India Makes Strides In Renewables And Energy Efficiency; Ominous Accord With USA

Posted on 26. Nov, 2009 by Ross in Asia, Climate Change

India is still the Jekyll and Hyde of climate change this week: despite positive announcements over solar power targets and steps to help transfer low-carbon technologies to developing countries, their growing agreement with climate change sloth the USA could spell trouble at the Copenhagen negotiating table in December.

After months of rumours and draft report leaks, the India’s National Solar Mission programme has been officially announced, aiming to generate a massive 20 gigawatts of solar power for India by 2022.

Greenpeace were quick to be amongst the first green groups to congratulate India on the target, calculating that India’s carbon emissions would be reduced by 12-18% from the project - if the solar power was used to replace existing fossil fuel power stations.

Given the power crisis which gripped the country due to poor Indian monsoons due to El Nino this summer, and with economic growth being the order of the day on the Asian sub-continent, the solar power is unlikely to save any carbon at all, but just help to meet growing demands for electrical energy. It will at least help reduce India’s huge carbon intensity, which will be vital in lowering the odds of carbon taxes upon carbon-intensive exports such as steel.

Technology Transfer

India and the UK began leading the charge towards greater levels of technology transfer this week too, with a joint paper released by the Carbon Trust and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi which called for the establishment of a worldwide network of Climate Innovation Centres.

The role of the centres would be to help to accelerate the deployment of new technologies through research, product development, adaptation, testing and demonstration.

The centres could be funded by public-private partnership between the international community, host governments and the private sector and would focus on technologies that meet the specific needs of developing countries. They would offer business opportunities and mechanisms for global businesses and local entrepreneurs to help address both climate and development challenges and participate in potentially significant markets.

Unholy Alliance?

Despite the good signs, warning bells began to ring for environmental groups today when the Indian government today signalled satisfaction with this week’s joint Indo-US statement formed by the visit of India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the White House, in particular the portion on climate change which “represents an increased degree of congruence” in the two country’s stances.

The statement recognises the key principle of common and differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities enshrined in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In accordance with that principle, the joint statement commits developed countries such as the U.S. to take on economy-wide emission reduction targets, while developing countries should take mitigation actions which are specific in nature such as India’s renewal energy plan or afforestation target.

The intention to absolve developing countries from any formal carbon targets - whether absolute reductions or intensity reductions - will not sit well with the majority of the developed world who are gearing their economies up for stringent carbon reductions. However, with a comparatively feeble 4% carbon reduction target which is struggling to be made in to legislation, the USA is struggling to find the moral environmental authority to ask or insist for more.

That leaves the developing world free to play the role that they want: China have sought to make the USA the climate change villain, Brazil have emerged as the developing world eco-champions, whilst India are content to prioritise economic growth over environmental stability, with energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives geared towards augmenting growth through maximising resources rather than to mitigate climate change.

Image of Jaisalmer Fort by Manoj Vasanth @ Flickr