The Hindu Business Line : ‘Issues of cumulative greenhouse gas emissions need to be addressed’

New Delhi, Nov. 16 As the countdown for the Copenhagen Climate Conference begins, issues of historical responsibility for the current stock of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, recognition of the atmosphere as a global common and the right to social and economic development must be addressed squarely to bring about “an equitable and efficient solution”.

This is the broad conclusion of a new monograph prepared by environment and trade specialist Prof Ulaganathan Sankar of the Madras School of Economics, by way of the country’s negotiating stance at the instance of the Union Minister of Environment and Forests, Mr Jairam Ramesh. The study is to be formally released here later this week.

Titled ‘Trade measures in climate change policies: compatibility with WTO & UNFCC,’ the monograph takes a critical look at the US Clean Energy and Security Act 2009, known as the Waxman Markey Climate Change Bill that sets forth ‘binding GHG emissions targets and a cap-and-trade system as a cost-effective means of achieving the emission targets’.

Taking cognisance of the various provisions of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), the study recalls Article 3.1 which states that the parties should cooperate to promote a supportive and open global economic system and that measures taken to combat climate change, including unilateral ones, should not constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised restriction on global trade.

But, it said, “the measures in the US bill such as targeting China and India, requiring other countries to adopt the US standards, levy of import duties on imports from countries with no emissions reduction commitments, prescribing eligibility conditions are unilateral and violate provisions of this Article”.

Proposing a slew of India’s negotiating options, the study said first “we address the problem of dealing with cumulative GHG emissions (the stock problem)”.

As suggested by trade economist Prof. Jagdish Bhagwati, “we need a superfund to pay for the mitigation and adaptation expenses in developing countries due to the past damages resulting from pile-up of GHGs in the atmosphere.”

The contributions must come from rich countries, reflecting UNFCC cannons of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and the need for eco-restoration of the global common.

Stating that the annual contributions could flow from their national budgets and revenues from carbon taxes or sale of permits in the cap-and-trade system, it said the funds should be utilised for acquisition and transfer of climate-friendly technologies to developing countries and covering incremental costs of shifts from carbon-intensive to low carbon intensive production in developing world.

It further said as a bargaining strategy, to stave off the likely impasse in the Copenhagen negotiation and to ensure access to climate-friendly technologies and financial backing, India might underpin voluntary reductions in GHG emissions for developing countries in a phased manner based on their nationally appropriate mitigation action plans.

It said the gratuitous emissions reductions might take the form of either limiting the growth of the emissions below the business as usual scenario in a phased manner — e.g., no reduction till 2020, 10 per cent reduction during 2020-2030 and 20 per cent reduction thereafter; or reducing GHG intensity (GHG emissions/GDP) in a phased manner —e.g., no reduction till 2020, 10 per cent during 2020-2030 and 20 per cent thereafter, subject to the proviso that the developed countries bear the incremental costs of CHG reductions from the proposed superfund.

Finally, in return for voluntary quantified GHG emission cuts, India and developing countries as a group might demand from the developed world to meet its Kyoto Protocol targets by 2020, agree for stringent emission cuts targets in a phased manner to achieve at least 40 per cent emission cuts by 2030 and 80 per cent by 2050 and create a global superfund to finance mitigation, adaptation and capacity building in developing countries. They should also refrain from adopting unilateral trade measures in their legislations/action plans or dictating climate policies of developing countries.

Related Stories:
`Slew of actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions'