The environment and forests minister's strong remark exposed the persistent dissension among India's top policymakers over the extent to which environmental concerns can be allowed to constrain economic growth. The strife within the Cabinet needs to be seen against the background of the mounting global pressure on New Delhi to take binding commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and agree to a new treaty to succeed the United Nations' Kyoto Protocol from 2013. The dominant view in the government is that India needs leeway to grow its economy rapidly for several more years and lift millions out of poverty.
Even as a party to the global effort to reduce these emissions that stoke global warming, India has so far refused to take any binding commitments. It said, instead, that it would autonomously reduce the intensity of carbon emissions per unit of production by 20-25% by 2020. Read the full report here.
Source: Indian Express, New Delhi.
