India is a developing country and its energy requirements are increasing day by day. Especially the twelfth five year plan of India is expected to face big challenge on energy front. As the dream of converting India into an industrial country gets impetus from various measures such as creating industrial hubs, putting emphasis on manufacturing and creating 100 more new cities, the demand for energy is expected to pose a great challenge. India relies heavily on thermal power while hydro power and nuclear power are respectively two other important sources of energy. Among the non-conventional sources India has done some experimentation with solar energy and wind power. The energy policy of India, besides focusing on conservation and optimum use of energy through realistic pricing which remains at the core of the energy policy, the country is also trying to develop an optimum mix of energy, diversification of import destinations and measures for achieving the potential etc. However, energy sector needs to be looked from the perspective of sustainable development, especially with regard to environment pollution cause by energy production and consumption. India is a signatory of the Kyoto Protocol, an United Nations led Climatic Convention under which India ike all other participants is committed to reduce emission of carbon as well as green house gases leading to global warming and change n the climatic cycle. India however, still remains to be a lower level polluter as compared with many other countries, especially China. China is by far the largest emitter of carbon gases, accounting for about 19 per cent of the world total. India is way behind at seven per cent. When it comes to emissions per head, China at 7.2 tonnes per person per year is way ahead of the world average of 4.5 tonnes, and ahead of even the European Unions number of about 6.8 tonnes. In sharp contrast, India is at a lowly 1.7 tonnes - not the same ballpark at all. Finally, when it comes to emissions intensity - that is, per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) - China once again is a bigger sinner. Its emissions comfortably exceed its share of world GDP, while Indias share of global emissions is broadly in line with its share of GDP (calculated on purchasing power parity basis).In the recent times, especially since the Copenhagen Summit on UNCC in 2009, India tried to join hands with China against the developed countries in the tug of war for fixing responsibility of carbon emissions and giving quantitative commitments by the developing countries to reduce this. Since Chinas numbers are problematic on every score, while Indias numbers are unobjectionable, it makes no sense at all to make common cause with China on this issue. However, India will also have to play an important role in reducing carbon emission as a developing and emerging economy. The international scenario has changed quite a bit in the new millennium beginning in the year 2000. In the 1997 Kyoto accord on cutting emissions, the emerging markets and poor countries were not asked to make any emissions cuts. That was because the rich countries were responsible historically for the bulk of emissions. Also, in the early 1990s they accounted for about two-thirds of all emissions, and the developing world for most of the rest. In the quarter century since then, the tables have been turned because of the rapid economic growth of not just China and India but also of much of Africa and countries like Brazil. Now it is the emerging economies that account for nearly 60 per cent of emissions; the rich countries share is barely a third (international aviation and shipping companies account for the balance). So even if, say, the European Union agrees to halve its emissions, the saving would be eaten up by India as its economy continues to grow. Global emissions would not fall, though they need to. What is United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change? The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC or FCCC) is an international environmental treaty that was produced at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) (informally known as the Earth Summit) in Rio de Janeiro, June, 1992. The treaty is aimed at stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system – commonly believed to be around 2°C above the pre-industrial global average temperature. The treaty as originally framed set no mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions for individual nations and contained no enforcement provisions; it is therefore considered legally non-binding. Rather, the treaty included provisions for updates (called “protocols”) that would set mandatory emission limits. The principal update is the Kyoto Protocol, which has become much better known than the UNFCCC itself. One of its first achievements was to establish a national greenhouse gas inventory, as a count of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals. Accounts must be regularly submitted by signatories of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The UNFCCC was opened for signature on May 9, 1992 after an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee produced the text of the Framework Convention as a report following its meeting in New York. It entered into force in March, 1994. Countries who sign up to the UNFCCC are known and as ‘Parties’, there are currently 192 signed up Parties. Since the UNFCCC entered into force, the parties have been meeting annually in Conferences of the Parties (COP) to assess progress in dealing with climate change, and beginning in the mid-1990s, to negotiate the Kyoto Protocol to establish legally binding obligations for developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The UNFCCC is also the name of the United Nations Secretariat charged with supporting the operation of the Convention. Since 2006 the head of the secretariat has been Yvo de Boer. A key element of the UNFCCC is that parties should act to protect the climate system “on the basis of equality and in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.” The principle of ‘common but differentiated responsibility’ includes two fundamental elements. The first is the common responsibility of