Climate Change: BASIC Nations Take Their Stand
Climate Change: BASIC Nations Take Their Stand
India's environment and forests minister Prakash Javadekar has iterated the nation's stand on climate change and indicated that voluntary actions have to be taken to curb GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions and called on developed countries to help combat climate change. Javadekar spoke at the meeting of environment ministers of South Africa , China and Brazil. He has indicated that Indians have taken numerous actions on a voluntary basis using resources to promote sustainable development. The BASIC nations held a meet where they emphasised that developed countries need to act promptly as well.
“We are at a critical stage in our efforts to combat climate change,” Javadekar have been quoted as saying “While science prompts us towards greater action, we find that the response of countries is not adequate. We must incentivise action, the first step in this regard is enhanced action by the developed countries.” The meeting of the environment ministers and officials from the 4 nations known by the acronym BASIC and it is part of the efforts to create a consensus before the key international conference next year . The pact to curb GHG emissions is crucial given the state of the world following global warming and drastic climate changes resulting in natural disasters .
The 2015 pact is a universal agreement that will bind all the nations including GHG emitting countries by around 40% by 2030 and 70% by 2050. The aim is to reduce GHG emissions to zero by 2100 to ensure that average global temperatures do not rise beyond 2 degree celsius. The major emissions of GHG are from the transport and power plants which operate on fossil fuels. Developing countries have long since accused developing countries for historical emissions. The developed nations have been countering this by holding that India and China are among the developing nations that contribute to global warming on account of their massive population. Unfortunately, in this tit-for-tat , the bigger picture is being ignored.
Developed nations have polluted the earth to a far larger scale but the rate at which certain developing nations are going will soon bring them neck to neck with their more privileged counterparts, if steps are not taken to avert the final disaster. The focus should be on how to reduce climate change and not who caused more and therefore should pay more for it. If the rhetoric will be reduced to cash alone, not much will be accomplished by way of alleviation from the problem. Even if there is a disagreement , it should not occupy centre-stage. Proactive measures to curb climate change are needed so that erratic rains do not cause landslides and kill scores of people. Climate change needs to be considered so that children, women and men all over the world do not fall prey to deadly respiratory diseases due to record levels of air pollution. Damage to the natural balance through destruction of environmental habitats should be taken into account before ambitious industrial projects are given the green signal the world over.
India is taking a lot of initiatives to counter climate change. Local governments are also part of the process. An ecologist with the Azim Premji University from Bangalore has talked of how citizen groups need to put pressure on local governments to tackle such issues. Javadekar has outlined some initiatives for clean energy which are more than welcome. The 2014-2015 budget has allocated 500 crore rupees for ultra-mega solar projects in Gujarat as well as Andhra Pradesh , Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. The move is also on to reduce emissions intensity of the GDP by 20 to 25 percent by 2020 over the level in 2005, a move initiatd by former environment minister Jairam Ramesh.
It is good to see coordination between the previous and current government when it comes to such policies. Climate change is put before politics and that has the potential to impact the environment in a positive way. The BASIC ministers asked the contribution of the developing countries to mitigation efforts to be enhanced. They reiterated that their expenditure on countering climate change is"far greater" than that of developed countries. Developed countries can undo the damage they have inflicted by empowering developing countries through funding for acquisition of green and clean technologies. There is need for a roadmap for provision of $100 billion promised by the developed countries up to the year 2020.
Following a 2 day 18th ministerial meeting of the BASIC nations, much can be accomplished if the BASIC nations combine to put pressure on others to assist and work together for combating global warming and climate change. Javadekar has indicated that all countries should ratify the second committment period of the Kyoto Protocol and fully operationalise the Green Climate Fund.
It is not responsible on the part of developed nations to target low levels of mitigation. Those who have superior technology should use it to combat global warming and climate change. Considering that the whole world will have to pay the price if global warming continues at its current pace , there should be sincere efforts to counter climate change on the part of all nations . Only then can it be asserted with confidence that "All is Well".
