It’s G8 vs G5 on climate change issue

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It’s G8 vs G5 on climate change issue
Express News Service
Posted online: Wednesday, July 09, 2008 at 2312 hrs Print Email

Sapporo, July 8: While the G8 countries on Tuesday underlined their resolve to halve global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the developing countries represented largely by the Group of Five countries (G5)— India, China, Brazil, South Africa and Mexico— are not ready to accept any timeline-driven targets on cutting emissions given that it may slow progress on the development front.



“It is for those responsible to have generated greenhouse gas emissions historically to apply cuts and avert a bad situation. Countries like our make a miniscule contribution. India contributes less than a tonne in per capita terms,” said Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon ahead of the G8 and G5 interaction on Wednesday, where this issue will figure prominently.

India has been clear that it will not allow its per capita emission of greenhouse gases to exceed that of the average of developed countries. “If the developed countries bring down their emissions, it can act as an incentive for us,” Menon added.

Though the G8 countries have reaffirmed their commitment to help facilitate developing countries with financial assistance by providing access to alternate technologies, the G5 is of the view that the developed countries must first take definite steps, as they are the primary polluters.

Key to the objection by countries like India is the unwilling attitude among developed countries to go by the base year of 1990 as agreed to in the Kyoto Protocol for determining the percentage of emission cuts. India, sources said, will try and drive home the point that a restrictive trade control regime should not be built around the climate change issue. New Delhi continues to back the UN process and will make it clear that such crucial climate change decisions with long-term impact on technology and trade need to be determined in a UN forum and not in a G8 summit.

One of the spin-offs from the climate change debate, which could benefit India, is the stress being laid on reviving nuclear power. The G8 in its political declaration today welcomed the rights of states to peaceful use of nuclear energy but at the same time endorsed tighter control, stronger safeguards system and stricter conditions on transfer of reprocessing and enrichment technology.

With the nuclear deal now getting fresh momentum, India may be a benefactor but that would not be an incentive to accept emission cuts. India has already launched a National Climate Change Action Plan, which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been handing out to world leaders on the sidelines of the summit.

On the issue of oil prices, the G8 in its economic resolution did call for a summit of major oil producers and consumers.

Similarly, India along with other G 5 members will emphasise the need to stop incentivising change of land use for the purpose of biofuels.