NEW DELHI: Four days ahead of the Copenhagen climate summit, India on Thursday announced it will reduce its emission intensity by 20-25% by 2020 from the 2005 level.
Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, in an eloquent exposition of the country's stand which he said was worked out in concert with some developing countries including China, said India was reducing the emission intensity -- the level of greenhouse gas emissions per unit of GDP -- in its own interest.
India's announcement came a few days after China announced a 40-45 percent cut in its emissions intensity by 2020 compared to 2005, Brazil announced 38-42 percent and Indonesia 26 percent.
India's emissions intensity is already lower than other emerging economies, and the minister said it had decreased 17.6 percent between 1990 and 2005.
The minister's reply came in a 65-minute speech at the end of a debate in the Lok Sabha on what India's position will be at the Dec 7-18 climate summit in the Danish capital.
Dispelling opposition fears of a "sellout" at the summit of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Ramesh said: "India will not accept a legally binding emission reduction cut and it will not accept a peaking date on its emissions."
He said there would be another non-negotiating position. Emission reduction actions India took on its own would not be open to international scrutiny, but "depending on concessions we can get from western countries, and in consultation with China, Brazil, South Africa and other countries in G77, we can consider opening to international review all our mitigation actions supported by international finances".
Starting his speech with the observation, "India is the country most vulnerable to climate change", Ramesh said this was due to four reasons -- the country's dependence on the monsoons, the receding of the Himalayan glaciers, the presence of ecologically sensitive areas, and the fact that climate change would exacerbate the effect of mining in forest areas of Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh.
Ramesh said the problem was that India had hardly any information of its own on climate change effects, which he called "a pathetic state of affairs". Most of the information was derived from Western sources, he said, adding that there was urgent need to start research and have "our own scientific capacity" to study all aspects of climate change in India.
India should have started researching effects of climate change 20 years ago, Ramesh said, adding that the government had started a network of laboratories to research the phenomenon. "We must have our own scientific capacity to understand the impact of climate change."
Talking about India's position at Copenhagen, he said: "The prime minister's instructions to me was, India has not caused the problem of global warming, but try and make sure india is part of the solution; be constructive, be proactive.
"Then I asked myself what is India's position. I found that it only was that our per capita emissions were very low, yours (western countries) very high, therefore we won't do it, we're entitled to pollute more."
The minister felt India had to move beyond this position because it "must negotiate from a position of strength, of leadership. We're going to Copenhagen in a positive frame of mind, prepared to be flexible. We want a comprehensive and equitable agreement. We are realistic enough to know such an agreement may not materialise, but we will work with like minded countries, with China, and with others, to ensure there is a comprehensive and equitable arrangement."
He announced that India, China, Brazil and South Africa had tabled a draft to this effect to the UNFCCC Wednesday.
Reacting to criticism from the Left parties, Ramesh was at pains to reiterate that India was a part of G77 and China negotiating bloc, "but that does not mean we don't talk to anybody else; and every time we talk to America it does not mean we're selling our country down the drain".
"Having global aspirations and assuming global responsibilities are two sides of the same coin," the minister held.
He said the 20-25 percent emissions intensity cut had been worked out by the Planning Commission. "The 12th Five Year Plan which starts in 2012 will be based on a low-carbon growth strategy."
Explaining how this would be done, Ramesh outlined a five-step plan of action:
* Mandatory fuel efficiency standards for all vehicles by December 2011;
* A building code that encouraged energy conservation, with a recommendation to local governments to make this mandatory;
* Amendments to various laws to reduce energy intensity of industrial activities;
* Regular monitoring of the state of the forests, which now absorbed about 10 percent of India's greenhouse gas emissions; and
* Half of the new coal based power plants coming up to use clean coal technologies -- super critical, ultra super critical and coal gasification.
"This is our baseline," Ramesh said. "If we have a successful agreement at Copenhagen, if it's equitable, if our worries are taken care of, we are prepared to do even more."
Ramesh said: "Flexibility does not mean sellout, it only means ability to move in rapidly evolving situations; we're not living in isolation; we're going there to get the best agreement for India."
India won’t accept legally binding emission cuts: Ramesh
New Delhi: Ahead of the Copenhagen summit on climate change, India announced that it would reduce carbon emission intensity by 20-25 per cent by 2020 on the 2005 levels through a series of policy measures, including mandatory fuel efficiency standards on all vehicles.
Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said if the Copenhagen Summit is successful in reaching a "comprehensive and equitable agreement", India would be willing to do more but only through voluntary measures.
"We are telling the world that India is voluntarily ready to reduce emission intensity by 20-25 per cent in 15 years from 2005," he said replying to a debate in the Lok Sabha on impact of climate change.
Ramesh listed out a series of steps including introducing mandatory fuel efficiency standards on all vehicles by December 2011, model green building code and amendment of Energy Conservation Act to make it necessary for industries to have energy efficiency certificates.
Greater thrust will be given to generating electricity using clean coal technologies, he said adding that 50 per cent of all new capacity additions will be based on such source.
