Secret study: India a low carbon leader?

Rage

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Secret study: India a low carbon leader?

May 22, 2009 - Cleantech Group best of the web pick



McKinsey's yet-to-be-released report states
the country expects to lower its greenhouse gas intensity.



In a yet-to-be released study, McKinsey & Co. says India is already on its way to becoming one of the world’s least carbon-intensive countries—despite the country’s 7.5 percent economic growth rate.

The study is the second climate accolade for the country this month. Last week, the World Bank—for the first time—supported India’s stance on international climate change.

India recorded a greenhouse gas intensity of 0.7 metric tons (0.77 U.S. tons) of carbon dioxide equivalent per $1,000 of GDP in 2005. McKinsey officials stated in a presentation that if India moves forward with its economic progress as planned it will automatically lower its greenhouse gas intensity to 0.45 metric tons by 2030, according to the Times of India.

The figures boost the country’s position that it’s already taking an economic route, but industrialized countries disagree, saying India should be doing more to reduce its future emissions (see: A Copenhagen call to action).

McKinsey is known for its 'abatement cost' curves, calculations showing how much it will cost or generate for the economy to take emission cuts from particular sectors or using certain technologies. In the cost curves McKinsey produced for India, it backed the country’s contention that most emission-cutting activities beyond energy efficiency and other ongoing activities would cost hundreds of billions of dollars.

The report says more than 80 percent of the opportunity to reduce emissions is difficult to implement or will cost more to do than it will pay in returns, according to the Times of India.

Despite making positive assumptions about costs of some energy reducing technologies such as solar power, the report says India would end up diverting up to 2 percent of its gross domestic product toward greenhouse gas reductions.

Among its efforts to reduce its environmental footprint, India has indicated it plans to establish a center for energy biosciences to develop renewable energy resources that reduce the nation's dependence on petroleum. (See: India to establish a center for Energy Biosciences)


Secret study: India a low carbon leader? | Cleantech Group
 

NikSha

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..but industrialized countries disagree, saying India should be doing more to reduce its future emissions..
Those industrialized countries can shove a tree up their arse if they are so concerned. Oh and stop wasting electricity, driving those "trucks" with 1 person to work or few km destinations and importing the cheap products from countries like India and China while they're at it.

Us Indians should start forcing their local ministers (mayors, whatever) to plant 10 trees everytime those useless pricks go around cutting ribbons and holding useless dharnas in the middle of the road (leading to traffic jaams and thus, more emission).
 

EnlightenedMonk

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The Western nations themselves are the worst culprits in this whole mess and they have the gall to turn around and blame us for it... We're lower than them in emissions both in a per-capital level and the total level...

Us Indians should start forcing their local ministers (mayors, whatever)
Maybe you mean their local "Governors" or "Sheriffs" or whatever...
 

ZOOM

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Study conducted above institute is truly insightful about India's lowest share in spreading greenhouse gases all over the globe. But I highly doubt whether India would be able to maintain such a lead, since many of the Electricity generation that is being conducted and being projected in some years are believe to be operated extensively on Coal based Fuel, which is one of the major pollutant on earth.
 

thakur_ritesh

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dark green - koyoto protocol, Signed and ratified
light green - koyoto protocol, Signed, ratification pending
red - koyoto protocol, Signed, but not ratified
gray - koyoto protocol, Non-signatory


the place of origin of such noise targeting india and china is mostly usa and the best part of all is that they are the worst polluters of all times on the basis of per person. as facts state, usa is the only major country that has not ratified the koyoto protocol. certain countries like to act as policemen even when they are on the wrong side of things.
 

Vinod2070

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India is low on the list but I don't see it as necessarily positive for India.

India is so low because hundreds of millions have no electricity, no transport and no facilities. These people need to be brought up to the minimal consumption levels required for a civilized life in the modern age.

Our cities are all heavily polluted. We release mountain loads of carbon in out choc a bloc roads where traffic doesn't move, it crawls. Each of our cities is much more polluted than any you will find in the West where the air and water quality is actually improving.

Our poor may bring the average down but the government can surely do a lot for the environment in our cities by improving the public transport and other facilities.
 

Antimony

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India is low on the list but I don't see it as necessarily positive for India.

India is so low because hundreds of millions have no electricity, no transport and no facilities. These people need to be brought up to the minimal consumption levels required for a civilized life in the modern age.

Our cities are all heavily polluted. We release mountain loads of carbon in out choc a bloc roads where traffic doesn't move, it crawls. Each of our cities is much more polluted than any you will find in the West where the air and water quality is actually improving.

Our poor may bring the average down but the government can surely do a lot for the environment in our cities by improving the public transport and other facilities.
Good post Vinod.

