A NEW WORLD ENVIRONMENT ORDER IS MY DREAM

India has once again proved that it can
protect its own and developing countries’ interest at international fora. It
all happened at the Indonesian holiday resort, Bali, where about 190 countries from
across the globe entered into a roadmap to take action to reduce greenhouse
emissions in the atmosphere forcing climate change. In this UN conference on
climate change India achieved a tough deal. It
forcefully argued and defended against imposition of binding targets on
developing countries and made the rich, industrialised nations to provide fund
and support transfer of clean technology to poor and developing countries.
Timely initiative by India at the fort-night long meet ensured
that the developed countries cannot simply put the onus on the poor nations.
Accordingly a decision was taken at the extended session where leaders have
decided to adhere to new set of principles, that will, over the next two years,
help the countries decide a post 2012 deal. By next two years, the deal  will be drawn making it clear what is
expected from each country.

Under the United Nations Treaty
called the UN framework on climate change, there is an existing deal called the
Kyoto Protocol. It demands that the 36 big emitters, mostly industrialised
nations, reduce their emissions by a fixed percentage by 2012. Bali conference was to discuss what
happens after 2012. The Kyoto protocol expires in 2012. At
present only the rich nations, responsible for more than 70 percent of
emissions, are expected to cut carbon emissions. But they demanded that after
2012, even the developing countries also start 
some kind of emission cuts. This means a complete u- turn of the existing
treaty. India and other similarly placed
countries  contend that such a step will
pose a hurdle for economic growth. India argued that the rich countries who
are the worst polluters should take responsibility. This argument has been
taken care of and a roadmap for the future course of action finalised.

An Indian delegate at the end of the conference said, “fourteen days of
negotiations, running deep into mid-night on several occasions, finally brought
us to the showdown. So, the rich nations should support a fund and clean
technologies to make the not so rich to cut emissions. This will help these
countries not to sacrifice their economic growth which is vital”. The Science
and Technology Minister Shri Kapil Sibal said, “it was a hard fought win, but
we have secured India’s position in the two year negotiations that delegates
have agreed at Bali and which will be completed by 2009”.

Explaining the 90 minute high drama
on the last day of the meeting, an Indian official said that a critical
resolution demanding that the rich work on transferring clean technologies and
fund such mechanisms for the sake of developing world was left out at the
discussions and instead an American resolution demanding commitments from the
developing world got floated. At this point India intervened to put forth its position
and the European Union supported it besides the developing nations. Finally it
was agreed that such countries would undertake climate change mitigation along
with rich nations passing on technologies and funding that would help them to
pursue economic growth and also cut emissions.

Environmentalist who heads the Nobel
Prize winning inter governmental panel on climate change, Mr.R.K.Pachauri said,
“the future is going to be a low-carbon society and those who accept the fact
are going to be the winners and those who don’t will be left behind. The Indian
industry will be the vanguard of this change. There is a need to bring about a
technology revolution in India in the sectors like transport,
power and building. India needs to make judicious use of
water, electricity and build more rural infrastructure”.

China and the entire G-77 and the EU have
supported India’s brought amendment at the Bali conference of the UN framework
convention on climate change. All nations have agreed on  an action plan on a war-footing for combating
climate change. The UNFCCC has agreed to help protect forests through special
funding, as part of Bali
roadmap. India on its part has  taken steps where-ever possible and which are
within its reach.  If all countries
follow such actions a successful climate framework will be just two years away.
Cooperation and coordination are needed at this hour to face the alarming
consequences of climate change. These should come from both the rich and the
not so rich nations world-wide. Any backing out of the consensus reached at the
Bali conference will only put the entire
world into a boiling point.