GOVERNMENT DECIDES TO RATIFY KYOTO PROTOCOL ON CLIMATE CHANGE
COUNTRY
TO BENEFIT FROM TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY AND ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS
The Government has decided to ratify
the Kyoto Protocol on containing the emission of Green House Gases
(GHG) that result in Climate Change with adverse consequences
on food productivity, sea level, water resources, forests and
other eco systems. The Union Cabinet took a decision to this effect
last evening. So far, 77 countries have ratified the Protocol.
India is not required to reduce emission
of Green House Gases under the Protocol under which basically
the developed countries were required to reduce emissions of GHG
by an average of 5.2 per cent below 1990 level by 2012. This Protocol
was adopted in 1997 by the countries which are Parties to the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC).
The Convention seeks to stabilise Green House Gas concentrations
in the atmosphere at a level that would minimise interference
with the climate system.
India will benefit from transfer
of technology and additional foreign investments when the Kyoto
Protocol comes into force. Additional investments will come into
renewable energy, energy generation and efficiency promotion and
afforestation projects. India has all along maintained that developed
and developing countries have differentiated responsibility towards
stabilising emission of GHG. Besides upholding this position,
the Kyoto Protocol enables India to take up clean technology projects
with external assistance in accordance with national sustainable
development priorities.
The Kyoto Protocol provides for three
mechanisms that enable the developed countries to meet the emission
limitation and reduction commitments. Under the Clean Development
Mechanism (CDM), developed countries would take up Green House
Gas reduction activities in developing countries.
India’s decision to ratify the Kyoto
Protocol is a reaffirmation of the country’s faith in multilateral
process for addressing global environmental problems. It is expected
that other countries will also join and ratify the Protocol before
the 8th Conference of Parties to the UNFCC to be held
in New Delhi from October 23 to November 1, this year. The Protocol
comes into force after a minimum of 55 Parties to the Convention
included in Annexe-1 accounting for at least 55 per cent of total
carbon-di-oxide emissions of Annexe-1 Parties ratified the Protocol.
So far 77 countries accounting for 36 per cent of 1990 emissions
of Annexe-1 Parties have ratified the Protocol.
