National Action Plan on Climate Change

"The earth has enough resources to meet the needs of people, but will never have enough to serve their greed” - Mahatma Gandhi.

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India unveiled the much-awaited national action plan to combat climate change on Monday, 30th June, 2008 and yet again demonstrated its proactive initiatives for combating the climate change. On this occasion, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh reiterated what he had said at G-8 summit held in Heiligendamm, "India was prepared to commit that its per capita emission would not exceed the average per capita emissions of developed industrial countries [...]."

The National Action Plan focuses attention of 8 priorities National Missions. These are:

1. Solar Energy
2. Enhanced Energy Efficiency
3. Sustainable Habitat
4. Conserving Water
5. Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem
6. A “Green India”
7. Sustainable agriculture
8. Strategic Knowledge Platform for Climate Change

The National Mission of Solar Energy, occupies a pre-eminent place, whose success, Prime Minister said, has the potential of transforming the face of India[PIB].

Things to note about National Action Plan

1. Vision: "To make India’s economic development energy-efficient.[PIB]" PM said, "Over a period of time, we must pioneer a graduated shift from economic activity based on fossil fuels to one based on non-fossil fuels and from reliance on non-renewable and depleting sources of energy to renewable sources of energy."
2. The plan framed by a 22-member experts on climate change reiterates that maintaining a high growth rate is essential for increasing living standards of the vast majority of people who remain vulnerable to global warming and specify eight missions to tackle threats.
3. "India will engage actively in multilateral negotiations in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) in a positive, constructive and forward-looking manner."
4. The plan reiterated India’s international stand that it believes in "common and differentiated responsibility" and, therefore, will wait for developed countries to cap their emissions that are several times higher.
5. This plan does not set target reduction of greenhouse gas emissions but seeks to promote sustainable development through use of clean technologies.

Read More:

1. PM releases National Action Plan on Climate Change.
2. TOI:India unveils National Action Plan on Climate Change.
3. Text of Prime Minister’s address.
4. Other Sources: CNN-IBN, Finantial Express, rediff, merinews.

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