Rich nations must fund stabilization of climate: IPCC chief

NEW DELHI: At a time when the developing world is worried over the rich nations’ reluctance to contribute to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the chairman of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) R K Pachauri remains hopeful that the developed world would be more forthcoming once all countries provide their ‘Intended Nationally Determined Contributions’ (INDCs) or in other words a clear roadmap of their voluntary actions to fight the threat of climate change.
Pachauri, who is also member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Council on Climate Change, in an interview to TOI spoke on a range of issues including outcome of the Lima talks, the course of action India should adopt to move to a low-carbon growth path, and the future of GCF--meant to help developing countries in their mitigation and adaptation goals.
Excerpts:
Q. How do you see the outcome of the Lima climate conference?
A. Lima outcome has, at least, come up with a framework for a kind of agreement that we would get in Paris. I don’t know whether this is enough or not, but now we have at least a concrete basis on which we will carry out our negotiations. Every country will provide their INDCs on certain basis (elements) and will see whether it would be enough to meet the goal of keeping the temperature rise below 2 degree celsius this century. So, Lima to that extent is a beginning but we have to build on that.
Q. There has been reluctance on the part of rich nations to contribute to the GCF. Do you see any future change in their stand?
A. It seems to me that once you get the INDCs from all the countries and if they find that these INDCs don't add up to what is required then the next step would be to see how you can make it happen. In the developing countries, you have to provide resources to make it happen. I hope that will convince the developed countries that we are all in it together and if we have to stabilize the earth climate, this money has to be provided. Otherwise, we won’t reach the kind of result which we want.
Q. What would you like to suggest to the PM’s climate council in view of the rising demand to cut emission at a time when the country needs to develop to fulfill its obligation to the poor?
A. India has to do much more on adaptation to face the impact of climate change. We have not paid enough attention on it. We have many regulations but we are not sure whether these are being properly observed at local level. Therefore, efforts of the local government have to be strengthened if we want to carry out adaptation measures. On the mitigation front, I would say that India has a very serious challenge of energy security. We need to use energy more efficiently. That would require a major restructuring of transport, industry and building sectors.
Q. How can the country meet its growing energy need?
A. India has abundance of renewable energy sources. We should go for it in a big way. It will also give us lower emission of greenhouse gases. It is time we start shaping our policy in a way that renewable sources of energy, at least where it is economically viable, gets utilized. Once the country moves on this path with clear policy, finance will, hopefully, not be a problem.