India Ready with ‘Comprehensive’ Plan on INDCs Ahead of Paris Meet: Javadekar

The Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Independent Charge), Shri Prakash Javadekar addressing a Press Conference on Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), in New Delhi on August 24, 2015. The Secretary, Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Shri Ashok Lavasa and the Director General (M&C), Press Information Bureau, Shri A.P. Frank Noronha are also seen. (PIB Photo).

India’s environment minister Prakash Javadekar has reiterated India’s stand on compliance with the Climate Change agreements in the past and to forge ahead with its comprehensive plan at the Paris Summit to be held in December this year.

The minsiter said India is finalizing its draft proposal before the crucial UN climate change conference in Paris and unlike most other countries whose ‘Intended Nationally Determined Contributions’ (INDCs) reflect only mitigation measures, India will have two different templates — one for adaptation and the other for mitigation apart from technology and capacity build up, Javadekar said.

Wrapping up an 8-month effort, the minister said “We are at an advanced stage of preparing our INDC… We have been engaged in this exercise and widest consultations have taken place with all ministries, state governments, research institutes, industry, think tanks and many organisations.”

Javadekar said all elements will be part of India’s INDCs, including efforts for mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology and capacity building, he said preparing for the final draft. He said India’s INDCs reflect the mandate of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

However, India is still a latecomer in terms of submission of its INDCs as the US, China and the European Union countries have already submitted their INDCs. Some of the projects undertaken by the ministry of forests and environment will figure in the INDCs, it is learnt.

But India has made it evident in all global gatherings that “Developed world would now have to walk the talk and will have to provide green climate fund to the developing world.”

Being a developing nation, India has maintained its “Common but Differentiated Responsibility” approach to global climate change and sought the developed world to pay the developing world or poorer nations like India and defer the carbon tax model for some more time.

The UN has been insisting on a “realistic” trajectory to mobilize $100 billion per year by 2020 that was pledged by developed countries in 2009 – with resources above and beyond official development assistance (ODA).

The UN Green Climate Fund has remained a lukewarm effort without funds.