NEW DELHI: India’s raucous democracy, endemic poverty and soaring economic ambition make targeting greenhouse gas emissions cuts a hard sell, even as global pressure mounts on the government to do more on climate change.

New Delhi says priority must go to economic growth to lift millions out of poverty while shifting to clean energy led by solar power.

The government sets no greenhouse caps, but says per-capita carbon emissions will never exceed those of developed nations.

India’s per-capita annual emissions are about 1.2 tonnes, compared with China’s 4.1 tonnes and Australia’s 28 tonnes.

Such arguments, Western leaders say, are just a fig leaf for India’s apparent reluctance to act. Critics say New Delhi lacks the political will to implement stringent laws. The truth, say analysts, lies somewhere in between — high growth at any cost and responsible behaviour on tackling emissions growth.

India is the world’s fourth largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and some studies suggest it could soon overtake Russia to become number three after China and the United States.

“India lacks political will, simply because climate is not a popular issue with Indians at large,” said K. Srinivas of Greenpeace’s climate change campaign, during Reuters Global Environment Summit.

“In most cases tough decision-making is put off, not because of economic growth concerns, but populist politics.”

Free electricity is a good example. It often forms part of political parties’ election agenda even though power regulators oppose it as wasteful and mostly benefiting rich farmers.

Likewise, tougher emissions laws for vehicles haven’t been implemented under pressure from users and the automobile lobby.

Power equipment companies have resisted switching over toenergy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs.

Policy implementation was also hindered by inter-ministry competition.

For instance, several ministries want their say in the fuel efficiency debate. While the Bureau of Energy Efficiency has the mandate to implement energy conservation policies, the transport ministry wants to implement this as part of Euro emissions standards.

“Sound logic”

“Many times people work at cross purposes,” said a climate change official on condition of anonymity. “Unlike China, politics here is disparate.”

Analysts said while China’s single-party government could implement tough decisions — it aims to reduce energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product by 20 per cent by 2010 — India’s disparate democracy hinders setting targets.

Globally, China is seen as doing more than India to fight climate change. “They often quote their efficiency policies and also renewable energy policy,” said Srinivas.

“The Chinese have a renewable energy policy which clearly looks at a 15 per cent uptake of renewable energy by 2020 and a 20 per cent efficiency target. These are concrete steps.”

By comparison, India stresses growth for poverty alleviation.

“By citing China’s example and asking India to set emission targets, the West wants to block our economic growth and see to it we stay poor,” said Bhure Lal, chairman of the government’s environmental pollution prevention committee.

“There are people in India who are spineless and will change their stance on issues because of vote-bank politics, but overall India’s argument that it can not set targets hindering growth is based on sound logic.”

India says while the Chinese have efficiency targets, they have not been able to implement them and that they are way short of the efficiency targets as of now.

Both countries, though, are united in criticising rich nations for not committing to deeper cuts and failing to following through on funding pledges and technology transfers for cleaner energy.

At the G8 summit in Japan in July, Group of Eight leaders agreed to the goal of halving emissions by 2050. But some baulked at the idea of fixed mid-term targets for emissions cuts by 2020 or 2030, something developing nations say wealthy states must agree to before they are willing to commit to curbs themselves.

Rich nations, in turn, say big developing nations must step up and join the fight against climate change. A recent annual study on global carbon emissions showed the developing world now contributes more than half of all mankind’s greenhouse gas pollution.

Flexible

India, whose economy has grown by 8-9 per cent annually in recent years, contributes around 4 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. It is not yet required to cut emissions — said to be rising by between 2 and 3 per cent a year — under the Kyoto Protocol.

Kyoto’s first phase ends in 2012 and UN-led talks seek to agree on a broader replacement for Kyoto from 2013 that binds all nations to commit to emissions curbs.

The talks reach a climax at the end of next year in the Danish capital Copenhagen but already there are doubts of a tough “Kyoto II” pact being agreed by then.

In June, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said India was not rigid and would try to make a gradual shift from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy, such as wind and solar.

India aims to generate 25,000 megawatts from renewable energy over the next four years, more than double the current generation level of 12,000 MW.

But coal remains the backbone of India’s power sector — accounting for about 60 per cent of generation — with the government planning to add about 70,000 MW in the next five years.

Srinivas criticised the lack of adequate government incentives for green power generation, while Lal pointed to India’s chaotic political scene as hindering the pace of change.

“Look, there are problems of implementation because of the nature of politics in India, but there is no fundamental fault with India’s stance,” Lal said.

—Reuters