It is going to be India's Achilles Heel against its fight with growing emissions. How to juxtapose its growth requirements and development with flagrant environmental excesses. India is an Asian elephant on the move. An aspiring middle class with a liberal economy is fueling its growth. The high index of growth represents India's best chance to combat its perennial anathema - rampant poverty. But the very seeds of economic prosperity could spell a sour turn for the environment, not only locally but universally as well.

Already, India's per-capita annual emissions are about 1.2 tons, compared with neighboring China's 4.1 tons. India is the world's fourth largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and experts warn it could soon overhaul Russia to become number three after China and the United States. It is but natural to put China and India on the same podium. Both are economic powerhouses in the making. Both have large populations to feed. And both are becoming partners in 'environmental crimes'.

But here is probably where the distinction begins. China is a totalitarian regime; India is a disparate democracy where the voice of the people is paramount. Or in better terms, political will is subject to people will. China proclaims to reduce energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product by 20 percent by 2010. India has so far desisted from setting concrete goals. China has a renewable energy policy which clearly looks at a 15 percent uptake of renewable energy by 2020 and a 20 percent efficiency target. That is why China appears to have a stake in the environmental consciousness while India lacks it.

But does the fact belie the popular belief? Why is India not doing more to alleviate the environmental ills? Because India's primary focus has been on alleviating poverty first and foremost. It is the plank on which the powers to be have got their votes from. India's vote bank politics, rising economic goals and overall poverty together are working at cross purposes.

K. Srinivas of Greenpeace's climate change campaign, said during Reuters Global Environment Summit,

” India lacks political will, simply because climate is not a popular issue with Indians at large. In most cases tough decision-making is put off, not because of economic growth concerns, but populist politics."

There are numerous examples of placing political needs above the environmental ones. Often during elections free electricity is promised to lure votes. Though power regulators oppose it as wasteful and mostly benefiting rich farmers. Similarly, tougher emissions laws for vehicles haven't been implemented under pressure from users and the automobile lobby. Where many countries have made a complete crossover, in India power equipment companies are reluctant to switch over to energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs.

Then of course there is India's bogeyman, a hydra headed ministry working in different directions. Efficient policy implementation goes for a toss because of inter-departmental interests. To cite an example, several ministries want their say in the fuel efficiency debate. While the Bureau of Energy Efficiency has the mandate to implement energy conservation policies, the transport ministry wants to implement this as part of Euro emissions standards. Coal remains the backbone of India's power sector - accounting for about 60 percent of generation -- with the government planning to add about 70,000 MW in the next five years. Along with lack of political will there is also lack of government incentives for active pursuit of green technologies.

Of course it is not a complete dark road yet. Some positive noises have come out from New Delhi. In June, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said India was not rigid and would try to make a gradual shift from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy, such as wind and solar. India's judiciary has stepped in many a times to implement environmental frameworks.

Policy makers haven't yet set greenhouse caps but promise that per-capita carbon emissions will never exceed those of developed nations. Even as New Delhi says priority must go to economic growth, it hopes to make a gradual transition to cleaner forms of power.

India's participation in the green movement will be crucial simply because now the developing world contributes more than half of all mankind's greenhouse gas pollution. And being the world's largest democracy and its second most populous nation India has a larger stake than most.

Source: Reuters
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