Campaign Action

Kalyan Singh Kothari, OneWorld South Asia

New delhi: A national consultation with policy makers and public actors titled ‘Towards Consensus on India’s Position on International Negotiations’ at India International Centre, Delhi, on 23rd November 2009 discussed the implications of climate change on many economic and social aspects of climate change and nuances of international negotiations.

The collective put forth its demands in the form of the People’s Declaration on Climate Change 2009 and called upon the Indian Government to negotiate a fair climate deal at Copenhagen.

The consultation was culmination of a campaign by over 40 civil society organizations led by CECOEDECON, PAIRVI, South Asia Dialogue for Ecological Democracy, AASHA, FTN Asia, Gene Campaign and IDS Jaipur.

Shri Chandrashekhar Sahu, Minister for Agriculture, Labour and Animal Husbandry, Chhattisgarh Govt. was the chief guest of the Consultation. He said that agriculture was a subject of huge concern in the climate change debate and it should be given due importance in the negotiations.

Participating in the consultation were many Members of Parliament from India and representatives of embassies and high commissions of many countries.

In his key note address, V.S. Vyas of the Prime Ministers Economic Advisory Council emphasized that developed countries must take responsibility for historical emissions and compensate the developing countries in the constrained carbon world keeping in mind the principles of justice and equity and common but differentiated responsibility in the Kyoto protocol. He stressed on the need for solar energy technology in the coming years in order to reduce emissions in developing countries.

Also present at the occasion was Com. Abani Roy, MP, Revolutionary Sociality Party who brought attention to the threat to the survival of vulnerable people who are dependant upon nature’s cycles and resources including farmers, fisher folk, pastorals, laborers, artisans and women. Sanjay Nirupam, MP, INC appealed to the youth of the country to raise the issue of the climate change. He emphasized that there should be a balance between climate change concerns and development needs.

India should give priority to research and investment on solar energy as it is the best option for India’s emerging energy needs, said Anil Dave, MP, Rajya Sabha.

P.D. Rai, MP and Pradeep Tamta, MP emphasized that Himalayan ecosystem is at the centre of India’s environmental and also economic sustainability and therefore it should be given appropriate attention while making policies. 

Digvijay Singh, MP, stressed that India must stick to its guns and ask for huge reduction by developed countries and adaptation fund. Om Prakash Yadav, MP, added that India can be a leader in the struggle against climate change as the agricultural community in India has huge experience in adaptation to tropical and arid conditions.

Expectations of the international community

Representatives of Annex 1 countries, Denmark (the host for COP 15 Meeting), China, Australia, Norway, Italy, and developing countries Nepal, Sri Lanka also participated in the consultation.

Thomas Hahr, First Secretary and climate attaché, Royal Danish Embassy, said that both developed and developing countries have to be flexible and compromising in their approach to make a deal possible at Copenhagen. He added that recently many developed and developing countries have shown renewed commitment and flexibility in the approach by revising their reduction commitments and declaring national action plans and Denmark is going into negotiations with a very high level of expectations.

Ge Song Xue and Qin Hongming from the Embassy of China, said that both India and China are sailing on the same boat and should promote technologies and training to the developing countries and further strengthen the Kyoto Protocol. Sarah Kirlew, Second Secretary, Australian High Commission, shared the recent national and bilateral efforts initiated by the new government to reduce emission and its intention to play a key role in international negotiations.

Dr. Santa Mole, Director, International Development Cooperation office, Embassy of Italy, expressed her high hopes from the COP 15 and said that controlling emissions and coming to an agreement was in the interest of humanity more than the interest of individual countries.

P.R.S. Gunratna, First Secretary, Sri Lanka High Commission and Dhan Bahadur Oli, First secretary, Nepal Embassy, called for south-south solidarity.

The consultation also received goodwill message from a number of ministers and MPs including Kailash Vijayvargiya, D. Raja, Vishnu Bahuguna and Biplove Thakur. The vote of thanks was given by Om Thanvi, Editor, Jansatta.