As countries around the world rededicate themselves to cutting down on carbon emissions, India could play a leading role in mitigating the impact of climate change, environment experts said on Sunday.
“India will play a major and important role in the bottom-up process of climate change,” said Miranda Schreurs, professor, Free University, Berlin.
Speaking at an international conference on Climate Change Resilience hosted by the Pondicherry Central University, Ms. Schreurs said this was not only a challenge but a real opportunity for the country.
China, India and the United States account for about 55 per cent of global CO2 emissions. India has promised to cut its energy intensity by 35 per cent compared to 2005-levels by the year 2030 while China has said it will peak its emissions by around 2030 and the U.S. will reduce its emissions by 26 to 28 per cent compared to 2005-levels by 2030. Europe has also said it will reduce its emissions by 40 per cent, compared to the 1990-levels, by 2030.
The biggest four countries and regions had promised to inititate action. The Paris summit due in December would see a global agreement on climate change and this was a step in the right direction. But much more had to be done, Ms. Schreurs said.
Pierre Grard, Director, French Institute of Pondicherry (IFP), said assessing carbon emissions would be very fruitful as a tool for negotiations between different countries in tackling climate change.
Anisa B. Khan, Vice Chancellor (in charge) of Pondicherry University, said climate change constituted one of the gravest environmental challenges faced by mankind. The precursor was the multitude of anthropogenic activities resulting in elevated concentration of greenhouse gases.
“It is also expected to help us for mainstreaming community-based adaptation to climate change resilience into international, national and local planning and processes,” she said.
K.V. Deviprasad, Head of the Department, Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, participated.
