Greenpeace asks India to check emissions

Global campaigning organisation Greenpeace has asked India to be open to binding emission cuts in various sectors like energy and transport saying that the richest in the country are as guilty as rich countries on emissions.

A report by Greenpeace, Hiding Behind The Poor, says the economic divide within India is also translating into an emission divide with 1% of the population eating into the carbon space of the rest of the country.

The report released today says that India will have to shift from its present position in the international arena of seeking common and differential treatment in the matter of immunity from binding emission cuts.

The report released in advance of the upcoming international environmental conclave at Bali in December, which is to begin talks on the next phase of global (post-Kyoto) emission cuts, asks the Indian government to make a beginning by introducing domestic carbon taxes and mandatory efficiency standards.

Explaining its position, Greenpeace says: ``To achieve the needed reduction of global carbon di-oxide emissions to check climate change, average world CO2 emissions need to be brought down to 2.5 tonne per capita by 2030. In India, 150 million people who today earn more than Rs 8,000 per month already emit more than 2.5 tonne CO2 per annum, while the group earning between Rs 10,000-15,000 make per capita emissions of 2.75 tonne, those between Rs 15,000-30,000 make 3.12 tonne per capita emissions. The group earning more than Rs 30,000 make a whopping 4.97 tonne per capita emissions. This is a quarter of the average US emissions, half of EU average emissions but more than China taken as a whole. The per capita emissions, however, for the whole country dip to a mere 1.67 tonne."

India's position has been based on this figure, and it has been made clear in a recent government statement that India will not agree to any binding emission cuts, thanks to its low emission levels.