Article: Global climate change: India|s local concerns Journal: Interdisciplinary Environmental Review (IER) 2004 Vol.6 No.1 pp.54 - 70 Abstract: Anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, largely sourced from combustion of fossil fuel, deforestation, agriculture, change in land use, and other sources are causing climate change, for example, rise in global temperature, rise in mean sea levels, change in precipitation patterns, thereby affecting the economies. For the Indian economy, which mainly depends on natural resources, climate change could represent an additional stress on agriculture, forestry, and coastal areas. Primary strategies to mitigate these effects would be the reduction of GHG emissions and increment in carbon sequestration as much as possible. Against this background, this article discusses the initiatives taken by India to mitigate GHG emissions by controlling population and pollution, conserving and improving energy efficiency, reforming economic policies, harnessing renewable sources, and identifying alternate fuels. However, it is found that these measures are not sufficient to achieve the desired objectives. A brief theoretical outline of the cost efficiency of flexible tradable permit system has been provided to understand the system. The article concludes that international emission trading through ||sink projects|| under Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol may not provide equity and environmental efficiency locally unless South|s concerns are taken care of, as it mainly aims at cost minimization of GHG emissions globally. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Global climate change: India's local concerns

Authors: Vijaya Gupta

Addresses: National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai, India

Abstract: Anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, largely sourced from combustion of fossil fuel, deforestation, agriculture, change in land use, and other sources are causing climate change, for example, rise in global temperature, rise in mean sea levels, change in precipitation patterns, thereby affecting the economies. For the Indian economy, which mainly depends on natural resources, climate change could represent an additional stress on agriculture, forestry, and coastal areas. Primary strategies to mitigate these effects would be the reduction of GHG emissions and increment in carbon sequestration as much as possible. Against this background, this article discusses the initiatives taken by India to mitigate GHG emissions by controlling population and pollution, conserving and improving energy efficiency, reforming economic policies, harnessing renewable sources, and identifying alternate fuels. However, it is found that these measures are not sufficient to achieve the desired objectives. A brief theoretical outline of the cost efficiency of flexible tradable permit system has been provided to understand the system. The article concludes that international emission trading through ||sink projects|| under Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol may not provide equity and environmental efficiency locally unless South|s concerns are taken care of, as it mainly aims at cost minimization of GHG emissions globally.

Keywords: global climate change; India; local concerns; greenhouse gases; GHG emissions; agriculture; forestry; coastal areas; carbon sequestration; population control; pollution control; energy efficiency; economic policy; renewable energy; alternative fuels; tradable permits; emissions trading.

DOI: 10.1504/IER.2004.053917

Interdisciplinary Environmental Review, 2004 Vol.6 No.1, pp.54 - 70

Published online: 13 May 2013 *

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Title: Global climate change: India's local concerns

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