Agencies
NEW DELHI, AUGUST 25
India will not announce its peaking (peak emission) year, unlike China, in its ‘climate action plan’ which is to be submitted by the country to the UN body on climate change in September. Instead of specifying any timeline to cap its emission of greenhouse gases, the country will, rather, focus more comprehensively on all five key elements which are identified as vital components of global efforts to fight adverse impacts of climate change. The five elements which will be reflected in India’s ‘climate action plan’ - officially called Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) -are mitigation (emission cut), adaptation, finance, technology transfer and capacity building.
India’s stand on ‘peaking year’ was clearly spelt out by the country’s environment minister Prakash Javadekar on Monday when he said no country had ever asked us for announcing ‘peaking year’ as world knew that India’s per capita emission was quite low (much below than all the big emitters).
China had, however, announced its ‘peaking year’ in its INCD. It submitted that the country would try to peak its emission level by 2030. It means China’s carbon emission will first stabilize (reach its plateau) and then start falling after reaching the peak by 2030.
Articulating the broad contours of India’s ‘climate action plan’, Javadekar said, “Our INDC will be quite comprehensive. Many countries who have submitted their INDCs have talked about mitigation. But, as you know the world has now accepted that both mitigation and adaptation are equally impor tant. They have now made two separate templates for it.
“Our INDC will have all five key elements. That is the mandate of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and our INDC will reflect the mandate of the UNFCCC”.
INDC is the country’s voluntary pledge of emission cut (mitigation) and other proposed measures which it will eventually take up as its post-2020 contribution to fight climate change.
The focus of India’s ‘climate action plan’ is expected to be on seeking a global commitment on ‘finance’ and ‘technology transfer’ to support its ‘adaptation’ measures to the growing impact of climate change. All countries are expected to submit their respective INDCs by October 1. These INDCs will form the basis of final negotiations for arriving at a global climate deal in Paris in December.
