India, China oppose Fiji before Paris talks
NEW DELHI: India and China are upset with a proposal on raising targets on emissions cuts presented by Fiji ahead of climate change negotiations under the Paris climate agreement which begins in Bonn, Germany, on Monday
A total of 197 countries will discuss the rules for operationalising the climate accord that aims to restrict temperature rise by 2 degree Celsius to the pre-industrial levels by 2100.
But two days before the start of the conference, Fiji, which is the president of the conference, wants all countries to upwardly revise their targets as the latest data shows that carbon emissions in 2016 was the highest ever. The proposal has been backed by President of Morocco.
“We don’t agree to this,” said an Indian climate negotiator before leaving for the Bonn conference. “We with other likeminded countries such as China will oppose the proposal as re -egotiating Paris is not on the discussion table. We will take it up at G-77 plus China meeting on Sunday in Bonn.”
Fiji’s proposal comes in the wake of the world’s second biggest emitter, the United States, walking out of the Paris deal, and says that the commitments will have to be enhanced to meet the 2015 agreement targets without naming the US.
As per the plan, all countries will have to mandatorily revise their targets by 2020, the year the Paris agreement comes into force. The African and Arab groups also have reservations over Fiji’s proposal that allows non-government organisations inputs for revising the targets.
TALKS WITHOUT US
In absence of the US, observers say India and China will hog the limelight at the Bonn conference. The rules to implement the Paris agreement are to be finalised by 2018 and countries will have to adopt them by 2019.
The absence of the US could result in more balanced rules framing as there would be less “obstacles” and more “coherent” discussion, said Chandra Bhushan, deputy director general of the advocacy group, Centre for Science and Environment
INDIA REPORT CARD
According to official data, India’s installed solar capacity has increased threefold to 13.4 gigawatts since the Paris deal was signed in 2015.
But despite the impressive progress, India’s increasing dependence on coal to meet its energy needs still remains a concern for the global climate community as both the US and Europe have cut thermal power generation. Around 59% of the total electricity generated in India is powered by coal.