(a) whether the Government proposes to amend some of its position on climate
change;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
(c) the existing position of India on the issue;
(d) the efforts made by the Government to seek national consensus on India’s
position on climate change at Copenhagen meet;
(e) whether the developed countries have agreed to pay for accepting limit to
emission growth; and
(f) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS(SHRI JAIRAM RAMESH)
(a) to (f) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO STARRED PARLIAMENT QUESTION NO.93 RAISED BY SHRIMATI SUSHILA
SAROJ AND SHRI BIBHU PRASAD TARAI, DUE FOR ANSWER ON 25.11.2009 IN LOK SABHA.
(a) & (b) India’s position on the climate change negotiations is clear and
consistent as it is fully anchored in the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Bali Action Plan. The UNFCCC and the Bali Action
Plan continue to be the basis of India’s approach to negotiations.
(c) India has argued in the international negotiating fora that the parties must
take actions in accordance with the UNFCCC principles of equity and ‘common but
differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities’ in order to achieve the
objectives of the convention. While the actions of the developed countries should
include deep and ambitious targets for emission reduction in the second commitment
period (post 2012) of the Kyoto Protocol, the actions of the developing countries
will depend on the support in terms of finance and technology provided by the
developed countries.
While India has already taken a number of steps, on its own, to adapt to and mitigate
climate change impacts in the interest of sustainable development, India will take
further voluntary and nationally appropriate actions for addressing climate change
impacts strictly in accordance with the priorities and objectives laid down under
its National Action Plan for Climate Change.
(d) Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change meets from time to time to
oversee and guide the approach to climate change policy including formulation and
approval of specific initiatives relating to implementation of ‘India’s National
Action plan on Climate Change’. An institutional mechanism helps formulate the
negotiating strategy on climate change with the necessary approvals from the
appropriate levels.
(e) & (f) In the recent UNFCCC negotiations under the Bali Action Plan,
discussions have taken place on the commitment of the developed countries to provide
financial resources to developing countries to enable them to adapt to and mitigate
climate change impacts. Negotiations in this forum seek to reach an agreed outcome
at the forthcoming meeting of Conference of Parties at Copenhagen in December 2009.