U.S.-China Climate Deal Puts India in Spotlight - WSJ
NEW DELHI—A new pact between the U.S. and China to tackle greenhouse-gas emissions has raised the question: Could India be next to set targets? After all, the two most-populous countries in the world have long acted together in climate-change talks.
Indian officials say, however, that Beijing's deal has only highlighted the vast gap between a surging China and an India struggling to catch up. India appears unwilling to take steps that could burden its economy as it strives to build modern manufacturing industries.
Beijing and New Delhi used to join forces to stave off pressure from developed nations to curb emissions, arguing that high carbon-dioxide levels are a problem that now-wealthy, industrialized nations created over many years and not something developing countries should be expected to solve.
Last week, China agreed for the first time to stop increases in its emissions by around 2030, signaling a greater willingness to cooperate with the U.S. and the European Union. For its part, the U.S. agreed to cut emissions by 26% to 28% below 2005 levels by 2025.
Some in the West argued the agreement would put pressure on India, the world's third-largest emitter after China and the U.S., to make a similar pledge in climate negotiations that start next month, and which are expected to culminate at a major conference in Paris next year.
Instead, Indian officials and experts say, New Delhi is likely to highlight its vast differences with China, using the social, economic and emissions disparities as a bargaining chip in presenting its position.
"India's emissions are four times lower than China's," a senior official in India's Environment Ministry said. "If America is OK with the 2030 date for China, we can think about 2050 or even after that."
In the last decade, China's emissions have risen sharply both in absolute and per capita terms, reflecting rapid growth in its manufacturing economy and creating a developmental gulf with India. For example, 99.8% of China's population has access to electricity, while in India the rate is 75%, according to the World Bank.
India's per capita carbon emissions are around 1.9 tons per year, compared with China's 7.2 tons per person. The world average is 5 tons per person.
The ministry official said India's position in climate talks would be guided by the principle of "common but differentiated responsibility." Unlike China, the official said, India still needed to electrify millions of homes, build basic infrastructure and drive rapid economic growth to alleviate poverty.
An Indian climate-policy adviser said it was Western countries that had lumped India and China together by devising a category of big emitters so that they could "impose on these fast-growing countries obligations that are similarly binding" as those applicable to developed countries.
"China has reached a certain stage of development," the climate adviser said. "The time will come when India reaches that stage too, but that time is not now."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's top aide for the Group of 20 summit held in Australia this past weekend was quoted as saying India had long suffered by being bracketed with China.
"On most social and economic indicators, China is way ahead of India," Suresh Prabhu told the newspaper Indian Express. "But because they have allied so closely at the negotiations, India and China are seen as together."
India's Environment Minister, Prakash Javdekar, said in a televised interview that Mr. Prabhu's comments represented his opinion and that India was still in the process of discussing its policy and negotiating stance.
Experts say India may extend its pledge to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted for each unit of gross domestic product, and to increase the use of renewable energy, which is among Mr. Modi's major priorities.
Many Indian experts and environmental activists argue the U.S.-China deal doesn't go far enough to stop temperatures from rising sharply, and that it may allow the Indian government to avoid making an ambitious proposal of its own.
Chandra Bhushan, a climate change specialist at the New Delhi-based Center for Science and Environment. said that by 2030, both China and the U.S. would have per capita emissions of 12 tons each, while India is projected to have per capita emissions of around 4 tons.
"If India takes a cue from this deal, the pressure is actually off its shoulders," he said. "No proportionality formula can demand India to do more, if this is what the U.S. and China are pledging."
Write to Niharika Mandhana at [email protected]
NEW DELHI—A new pact between the U.S. and China to tackle greenhouse-gas emissions has raised the question: Could India be next to set targets? After all, the two most-populous countries in the world have long acted together in climate-change talks.
Indian officials say, however, that Beijing's deal has only highlighted the vast gap between a surging China and an India struggling to catch up. India appears unwilling to take steps that could burden its economy as it strives to build modern manufacturing industries.
Beijing and New Delhi used to join forces to stave off pressure from developed nations to curb emissions, arguing that high carbon-dioxide levels are a problem that now-wealthy, industrialized nations created over many years and not something developing countries should be expected to solve.
Last week, China agreed for the first time to stop increases in its emissions by around 2030, signaling a greater willingness to cooperate with the U.S. and the European Union. For its part, the U.S. agreed to cut emissions by 26% to 28% below 2005 levels by 2025.
Some in the West argued the agreement would put pressure on India, the world's third-largest emitter after China and the U.S., to make a similar pledge in climate negotiations that start next month, and which are expected to culminate at a major conference in Paris next year.
Instead, Indian officials and experts say, New Delhi is likely to highlight its vast differences with China, using the social, economic and emissions disparities as a bargaining chip in presenting its position.
"India's emissions are four times lower than China's," a senior official in India's Environment Ministry said. "If America is OK with the 2030 date for China, we can think about 2050 or even after that."
In the last decade, China's emissions have risen sharply both in absolute and per capita terms, reflecting rapid growth in its manufacturing economy and creating a developmental gulf with India. For example, 99.8% of China's population has access to electricity, while in India the rate is 75%, according to the World Bank.
India's per capita carbon emissions are around 1.9 tons per year, compared with China's 7.2 tons per person. The world average is 5 tons per person.
The ministry official said India's position in climate talks would be guided by the principle of "common but differentiated responsibility." Unlike China, the official said, India still needed to electrify millions of homes, build basic infrastructure and drive rapid economic growth to alleviate poverty.
An Indian climate-policy adviser said it was Western countries that had lumped India and China together by devising a category of big emitters so that they could "impose on these fast-growing countries obligations that are similarly binding" as those applicable to developed countries.
"China has reached a certain stage of development," the climate adviser said. "The time will come when India reaches that stage too, but that time is not now."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's top aide for the Group of 20 summit held in Australia this past weekend was quoted as saying India had long suffered by being bracketed with China.
"On most social and economic indicators, China is way ahead of India," Suresh Prabhu told the newspaper Indian Express. "But because they have allied so closely at the negotiations, India and China are seen as together."
India's Environment Minister, Prakash Javdekar, said in a televised interview that Mr. Prabhu's comments represented his opinion and that India was still in the process of discussing its policy and negotiating stance.
Experts say India may extend its pledge to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted for each unit of gross domestic product, and to increase the use of renewable energy, which is among Mr. Modi's major priorities.
Many Indian experts and environmental activists argue the U.S.-China deal doesn't go far enough to stop temperatures from rising sharply, and that it may allow the Indian government to avoid making an ambitious proposal of its own.
Chandra Bhushan, a climate change specialist at the New Delhi-based Center for Science and Environment. said that by 2030, both China and the U.S. would have per capita emissions of 12 tons each, while India is projected to have per capita emissions of around 4 tons.
"If India takes a cue from this deal, the pressure is actually off its shoulders," he said. "No proportionality formula can demand India to do more, if this is what the U.S. and China are pledging."
Write to Niharika Mandhana at [email protected]