We should not be taking false comfort in such statistics. rooting fr low carbon fortpint while our hundreds of millions wallow in poverty is a false choice. Most of our carbin generating endeavours are actually quite polluting when compared with the west.
 

thakur_ritesh

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under the koyoto protocol, there is a term called carbon credits, i am sure members are aware about the term. india has been one of the beneficiaries of carbon credits and this has been aggressively pursued by the government of the day. take the example of himachal, last seven years or so there has been aggressive industrialisation of the state but still the state remains one of the least polluting states as it was prior to the process of industrialisation, this is not to say that there have been hardly any investments, in fact the state has a top slot in terms of highest per capita investment in the country. add to that the state happens to be one of the top three states of the country which has been almost completely computerised, state also happens to have some mega power projects which are coal based and if i am not mistaken the state would most certainly be amongst the top few states of the country which on per capita basis is highly motorised. this has been achieved by aggressively pursuing the carbon credit scheme under which farmers/people are being dolled out cash based incentives for planting trees and people are more than happy in doing the same, add to this the state govt has issued 4 CFLs to each household and all at the end of the day has helped the state in being one of least polluters even with life styles of people are changing for the better, so low emission norms do not necessarily mean that the pace of development is slow or is not being taken up.




carbon credits : Carbon credit - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 

Rage

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In ensuing developments:


Indian govt tables major legislation on emissions curbs

Thursday, 24 Sep, 2009


India’s Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh (R) speaks as
Bollywood actress and green activist Priyanka Chopra (C) and
Chairman of the United Nations‘ Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) Rajendra Pachauri look on. —Photo by Reuters



KARACHI: After years of resisting pressure to act on climate change the Indian government is considering adopting curbs on carbon emissions, the Washington Post reported on Thursday.

Till recently New Delhi had maintained that any curbs on emissions would hinder its attempts to develop its economy, arguing that on a per-capita basis its emissions remain far below those of wealthy Western nations.

But India’s leadership is now considering bold action in an attempt to burnish its international reputation. Under a proposed national law, India may set limits on greenhouse gas emissions over the coming decade, focusing on energy efficiency, new building codes, clean energy and fuel economy standards, according to the leading US newspaper.

The new legislation would be a national goal, and not an international commitment. But the Indian government is hoping that adopting domestic measures first will make any commitments agreed to at global climate talks in Copenhagen in December more acceptable to the Indian public.

‘We have to take up bold new responsibilities that we have evaded so far,’ Jairam Ramesh, India’s environment minister, was quoted as saying. ‘But if we want durable political consensus, then it has to be rooted in domestic legislation and not in an international agreement.’

The Post says that the move reflects Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s desire to project a more positive international image for India as it emerges as an important player on the world stage. His aides say he wants India to engage with the world in a way that befits its aspiration to be a permanent member of the UN Security Council and have greater say in the running of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

The Indian premier was said to have been upset when a breakdown in global talks on farm subsidies and import tariffs in July 2008 was blamed on Indian intransigence, making India ‘a lightning rod of international criticism,’ in the words of one of Singh’s former spokesmen.

India, ranked fifth in global carbon emissions, wants to avoid being singled out as a stumbling block in climate negtotiations, which has prompted the Indian PM to move away from the country’s position that developed countries make cuts first.

‘India does not want to be the global bad boy in international negotiations. We don’t want to be blamed as the stumbling block anymore,’ said Tarun Das, head of the Confederation of Indian Industry, was quoted as saying.

The Post also credits the new initiative with the Congress Party’s recent success in summer’s parliamentary elections. Armed with a larger majority in Lok Sabha, Singh feels more confident about tackling difficult issues and taking potentially unpopular decisions.

India took its first step toward more cooperation on carbon emissions two months ago, at the Major Economies Forum in Italy, when it signed on to a declaration to cap the average global temperature at two degrees above preindustrialization levels.

But India also has long said that richer nations must assist poorer ones with the cost of mitigating climate change. Not expecting any financial assistance to be offered at the Copenhagen summit, the New Delhi government is not prepared to have its new efforts at reducing emissions overseen by other countries.

‘The goals we set will not be open to international verification, because there does not seem to be any money on the table for us at Copenhagen,’ said Ajay Mathur, director general of India’s Bureau of Energy Efficiency. ‘But Copenhagen need not fail. We can still go for the low-hanging fruit by agreeing on joint development of new technologies. That builds goodwill between nations.’


http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/sci-tech/09-indian-govt-tables-landmark-legislation-on-emissions-curbs--szh-03
 

Rage

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Indian firms way ahead in disclosing carbon emissions



December 6, 2009

Indian companies are way ahead in the region in disclosing their carbon emissions and setting performance targets for mitigation of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions, according to a latest survey of the Confederation on Indian Industry (CII).

The total GHG emissions reported by the respondents of carbon disclosure project (CDP) 2009 stands at 68.9 million metric tones (MT), which is almost double the GHG emissions reported in the last two years.

As many as 68 per cent of the respondents to CDP 2009 have reduction plans in place for slashing either their energy or GHG emissions as compared to 61 per cent last year while 84 per cent of the companies do not consider existing regulatory mechanisms as a risk but see it as an opportunity for triggering long term investment in energy efficient technologies. However, these companies do acknowledge that in future, the regulations may affect their businesses.

The report says 82 per cent of the companies acknowledge physical risks such as damage, disruption and displacement due to climate change as some of the major challenges that could result in financial losses.

This year a larger number of companies have not only started disclosing information on their GHG emissions, but they are also adopting more accurate methodologies for doing so and are providing categorical break-downs of their GHG emissions.

Close to 63 per cent of the companies disclosed their GHG emissions in CDP 2009, which is almost double as compared to only 33 per cent in CDP 2008.

This is the third edition of the CDP India report since it was first published in 2007 and is based on the top 200 companies in India based on market capitalisation.

In the latest survey 44 Indian companies have responded to the CDP this year. In the disclosure, companies reported on their carbon emissions data, reduction targets, associated risks and opportunities and increasingly board level managerial resources are spearheading the execution of climate change strategies within their organisations.

The most significant change from last year is that the responses have been improving both in terms of content and comprehensiveness.


http://beta.thehindu.com/business/Industry/article60794.ece
 

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