The Government on Monday came to the defence of R.K. Pachauri, head of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which is under fire for making claims on melting of Himalayan glaciers, saying it had full confidence in him and would “fight” any attempt to unseat him.
“We have full confidence in chairman of IPCC,” Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh said during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha.
The Government, he said, had objected to the alarm that was created by Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC suggesting that Himalayan glaciers would disappear by 2035.
The report was based on poorly substantiated estimates of recession. “In drafting the paragraph on the subject in question, the clear and well established standards of evidence, required by the IPCC procedures, were not applied properly,” he said.
The IPCC report was used politically by certain countries to pressurise India into coming on board to make commitments to control climate change. “India’s objections to the report were upheld and we were vindicated,” he said. “We are backing IPCC Chairman (Pachauri) and will fight any attempt to unseat him,” the Minister said.
Mr. Ramesh said while most Himalayan glaciers were retreating, some were advancing. Some glaciers were retreating at decelerating rate like the Gangotri glacier.
