The ‘Us’ Bus of Climate Change: From Bonn to Copenhagen

As we evolve towards a new global climate change policy regime at Copenhagen later this year via the negotiations currently going on in Bonn, a willingness to step in each other’s shoes gets more and more critical and primary.

On one hand are the developing countries like India, where emphasis has been on highlighting how its measures conform to the needs of the hour and of the globe. Its adaptation initiative on Himalayas and other, mitigation initiatives (solar, water, sustainability, energy efficiency, etc.) all aim at moving India and the world one step closer to a better environmental situation.  It is a more practical way of doing things to plan on both environment and development together – rather than on viewing them in traditional typecast of development versus environment. So, the rural employment scheme under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) that generates bulk of (70%) employment in environment-improving schemes is particularly heartening.  NREGA’s green jobs in afforestation, sustainable agriculture, water harvesting, etc. will not only provide employment to one person in a family but will also do so in areas that will alleviate emission-problems. 

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On other hand developed nations like U.S. are imposing stricter standards to help curb domestic (individual and vehicular, primarily) pollution.  Such measures are the need of the hour, not only for domestic environmental improvement but also in terms of the signal it will send to the rest of the world.   What part of the 40% of 1990 levels by 2020 is agreed to by the U.S. is interpreted by other nations as its commitment level.  So, moving from a no-cuts to a 4% cut is taken as some commitment towards a better world – albeit a very low level of commitment.  Consolidated efforts by developed world and that too in a timely manner – since time lost not only worsens our global situation but has also tended to push the base levels of polluters higher – is what will deliver.  

Quite expectedly, money flows (be it from financial aid or carbon trading) continue to be contentious and stepping in the other’s shoes is bound to help arrive at uniformly acceptable solutions.   Whether developing countries get the aid from developed countries (- which they insist is critical to be able to cut emissions -  needs careful and open minded evaluation; certainly keeping in mind that though different places will derive different shares of benefits – it is a global gain.  I think the key lies in the realization that it is not a tug of war with the different nations pulling against each other. But it is a tug of war between the nations on one side and global warming (or climate change) on the other.  A similar attitude on part of other countries (notably China and India) and similarly conforming approach on part of developed countries will help arrive at the ‘us’ solutions.

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