Why I will put on a “Bindi” through COP15
Posted on 04. Dec, 2009 by Leela Raina in India
I am so proud to be an Indian.
After the announcements that Environmental Minister Jai Ram Ramesh has made in the parliament on Thursday, I wanted to respect the positive direction by adorning a “bindi” (traditional indian accessory you stick on your forehead between your eyes) eagerly looking forward to greater leadership from India at the COP15 negotiations.
At copenhagen
A Bindi symbolizes pride and commitment to your husband , but in my case to proactive leadership by India to reach a fair,ambitious and binding deal at Copenhagen.
What have they done right?
From all the stances, post the recent announcements from the US, China, Brazil et all , India seems to have projected a serious concern backed by appropriate actions and keeoing all stakeholders in the process very very happy.
1.Opening the debate to the parliament floor
Although the US has not taken to acceptable commitments, it was positive to see that all the US Congress members key to pushing the Waxmen-Markey bill are aware of the nitty gritty details about climate change and the negotiations. For too long, climate change was never debated on the parliament floor back in India .
Jai ram Ramesh, however, has succesfully managed to bring the debate to the parliament floor on Thursday. It was amazing to see 18 MPs speak about climate change issues and concerns, including some young MPs like Sandeep Dikshit, Jyoti Mirdha, Supriya Sule, Jayant Chowdhry. Dr. PD Rai spoke on north-eastern states getting additonal incentives for protecting the biodiversity, specially the forest cover that also acts as a big carbon sink.
2. On the provisional targets
India has proposed it would reduce its carbon emissions intensity by 20-25 per cent of 2005 levels by 2020, but that the reduction would be made voluntarily rather than as part of any legally binding international agreement to combat global warming.
Despite no additional financing and technology transfer coming in we have managed to come up with these carbon intensity targets which sounds great for a country with such high levels of poverty as ours. This really puts developed countries to shame, considering they aren’t coming up with acceptable emission cuts themselves.
Ramesh said India’s cuts are based on a mid-term appraisal by India’s Planning Commssion review in the country’s 11th 5-year plan. On the basis of past performance - between 1990 and 2005, when India’s emissions intensity declined by 17.6 percent - the Planning Commission concluded that we can have a 20-25% reduction in emissions intensity between 2005 and 2020.
Quote from Jai(mes) Bond- “We are not doing the world a favour,” he said. “Forget Copenhagen. Forget the US. Our future as a society depends on how we respond to the climate change challenge.”
3. On domestic standards
These include mandating fuel efficiency standards for all vehicles by December 2011, legislating an energy-efficient building code and ensuring that half of all new coal-fired power generation uses clean coal technology and regularly report to the Parliament on the status of the forest
In copenhagen
India could “modulate” its rejection of the international scrutiny of domestic mitigation efforts, which are not supported by international finance or technology.
Unlike earlier , this is a positive direction to make the deal breaker a deal maker situation considering
5. Shift to low carbon pathway
He also mentioned that the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17) is going be based on ‘low carbon strategy’,lat and the next 2 years will be the transitional years.
Considering this years budget wasn’t green and giving tax holidays to oil and oil derived products producing industries, I would like to see how they shift this in the coming years.
6. Non negotiables for Copenhagen- the dark RED lines
India will not accept a legally-binding emsissions reductions cut. Speaking of “some attempt by some countries to get developing countries to announce when they will peak …” Jai Ram Ramesh said: “We will not accept an agreement that will ask for a peaking year for India.”
8. Intergenerational Equity
Sari
Negotiator Tracker - Leela Raina
Leela is a young climate activist with an undergraduate degree in Economics. She has pioneered youth involvement, awareness and movements across India through her work with the Indian Youth Climate Network. A policy enthusiast, Leela loves to research and get to the bottom of the problem to resolve it. She is currently the South Asian Focal Point for IYCN and believes in the capacity of the south asian youth to usher in and lead the way towards sustainable economic growth.... read more»
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