Parties to protect the environment, or parts of it, at the national, regional and global levels. The second is the need to take into account the different circumstances, particularly each Party’s contribution to the problem and its ability to prevent, reduce and control the threat. Another element underpinning the UNFCCC is the polluter pays principle. This means that the party responsible for producing pollution is responsible for paying for the damage done to the natural environment. The Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change, COP 3, 1997 COP 3 took place in December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan. After intensive negotiations, it adopted the Kyoto Protocol, which outlined the greenhouse gas emissions reduction obligation for Annex I countries, along with what came to be known as Kyoto mechanisms such as emissions trading, clean development mechanism and joint implementation. Most industrialized countries and some central European economies in transition (all defined as Annex B countries) agreed to legally binding reductions in greenhouse gas emissions of an average of 6 to 8% below 1990 levels between the years 2008–2012, defined as the first emissions budget period. The United States would be required to reduce its total emissions an average of 7% below 1990 levels; however Congress did not ratify the treaty after Clinton signed it. The Bush administration explicitly rejected the protocol in 2001. Montreal Protocol, COP 11/CMP 1, 2005 COP 11 (or COP 11/CMP 1) took place between November 28 and December 9, 2005, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was the first Meeting of the Parties (CMP 1) to the Kyoto Protocol since their initial meeting in Kyoto in 1997. It was one of the largest intergovernmental conferences on climate change ever. The event marked the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol. Hosting more than 10,000 delegates, it was one of Canadas largest international events ever and the largest gathering in Montreal since Expo 67. The Montreal Action Plan was an agreement to extend the life of the Kyoto Protocol beyond its 2012 expiration date and negotiate deeper cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions. Canadas environment minister, at the time, Stéphane Dion, said the agreement provides a map for the future. Bali Action Plan, COP 13/CMP 3, Indonesia, 2007 COP 13/CMP 3 took place between December 3 and December 15, 2007, at Nusa Dua, in Bali, Indonesia. Agreement on a timeline and structured negotiation on the post-2012 framework (the end of the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol) was achieved with the adoption of the Bali Action Plan (Decision 1/CP.13). The Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA) was established as a new subsidiary body to conduct the negotiations aimed at urgently enhancing the implementation of the Convention up to and beyond 2012. Decision 9/CP.13 is an Amended to the New Delhi work programme. These negotiations took place during 2008 (leading to COP 14/CMP 4 in Poznan, Poland) and 2009 (leading to COP 15/CMP 5 in Copenhagen). Copenhagen, COP 15/CMP 5, Denmark, 2009 COP 15 took place in Copenhagen, Denmark, from December 7 to December 18, 2009. The overall goal for the COP 15/CMP 5 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Denmark was to establish an ambitious global climate agreement for the period from 2012 when the first commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol expires. However, on November 14, 2009, the New York Times announced that President Obama and other world leaders have decided to put off the difficult task of reaching a climate change agreement... agreeing instead to make it the mission of the Copenhagen conference to reach a less specific politically binding agreement that would punt the most difficult issues into the future. Ministers and officials from 192 countries took part in the Copenhagen meeting and in addition there were participants from a large number of civil society organizations. As many Annex 1 industrialized countries are now reluctant to fulfill commitments under the Kyoto Protocol, a large part of the diplomatic work that lays the foundation for a post-Kyoto agreement was undertaken up to the COP15. The conference did not achieve a binding agreement for long-term action. A 13-paragraph political accord was negotiated by approximately 25 parties including US and China, but it was only noted by the COP as it is considered an external document, not negotiated within the UNFCCC process. The accord was notable in that it referred to a collective commitment by developed countries for new and additional resources, including forestry and investments through international institutions, that will approach USD 30 billion for the period 2010–2012. Longer-term options on climate financing mentioned in the accord are being discussed within the UN Secretary Generals High Level Advisory Group on Climate Financing, which is due to report in November 2010. The negotiations on extending the Kyoto Protocol had unresolved issues as did the negotiations on a framework for long-term cooperative action. 2011: COP 17/CMP 7, Durban, South Africa The 2011 COP 17 was held in Durban, South Africa, from November 28 to December 9, 2011. The conference agreed to a legally binding deal comprising all countries, which will be prepared by 2015, and to take effect in 2020. There was also progress regarding the creation of a Green Climate Fund (GCF) for which a management framework was adopted. The fund is to distribute US$100 billion per year to help poor countries adapt to climate impacts. While the president of the conference, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, declared it a success, scientists and environmental groups warned that the deal was not sufficient to avoid global warming beyond 2 °C as more urgent action is needed. 