(a) whether Green Peace India has recently published any report of Global Warming;
(b) if so, the details of the issues highlighted in the report;
(c) the measures taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to contain the impact
of Global Warming in the country;
(d) the details of other reports published by Green Peace India regarding degradation
of environment alongwith issues deait therein; and
(e) the action taken by the Government thereon?
MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS (SHRI NAMO NARAIN MEENA)
(a) to (c) A recent report on Global warming published by Green Peace India purports
to show that climate change is the biggest environmental threat faced by South Asia.
According to the Report Bangladesh, Pakistan and India could face a wave of migrants
displaced by the impacts of climate change,including sea level rise and drought associated
with shrinking water supplies and monsoon variability.The study also indicates that major
population movement from large coastal cities such as Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai to other
large urban settlements such as Delhi, Banglore,Ahmedabad, Pune and Hyderabad may happen.
It also mentions that the rural population is likely to migrate to urban areas because of
their double exposure to climate change and globalization.
(d) & (e) The Government while framing policies and programmes takes into account
relevant information from all sources. India has been following a path of sustainable
development through a range of policies and programmes to mitigate climate change and
reduce carbon emissions. Some of the steps taken by the Government include inter alia-
setting up of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency and encouraging energy conservation and
introduction of energy efficiency labeling, promoting use of renewable energy, power
sector reforms, use of cleaner and lesser carbon-intensive fuel for transport, fuel
switching to cleaner energy, afforestation and conservation of forests, promotion of
clean coal technologies, reduction of gas flaring, encouraging Mass Rapid Transport
systems and environmental quality management for aSI sectors. Besides, India spends
every year over 2 percent of the GDP in development measures with strong adaptation content.
Further, the Government has also set up an `Expert Committee on Impacts of
Climate Change` in May 2007 to study the impacts of anthropogenic climate
change on India and to identify the measures that may be needed to address
vulnerability to anthropogenic climate change impacts.
Prime Minister`s Council on Climate Change to coordinate national action for
assessment, adaptation and mitigation of climate change was constituted on
6th June 2007 to evolve a coordinated response relating to climate change
at the National level. The Council has decided, inter alia, to prepare a
National Action Plan on Climate Change to address the challenges of climate change.