Get off India's back, Pachauri tells rich nations

New Delhi: R K Pachauri, head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), on Tuesday slammed developed countries for asking India and China to cut greenhouse gas emissions while they themselves had not taken strong steps to cut down pollution.

“India can not be held for any emission control. They (developed countries) should get off the back of India and China,” Pachauri told reporters here.

“We are an expanding economy. How can we levy a cap when millions are living with deprivation? To impose any cap (on India) at a time when others (industrialised countries) are saying that they will reach the 1990 level of emission by 2025 is hazardous,” Pachauri said.

He said countries like the US and Canada should accept their responsibilities and show leadership in reducing green house gases like carbon dioxide and methane.

Pachauri said millions of Indians don’t have access to electricity and their per capita income is much less. At this point, you cannot ask a country to “stop developing”.

Meanwhile, US President George Bush and other leaders of the Group of Eight (G-8) industrialised countries meeting in Japan agreed Tuesday to halve global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The deal, brokered by G-8 host Japan and propelled by the European Union (EU), overcame the opposition of the US President, who had refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change and who continues to block plans for medium-term cuts.

The binding measures should be brought into the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which will culminate in a meeting in Copenhagen at the end of 2009.

Pachauri said the developed countries must accept the Bali Action Plan (on climate change) that talks about “deep cuts” in the gas emissions and also help developing countries to reduce emission through adoption of advanced technologies.

The global climate expert said that India has realized the climate change threat. India's climate change action plan recently released by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is a “good policy document” and needs to be implemented.

“It's the time for change from fossil fuel to renewable energy. India's focus on Solar and wind power is a welcome move,” said Pachauri.