Recession, layoffs and bailouts seem to be words used very often in the Global Economy these days. Times couldn’t have been direr. But while the present economic crises is a matter of serious concern and no stone should be left unturned to bring back the economy on track, it shouldn’t be however used in any way to divert global attention from another equally if not more pressing crises at hand- the one posed by Climate Change. Climate Change is as visible and as threatening as ever and it is not the time for any sort of complacency or hesitancy. With the Global economy still reeling under the aftershocks of the worst beating in recent memory, resources are bound to get dearer and it will require extraordinary amount of political will to affect corrective action, exacting flesh from an already bleeding economy, but there are no short cuts, no instant magical spells to wave away the gloomy shadow of climate change hovering over the fate of humanity. The quest for a sustainable low carbon economy must go on, undeterred and uncompromised, and this carbon neutralization can be only achieved by something not lesser than a complete technological revolution, in both renewables as well as energy efficiency.
As far as the western industrialized nations are concerned, they seem to have realized this fact. The problem lies more in their level of commitment and the urgency with which they initiate real quantifiable action. In fact, too much has already been discussed and debated over the necessity of immediate action and it is high time that talk translates into concrete action. More than mere tokenism and superficial measures, the need of the hour instead is a clear, committed and competitive drive for a green energy based economy, heralding the dawn of a new era- the one of environmental maximization. At present, the western industrialized nations are relatively at a far better position, both economically as well as technologically as far as tackling climate change is concerned. Considering this fact along with the fact that they are responsible for more than 80% of the global green house gas accumulations so far, it is quite fair to expect and demand nothing less than the best measures from them, even if it ends up rapping up their already band-aided economies a little bit more. While the expected stand and position of the western nations in the post climate change regime is clear and unanimous, it is not so, as far as India is concerned.
India today is a nation of two self contradicting faces. On one hand, it is one of the fastest growing economies, a regional giant aspiring to be one of the next superpower. On the other hand, it is home to the greatest number of the poor, more than any other country in the world, and burdened with a crippling fight against abject poverty. No wonder it finds itself trapped in the proverbial catch 22 situation as far as tackling climate change is concerned. Under the circumstances, on one hand, any effort to neutralize its increasing carbon intensive economy will surely hurt its growth rate, further jeopardizing its losing battle against chronic poverty. Conversely, inaction at this juncture will be equally costly, especially with regards to its future global standing , because it is becoming evidently clear that the coming century will belong to those that are able to efficiently harness and produce green energy and technologies. Considering the complexity of the situation, it would be highly interesting to note how India plans on facing the challenges ahead.
However, as far as present trends are concerned, it unfortunately is tilting towards a cautious way out, planning on doing only just enough to scrape it through the worst of the crises. Notwithstanding the concerns over its poverty alleviation efforts, it is important that it considers the fact that the earliest and worst casualty of unchecked climate change will be the poor people only, which as aforementioned, it has in abundance. Besides, processes like carbon neutral energy, green technologies, and other sustainable practices are no longer just about avoiding the worst impacts of climate change but are more about the way forward, the standards and yardsticks by which future progress will be measured. Thus, it would augur well for India especially in the long run to be a little more farsighted and much more ambitious in its approach. Reasoning along this line of thought necessitates a clear and urgent need for a shift in its Climate Policy, starting with its rigid stance in International Climate negotiations.
While it would be grossly unfair to expect India to shoulder equal responsibilities with the highly empowered western nations, it could do well to tone down its present “you caused it, so you fix it” attitude to a more acceptable and constructive level. This should be followed with a reorientation of its existing National Climate Policy. Though its present Climate Change Action Plan is a fairly good one, just “good” is simply not enough. These are extra ordinary times calling for extra ordinary measures. How well it rises up to the occasion is still to be seen, but one thing is certain, its actions (or the lack of it) now, will determine whether it emerges as a Green Superpower or end up playing catching up for another long time to come.
Temjen Lkr, Naturespeak
Tiaba Pongen, Naturespeak
