Mumbai: A two-day international meet on
"Global Carbon Budget and Climate Change" will be held next
week to discuss the critical question of "equity," a
fundamental issue in climate change talks from the perspective
of carbon budgets.
To be organised by Mumbai-based Tata Institute of
Social Science (TISS) with support of the Environment
Ministry, the conference will be inaugurated by Environment
Minister Jairam Ramesh on June 28.
"Ensuring equity is fundamental to a global climate
change agreement. For this, equity needs to be an operational,
implementable concept rather than just a theoretical one," the
minister said.
"Events such as these play an important role in giving
equity the operational dimension. A number of operational
proposals are being presented at the event and we look forward
to a good discussion," he said.
India and other developing nations have been at the
forefront of putting the issue of equity in burden sharing for
any pact to be signed. The carbon budget has implications for
the economic growth and poverty alleviation goals of the
developing countries.
Delegates from India, China, Brazil, South Africa,
Germany, Switzerland and UK are expected to attend the meet to
discuss a number of carbon budget proposals.
"It is expected that the conference will undertake an
in-depth discussion of carbon budgets and equity that will
assist the Government of India in pursuing a strategy for an
equitable, fair and feasible outcome in climate negotiations,"
an official from the Environment Ministry said.
At the centre of interest will be a more stringent
per capita principle in terms of greenhouse gas stocks (rather
than in terms of only annual emissions) and issues related to
the operationalising of the `equal per capita` principle.
The `equal per capita` principle in terms of stock is
closely related to the concept of historical responsibility,
widely referred to by developing nations in climate
negotiations, the official pointed out.
The share of emissions from developed countries in the
total stock of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is roughly
four times their share of the global population.
The G77+China at the climate negotiations have
consistently upheld the principle of "equitable access to
global atmospheric space", he said.
PTI