Lahore High Court rejects Lakhvi's plea against indictment over 26/11
ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: Pakistan-based LeT's operations chief and Mumbai attacks mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi on Thursday failed to get any reprieve from the Lahore High Court, which disposed of his two petitions challenging his indictment for involvement in the 26/11 strikes.
While disposing of the petitions, a Rawalpindi-based bench of the Lahore High Court only directed the anti-terrorism court, which had formally charged him along with six other suspects last month with involvement in the 26/11 strikes, to consider Lakhvi's objections against his indictment under provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Lakhvi's lawyer Khwaja Sultan Ahmed claimed during proceedings that the prosecution had no incriminating evidence against his client. He also said the statement given to Indian authorities by Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone attacker captured in Mumbai, is not admissible in the anti-terrorism court.
However, the judges told Ahmed such issues could be addressed only when the evidence, including Kasab's statement, is presented during the trial in the anti-terrorism court. It is not possible for such matters to be addressed now, they indicated.
Lakhvi's counsel filed the petitions challenging his indictment in the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court yesterday.
Lakhvi was indicted along with six other suspects for planning and helping execute the attacks that killed 166 people in India's financial hub.
In one petition, Lakhvi claimed there were no evidence and witnesses against him except Kasab and five policemen involved in a case registered in Pakistan.
The policemen cited as witnesses by the prosecution had only described Lakhvi as a commander of the LeT and accused him of training people for terrorist activities, he claimed.
Lakhvi pointed out that witnesses had not said anything about his involvement in the Mumbai attacks. He also claimed that Kasab's statement to Indian authorities is not admissible in a case registered in Islamabad.
In his second petition, Lakhvi challenged the anti-terrorism court's decision to try Kasab separately under provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code.
He said these provisions can be applied only when a co-accused cannot appear in court due to illness or other reasons.
Lakhvi claimed the prosecution has not stated any reason for Kasab's absence from the Pakistani court.
Lakhvi was formally indicted along with Zarar Shah, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Abu al Qama, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younas Anjum last month.
The next hearing of the case against them in the anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi's high-security Adiala jail is scheduled for December 5.
Twenty other suspects who are at large were also accused of planning and helping carry out the attacks a year ago.
Koda affect: ED raids realtor Emaar MGF's offices
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday conducted searches on the premises of realtor Emmar MGF in connection with the multi-crore illegal Hawala and investment case involving former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda.
The search followed the ED finding certain documents that showed Koda's associates on the board of certain Emaar group companies, ED sources said.
Emaar MGF is a joint venture between Dubai-based Emaar Properties and India's MGF Development.
Sources said one of Koda's associates, Vikash Sinha, who is in judicial custody, has now disclosed that he and some others had invested on behalf of Koda in the same companies.
When contacted, a Emaar MGF spokesperson did not offer any comments immediately.
ULFA ready for peace talks, says Rajkhowa
New Delhi:ULFA Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa has indicated that the banned militant outfit is ready for peace talks.
"I want to clear my stand that I still stand for the cause of the Assamese people. We are against the domination of Assamese community by mainstream India.
"We do not want our revolution to end but there should be a peaceful solution to it, preferably in a constitutional way. I want peace talks to restart and conclude...That is why I have come forward to carry on my agenda," he told North East TV channel.
While 53-year-old Rajkhowa claimed that reports of his "arrest" were aimed at creating confusion and "derailing" the peace process in Assam, intelligence sources had said that the on Wednesday ULFA Chairman had surrendered to Indian security forces in Agartala and brought here by a flight from the Tripura capital late last evening.
Rajkhowa said, "I am speaking to you from the same location in Bangladesh from where I normally speak from. Those who say that I have been arrested are deliberately trying to create confusion. They want to derail the peace process in Assam even before it can begin."
He said, "They (people opposing him) don't want a political and peaceful solution to the problem. Such people don't want to take the peace process to succeed. Everytime we want to take the peace process forward such people spread wrong information".
Indian Business News
Markets choppy, Sensex ends flat
Mumbai: The benchmark Sensex ended flat in a highly volatile trade which saw the index remaining range bound notwithstanding a good start, amid worries of rising food inflation.
The benchmark index of the Bombay Stock Exchange Sensex, which had lost 28 points in previous session, recovered by 15.77 points in late trade to close the day at 17,185.68 points, after moving between 17,361.27 and 17,128.21 points.
While the positive factors like firm Asian and European markets and Goldman Sachs' forecast of a faster growth for the domestic economy kept the market in better shape during the day, a rise in food inflation capped the gains towards the last hour trade. Food inflation has touched 17.47 per cent in the third week of November.
In similar fashion, the wide-based National Stock Exchange's Nifty edged up 8.45 points to close at 5,131.70 points. It moved between 5,181.00 and 5,106.60 during the session.
Among the 30 Sensex stocks, 18 closed higher and 12 ended with losses. Major supporters to the market were the counters in the healthcare, metals, realty, oil and gas and power segments, while the auto and capital goods sectors were down on emergence of profit-selling.
A fall in heavy-weight stocks of Infosys Technologies, ICICI Bank, Tata Motors and, Reliance Infra and Jaiprakash Associates mainly pulled down the market.
