Lok Sabha
India has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on climate change
with Governments of Italy, Canada, Denmark, Norway and China regarding cooperation
on climate change including clean development mechanism projects. No MoUs
on climate change have been signed so far with United States of America, Sweden
and European Union.
While the MoUs signed with
Italy, Canada, Denmark and Norway are intended to stimulate development and
bilateral cooperation in the field of clean development mechanism (CDM), the
Agreement signed with China focuses on promotion of mutual understanding and
coordination of each other’s position on climate change related issues including
international negotiations and bilateral cooperation in areas relating to
energy efficiency, renewable, power, clean coal and other sectors of mutual
interest.
The MoUs will help build
confidence between India and partner countries and promote development and
implementation of CDM projects as well as coordination, mutual understanding
and joint strategies on climate change related issues.
In a
recent communication to the European Union Council on International Climate
Finance, the European Commission has proposed assigning of about Euros 100
billion annually by 2020 to be shared between domestic finance, carbon market
based financing and international public support. This estimate presupposes
mitigation actions by developing countries especially that are economically
more advanced. The Commission has also proposed a fast start fund of about
Euros 5-7 billion per year for meeting the urgent climate financing needs
in developing countries, in particular least developed countries (LDCs) and
Small Island Developing States (SIDS). No agreement on the scale of finance
and institutional arrangements needed to raise and provide finance for addressing
climate change in developing countries has yet been reached in UNFCCC because
of continuing difference in the approach of developed and developing countries
on the matter.
Developing countries including India
have no obligation under the UNFCCC to provide contribution to a fund for
meeting climate change needs.As a
part of the Initial National Communication of India to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), studies in regard to the
vulnerability assessment and adaptation to climate change have been made. These studies projected climate scenarios and
likely impacts in various areas such as water resources, agriculture, forests,
natural eco-systems, coastal zones, health energy and infrastructure.
The Government’s stand on climate change
is in accordance with the principles of equity and the common but differentiated
responsibilities and respective capabilities as enshrined in the UNFCCC.
The current approach to climate change is fully anchored in the UNFCCC,
Kyoto Protocol and the Bali Action Plan. The National Action Plan on Climate
Change (NAPCC) was released on 30th June 2008 to outline India’s
strategy to meet the challenge of Climate Change. The National Action Plan
outlines steps that will enable the country to adapt to climate change and
enhance the ecological sustainability of India’s development path. The
National Action plan outlines eight Missions in specific areas of Solar Energy,
Enhanced Energy Efficiency, Sustainable Habitat, Water, Sustaining the Himalayan
Eco-system, Green India, Sustainable Agriculture and Strategic knowledge for
Climate Change. Eight National Missions form the core of the National
Action Plan, representing multi-pronged, long term and integrated strategies
for achieving key goals in the context of climate change.
This information
was given by the Minister of State for
Environment and Forests (independent charge) Shri Jairam Ramesh in a written
reply to a question by S/Sh. P.R. Natarajan, Nama Nageswara Rao, Arjun Sethi,
D.B. Chandre Gowda, M.B. Rajesh Mangani
Lal Mandal and Smt. Botcha Jhanshi Lakshmi in Lok Sabha today.
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KP
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MoU on Climate Change with Five Countries