2012: COP 18/CMP 8, Doha, Qatar Qatar hosted COP 18 which took place in Doha, Qatar, from 26 November to 7 December 2012. The Conference produced a package of documents collectively titled The Doha Climate Gateway. The documents collectively contained: 1.An amendment of the Kyoto Protocol (to be ratified before entering into force) featuring an second commitment period running from 2012 until 2020 limited in scope to 15% of the global carbon dioxide emissions due to the lack of commitments of Japan, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, New Zealand (nor the United States and Canada, who are not parties to the Protocol in that period) and due to the fact that developing countries like China (the worlds largest emitter), India and Brazil are not subject to emissions reductions under the Kyoto Protocol. 2.Language on loss and damage, formalized for the first time in the conference documents. The conference made little progress towards the funding of the Green Climate Fund. Russia, Belarus and Ukraine objected at the end of the session, as they had a right to under the sessions rules. In closing the conference, the President said that he would note these objections in his final report. India’s position 13th Conference of Parties (CoP 13) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held at Bali in December 2007 decided to launch a process of negotiations for full, effective and sustained implementation of the UNFCCC. CoP-13 constituted an Ad-hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA) and gave it a mandate to conduct the negotiations so that the Parties reach an agreed outcome in Copenhagen in December, 2009 at 15th Conference of Parties (CoP-15). AWG-LCA is addressing four major building blocks of climate change, i.e. GHG mitigation; adaptation to climate change impacts; technology development and cooperation; and finance. Besides, discussions are also taking place, in parallel, in the Ad-hoc Working Group under Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP) where the mandate to the Parties is to negotiate and agree on the emission reduction targets for Annex-I countries for the second commitment (post-2012) period under the Kyoto Protocol. The negotiations are in progress as per an agreed work programme since 2005 in case of AWG-KP and early 2008 in case of AWG-LCA. In course of these negotiations, India has made several submissions on specific elements under discussion in order to express its views and state the position. India’s submission to the United Nations Cliatic Convention 2009 (On Bali Action Plan) 1.Equity must be central to the way forward. This requires that the any stabilization target should be achieved on the basis of the principle that each human being has an equal right to the common atmospheric resource accounting also for the historical responsibility of developed countries in building the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Developing countries cannot be denied access to their equitable share of the global atmospheric resource and carbon space. 2.The Right to Development must be fully respected in the climate change regime. It must be recognized that, for poorer countries, rapid development is not only an economic and social imperative but also an essential requirement for building up a coping capacity against the adverse impacts of climate change. In this context, the imperative of development for adaptation is essential even from the point of Right to Life and basic issues of survival. 3.The Right to Development must be fully respected in the climate change regime. It must be recognized that, for poorer countries, rapid development is not only an economic and social imperative but also an essential requirement for building up a coping capacity against the adverse impacts of climate change. In this context, the imperative of development for adaptation is essential even from the point of Right to Life and basic issues of survival. 4.Any stabilization target, howsoever ambitious, cannot be misused to seek a revision of the provisions of the Convention. The “ultimate objective” itself requires that any stabilization target must be achieved “in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Convention”, that is, in accordance with the Commitments set out in Article 4 and the Principles enunciated in Article 2. The Bali Action Plan reinforces this requirement by underlining that long-term cooperative action must be pursued “in accordance with the provisions and principles” of the Convention. We must strictly abide by the terms of Article 2 of the Convention and the express requirements of the BaliAction Plan. If achievement of a global stabilization goal necessitates mitigation measures in developing countries, the latter must be compensated by the developed countries to the extent of the full incremental costs, in accordance with the provisions of paragraphs 3 and 7 of Article 4. Thus the Convention makes full provision for mitigation measures in developing countries on the basis of full compensation for incremental costs. 5.A long-term stabilization target would lack credibility if it is not linked to a medium term target for emission reductions by Annex I Parties, in accordance with their commitments under Article 4, paragraph 2 of the Convention, as well as the provisions of paragraph 1 (b) (i) of the Bali Action Plan. It is a matter of deep concern that the emissions of Annex I countries have been steadily increasing since 2000, contrary to the provisions of the Convention. UNFCCC data reveals that total Annex I emissions rose from 17,719 Tg CO2 equivalent in 2000 to 18, 182 Tg CO2equivalent in 2005. Moreover, there have also been increases in terms of per-capita emissions in the Annex I countries. This alarming trend must be immediately reversed. All Annex I countries should adopt deep emission reduction targets for the medium term based not only on technology options but also by adopting specific policies and measures that promote sustainable patterns of consumption and production, including life-style changes. IPCC scenarios indicate that such reductions should be more than 25-40 percent by 2020, excluding life-style changes. We, therefore, call on the Annex I countries to adopt targets for reduction of their emissions by more than 25-40 percent by 2020, with further reductions through policies and measures that promote sustainable lifestyles from the 1990 baseline.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 06:14:39 +0000
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