Why India is like my grandmother…

Posted on 13. Dec, 2009 by Leela Raina in India

Grandmothers are wise. Listen to them

India, where I come from is beautiful, dignified and wise just like my grandmother. This insight and depth of argument India brings to the table at the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen is well researched and reflects its experience in negotiating for years.

When India was young , the rest of the developed world was busy polluting the world and India, now that it’s coming off age, is calling for these developed countries to take ambitious binding commitments as per their historical responsibilities and to help India age gracefully by giving them adequate finance and technology to grow but on a low carbon pathway.

India being the second most populous country and the fifth largest amount of emissions has almost negligible per capita emissions and also it’s not that old and polluting as its next door neighbour China is. The poverty in my country has actually grown over years, my grandmother feels that we are not able to correlate growth with better standard of living and that’s why perhaps we figure very low in the HDI ( Human Development Index) as compared to other developing economies.

Despite all this India really has done more than it holds capacity (read: behaved more mature than its age). Recently in the parliament Jairam Ramesh, our environment and forest minister has announced that India will reduce the intensity of carbon by 24 per cent by 2020. Apart from this India has ratified the Kyoto Protocol and come out with its National Action Plan on Climate change which has 8 missions one of which is among the most ambitious solar mission plans to generate around 20 gegawatts of power by 2022 and the other to enhance renewable energy sources in the country.

But grandmothers don’t like kids peeping into their purses.

My grandmother always tells me how much money she has, but she’d never allow me to search her purse. Similarly India will give bi-annual reports to the UNFCCC about its emission reduction actions but will never allow international scrutiny for its domestically funded actions. It would also like all the finance offered to be additional and not as Christmas gift (read:ODA)

Grandmothers hold on to traditions.

India has always put forward its stance on how the text being negotiated is not in line with the Convention (UNFCCC body principles) and the Bali Action Plan which was enforced by parties at the landmark COP13 at Bali. It feels that the text favours rich countries and most of the statements try and move away from the principles that have been agreed upon.

This was again reflected in the recent tussle between the small island states and the advanced developing economies on whether to start discussions on amending the Kyoto Protocol and also bring in a new protocol. Since the Kyoto Protocol safeguards the disparities within rich and poor, with its common but differentiated responsibilities (one of the only global negotiations where this holds true), India will continue to defend the protocol and block any move which will enable the richer countries to buy time and commit less and the conference to deviate from its core agenda - like it did here in Copenhagen.

I often remind my grandmother, Nani ma you need to accept we live in a new world

I urge the Indian government to see that they are putting so many people at risk, the lives of many of my own friends from the island nations. Could it not do anything to try and see whether they could get a more ambitiuous deal? Could they not push the US harder, take the mike and make a bold statement that the European Union should show leadership?

I am sure that the reasons for India blocking Tuvalu’s proposal to amend the Kyoto protocol is not to escape from their own responsibilities but to make sure that developed country obligations (overdue) are commited first and attention from it is not diverted.

India wants to ensure a deal in Copenhagen.

When your grandmother needed to convince you, she would try to use all the ploys she could.

India needs to do the same. It should empower its stakeholders to raise a voice and aggressively engage with the Indian media, Indian civil society, the youth, and indigineous communities to progressively put pressure on the developed nations to deliver on their responsibilities.

Raise a voice, get on twitter, use facebook, use the latest technology to get your word out there!

Message from Heaven: Great grandmother writes to grandmother

Dear Daughter, all of us grow old and mature , but please keep in mind the legacy you’re leaving behind for your children. First of all accept that you will age. You will grow old. Your emissions will peak and at the rate you’re growing, most likely, you’ll have to take emission cuts in the future. Set the example for your children who will then raise their own children.

Be vocal and bold.

That’s all I ask.

Seriously, at this point ,that’s all I ask…..

Tags: change, christmas, climate, cop15, Copenhagen, cuts, emissions, Finance, grandmother, India, Kyoto Protocol, mother, purse, UNFCCC