CEE Jan-Mar 2012

the 2009 levels. But it did not say the US's emissions increased by 4 per cent and EU 's by 3 per cent (see: Graph 1! ). India's ~ per cent increase is less than the US's 4 per cent increase in absolute terms (see: Graph Ill). It is the same story for per capita emissions (see: Graph IV). US's per capita emissions in 2010 was 16.9 tonnes; India's was 1.51 tonnes. The per capita em1ss1ons between 2009 and 2010 increased by o.5 tonnes in the US, 0.6 tonnes in Japan, 0.2 tonnes in EU-15, 0.6 tonnes in China and 0.2 tonnes in Russia. In comparison, India's increase was 0.1 tonne. Courtesy: Down to Earth, January 16-31, 2012, P19 INDIA CLUBBED V\J!TH DEVELOPED POLLUTERS All big emitters must act; landmark climate deal to take effect in 2020 All nations have agreed to adopt a new global pact to cut greenhouse gas emissions, at the UN climate change talks in Durban on 11.12.2011 . Major polluters from developed as well as developing countries will undertake an emission cut. The Durban Platform for Enhanced Action , crafted after three days of virtually non-stop ministerial consultation, is a roadmap for a 2015 accord, which will take effect in 2020. It was adopted by all countries. The Durban Platform does away with the differentiation between developed and developing countries , a move that India strongly opposed. Talks on the new legal deal covering all countries will begin next year, when the Kyoto Protocol ends. The 194-party conference agreed to a second commitment period under Kyoto Protocol. Kyoto Protocol sets binding targets for 37 industrialized nations and the EU to slash carbon emissions to 5 per cent below the 1990 levels by 2012. Till now, China and India were exempted from any constraints because they are developing countries, while the US never signed the Kyoto Protocol. "We came here with plan A, and we have concluded this meeting with plan A to save one planet for the future of our children and our grand-children Wins & Losses • DURBAN PLATFORM removes differentiation between developed & developing countries • INDIA MANAGES TO replace term 'legally- binding' with 'legal outcome' and forgoes Insistence on 'common but differentiated responsibility' • US & EU GAIN FROM treaty that treats all polluters on par. China manages to push new global regime by 2020. to come. We have made history," The conference of Parties president and South African foreign minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said, bringing to a close the longest running climate talks in the last two decades of negotiations. While the agreement ensured that the Durban round could be deemed a success , it would appear that the Durban Platform secures the current state of play by taking into account and working with the non-negotiable elements or redlines of various country groups. A climate negotiations analyst agreed that deal was weak, and was something of a "greenwash". "Despite the problems and concerns, achieving an agreement was important, as the failure to do so would have adversely impacted the United Nations' multilateral process," he said . The proposed global climate regime could be a new protocol, or a legal instrument or be an agreed outcome with legal force. The last being an alteration of the option of "legal outcome" pushed by India. A legally binding ag reement is a red line for both India and China, by putting in tha "iegal outcome" option , the way has been found to bring in two of the major emitters and economies into the fold . This is India's only redline to be accommodated in the formulation. New Delhi has had to forgo its insistence on equity as the cornerstone of climate agreements and the principle of common but differentiated responsibility-allowing for the differentiation between developing and developed countries. Basic partner, China had better luck in securing another of its non-negotiables-no new global regime before 2020. The Durban Platform stater. that the new regime ''would come into effect and be implemented from 2020". This target date of 2020, introduced in the most recent round of talks , makes it more attractive for Beijing. Last weekend, Xie Zhenhua, China's head of delegation had said that Beijing would consider a legal binding outcome after 2020 if five preconditions, 22 - ..