries like India are victims of climate change that is a result of emissions from rich industrialized nations in the past.”

Naina Lal Kidwal: India has “a chance to lead” on renewables

The Chairman of HSBC India asks to reduce India’s reliance on dirty coal-fired power in plants, und to expand off-grid renewables.

Amitabh Sinha: India may face coal heat in Paris

According to the correspondent of “The Hindu”’ in Paris, “there were unmistakable signals that India would get singled out over the next two weeks over its plans to expand use of coal to meet its growing energy demands.”

Sujata Byravan: No dilution of concept of “differentiated responsibilities”

"By asking all countries to develop bottom-up commitments to reduce their emissions," she argues, "any differentiation among countries, whether rich or poor, has been diminished significantly."

Prime Minister Modi: Climate change “everybody’s responsibility and concern”

"The entire world is worried about climate change, global warming, and it is being debated and discussed everywhere. This is everyone’s responsibility and also concern” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his radio broadcast just before leaving for Paris.

Raja Mohan: An “important shift in India’s climate diplomacy”

Raja Mohan, a senior journalist and columnist of the Indian Express, judges Prime Minister Modi’s stress of joint responsibility as “an important shift in India’s climate diplomacy”.

Shyam Saran: India has been again targeted as a spoiler

For Shyam Saran, a former foreign secretary and Indian special envoy on climate change, any restrictions on India’s use of coal would be unacceptable.

Arvind Subramanian: Research for Clean Coal with a new “Manhattan Project”

Arvind Subramanian, Chief Economic Advisor to Prime Minister Modi, also sees no alternative for India’s using coal. But he wants the world to think big and advocates a massive research effort to make “clean coal” possible.

Environment Minister Javadekar: No “unnatural restriction on natural growth”

In an interview a month before the COP, Prakash Javadekar, India’s minister for the environment, stands his ground on India’s right to develop, and to emit: “If someone is putting restrictions on India or any developing country it is unacceptable.”

Sunita Narain: Against “climate apartheid”

Sunita Narain, head of the influential environmental think-tank Centre for Science and Environment, fears that Paris will break down the “firewall” between countries responsible for climate change and the developing world.

The Hindu: India to press for equity at Paris

India’s strategy at the Paris Climate Change summit will be to work with emerging economies and press the developed world to concede that responsibility for cutting carbon emissions after 2020 cannot be shared equally by rich and poor nations.

Samir Saran: For every new Indian coal plant, shut down one in OECD

For Samir Saran, vice-president of the influential think-tank Observer Research Foundation, India has every right to use the carbon space freed by the developed world without restrictions.

Civil Society: India should be even more ambitious on renewables

The Climate Action Network South Asia acknowledges India’s INDC but hopes for more: “India has a unique opportunity to lead by example and increase its ambition to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.”

Intended Nationally Determined Contribution – what is it about?

When we talk about the INDC, what is it actually about?

India’s plans are submitted. What can we expect?

At the very last minute, and on Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday 2nd Oct 2015, India submitted its INDC. What can we expect?

But please, this time no Copenhagen! The world looks for realistic ideas.

The Cop15 is still remembered as one of the biggest fail in terms of binding goals for a common climate agreement. Most important output was the “Copenhagen Accord”, unfortunately with no binding agreements and aims for the future.

India on the way to COP21: Discussing climate exiles

Preparing for the climate exiles. Why we need to talk about refugees in a wider sense with the link to new mechanism on Loss and Damage.

India on the way to COP21: Discussing climate justice

Paris climate deal should be "pragmatic": Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar is calling for climate justice and sustainable lifestyle.

India on the way to COP21: Discussing the stormy times of preparation

The challenge of an unbalanced balance: Stormy atmosphere within the back-room talks of the last meeting in Bonn before attending Cop21.

India on the way to COP21: Voices from outside

When will the least developed countries be heard? South Asian meet raises pitch against climate change.

India on the way to COP21: Catching up with China

The prime minister wants India to grow as fast over the next 20 years as China has over the past 20. Does that mean Chinese levels of pollution?

India on the way to COP21: Germany and the cooperation with India

A strong partnership with long-term expectations: Germany’s chancellor, Angela Merkel has just visited India on 4th of October.

India on the way to COP21: Double game and mixed reaction

After submitting India’s INDC, some organizations raise the question, how coal expanding power and reduction of CO2 can go hand in hand.

India on the way to COP21: Growing forests in the air

Two independent experts from the Centre for Policy Research-Namati Environment Justice Program (New Delhi) explain one of the critical issues within the INDCs.

Review

The announcement of India’s climate action goals, is a major step forward to a climate friendly and cleaner economic development path in the country.

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