Dubai crisis to slow UAE recovery: IMF
Washington: The International Monetary Fund expects to cut its 2010 growth forecast for the United Arab Emirates as economic activity slows due to the debt woes of state-owned Dubai World, a top IMF official said on Wednesday.
Masood Ahmed, director for the IMF's Middle East and Central Asia Department, said the IMF was looking at revising down its forecast for the UAE's non-oil gross domestic product to "significantly lower" than the 3 per cent it had projected in October. That would still be higher than the close to zero forecast the IMF has forecast for the UAE in 2009.
Despite the turmoil surrounding the Dubai crisis, Ahmed said he did not anticipate the UAE would need any financial support from the IMF and could easily deal with the fallout with its own resources.
He said the crisis at Dubai World, one of the emirates's flagship holding firms, could lead to higher credit borrowing costs and may also impact other countries as the conglomerate postpones projects and disposes of assets.
Households could also be hit by lower remittances as workers, many of them from neighboring countries, are put out of jobs or unable to find work.
"Our anticipation is that there will be a significant reduction in that growth rate, down from 3 per cent, probably somewhere between 1 per cent and 3 per cent," said Ahmed following a preliminary assessment of the Dubai situation.
A Reuters poll on Monday showed that Gulf Arab states will enjoy solid growth rates next year, with UAE GDP growth up 2.9 per cent in 2010.
Gas row: RNRL raises objections on Govt affidavit
New Delhi: Anil Ambani-led RNRL on Thursday opposed the Government stand in the Supreme Court on the gas row with the Mukesh Ambani's RIL, accusing it of deliberately causing "confusion" and hurting the interests of public sector NTPC.
Government's stand in its affidavit that the arrangement for the supply and pricing of gas for NTPC cannot be equated with a private agreement between RIL and RNRL was based on the interpretation of the secondary source of information and cannot be accepted, RNRL counsel Ram Jethmalani said.
However, Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium said Government was only concerned with public interest and was not interfering in the battle between the Ambani brothers and they have to resolve their dispute by themselves.
The Government stand was in response to RNRL's contention that it was entitled to receive the gas at USD 2.34 per unit from RIL which had entered into an arrangement for supplying gas to NTPC at that rate.
"The Government affidavit is not even worth the paper on which it is written on. Affidavits can't be based on interpretation of records," Jethmalani said before a Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan.
Indian Sports News
Sehwag’s double ton pulverises Lanka
Mumbai: Virender Sehwag clobbered a breath-taking unbeaten 284 as India rode on his brutal assault to take complete control of the third and final cricket Test against a hapless Sri Lanka in Mumbai’s Brabourne stadium on Thursday.
Replying to Sri Lanka's first innings total of 393, the 31-year-old Sehwag set the Brabourne stadium ablaze with a stunning display of strokeplay as the hosts raced to a record score of 443 for one at close on an extraordinary second day's play.
Sehwag plundered runs at will as he not only notched up his 17th Test ton, his sixth 200 plus total, but laid the platform for India to push for victory which would take them to the number one position in the ICC Test rankings.
With the Delhi dasher tearing the Lankan bowling attack to shreds with his unbeaten 284 coming off just 239 balls, the Indians scored at an amazing rate of 5.60 runs per over to post their highest ever single-day score on a Brabourne track which seemed to have eased out considerably.
Rahul David (62) was giving Sehwag company on stumps on a day which saw a number of batting records fall by the wayside. The day clearly belonged to the hosts as they took less than half an hour to polish off the remaining two Sri Lankan wickets and had taken a lead of 50 runs by the end of the day, scoring more than 400 runs in a day for the second consecutive Test.
The Indians got off to a rollicking start with Sehwag and Murali Vijay (87) scoring 221 for the first wicket and then Dravid played a supporting role as the hosts maintained the tempo right through the day.
'Murali has never been treated with such disdain'
Mumbai: In awe of Virender Sehwag's breath-taking batsmanship, Sri Lankan all-rounder Angelo Mathews said on Thursday that he has never seen anyone treating a bowler of Muttiah Muralitharan's calibre with such disdain.
Sehwag went after Muralitharan right from the word go, often dancing down the track to unsettle the wily offie, whose 20 overs cost him 119 runs without any success.
Mathews, whose 99 was one of the highlights of the Sri Lankan innings, conceded he had not seen anything like this before. "It never happened to Murali before," Mathews said, all candour.
"The wicket was flat and the spinners did not get any turn. Besides, Virender was batting really well," he said. "We all know he's Virender Sehwag. On his day he can do what he did to us today. He bats that way. The bowlers have to be careful with line and length, a little error would be dangerous," Mathews said of the Delhi dasher who was unbeaten on 284 and remains in hunt for his third triple century.
Looking ahead, Mathews refused to panic and said his teammates would have to do something different on Friday.
"We may come out with better plan tomorrow, try new things and get him out," he said.
Overall, Mathews argued, India were ahead just by 50 runs and the islanders could bounce back on Friday with some quick wickets.
"It's not over. If two or three wickets fall quickly in the morning we can still come back tomorrow. There are still three days remaining. Anything can happen. It is only the second day and tomorrow if we take early wickets, we will be back in the game," Mathews said.
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