Two missions on climate change ready for implementation, says Shyam Saran

Two of the eight missions in the National Action Plan on Climate Change were ready for implementation through the cabinet-level decisions regulatory mechanisms and even through legislation if necessary, said Shyam Saran, the special envoy of the Prime Minister on climate change, here on Friday.

The National Solar Mission and the National Mission for Enhanced Energy have already been through by discussions and evaluation by the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate change, Mr. Saran said at the Environment and Energy Conclave 2009 hosted by the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“The Prime Minister has said that the National Solar Mission will be in operation by November 14,” Mr. Saran said.

Experts were considering the possibility of producing solar power with a threshold capacity of 20,000 MW, which could result in grid parity by 2020 and parity in pricing with coal-generated power in 2030, he said.

Grid parity was the point at which electricity from renewable sources is equal to or cheaper than grid power. Reiterating India’s stand that no legally binding restrictions on emissions would be acceptable, Mr. Saran also outlined the expectations of India and other developing countries from the United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen (COP15) in December this year.

“We are not negotiating a new Climate Change treaty at Copenhagen,” said Mr. Saran, adding that the measures deliberated at previous international summits had not been implemented by developed countries.

“Under the National Action Plan India has a certain vision, but if developing countries have to take mitigation actions beyond their resources, they must be aided by developed countries with technology transfers and financial resources,” he said.

On the question of climate change, the impact of accumulated emissions must be considered, which was the position of all developing nations and stated in the UNFCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), he said.

“The Prime Minister has already made a commitment that at no point in time will India’s per capita emission be higher than those of the developed countries,” he said.

Source: The Hindu