Will India follow China, US to cut emissions?

Perhaps this late, and renegade, promise the US has made to fight climate change has emboldened the Indian government, as reflected in media reports, to not give much importance to the China-US deal.

But The Hindu has cast a wider eye on the deal. In its editorial on Nov 14, it says: "The proposals ... by the US and China follow the announcement last month of a 40 percent reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 for the entire European Union. Together, the package from these three main players would create the momentum for the other major high carbon footprint countries to come up with matching commitments ahead of the upcoming talks in Lima and a final deal in Paris. Notable among these are India, Indonesia, Australia and Brazil."

The Indian Express, the other national newspaper, has argued on similar lines. Electronic media outlets like NDTV and Zee News, too, have argued that India is under greater pressure after the US-China deal to reduce its emissions, although Zee News said: "... India would likely opt to slow emissions growth rather than set a peak year on the grounds it is entitled to economic growth."

But perhaps the most well-informed article has appeared in Mint, which says: "The reality is that, if India is to grow rapidly and eradicate poverty, this will necessitate a huge expansion in large-scale, labor-intensive manufacturing - the absence of which has been, thus far, the Achilles heel of the Indian growth story. Economic growth - and manufacturing especially - is carbon-intensive. Emission levels are going to continue to rise as India industrializes and gets back onto a high growth trajectory. There are no two ways about it."

It goes on to say: "At present China is responsible for 29 percent of total GHG emissions ... the US accounts for 15 percent (it is actually 17 percent) and India is nowhere close at 6 percent ... Based on these sobering statistics, it is surely right and proper that China - whose GDP per capita is more than four times as large as India's, and whose aggregate GDP is almost five times as large - should smartly step up to the plate and join the US, and other advanced economies in striving to abate global emissions."

Given these facts, as highlighted by the Indian media, can we expect New Delhi to take concrete steps to reduce its carbon emissions?

Well, that's another story.

The author is a senior editor with China Daily. oprana@hotmail.com.