India

The Hokkaido communique on climate change of the Group of Eight countries does not lay down targets for emissions reductions in the developed countries. Yet the G-8 asks developing countries to take more meaningful mitigation actions. How does India

The Hokkaido communique on climate change of the Group of Eight countries does not lay down targets for emissions reductions in the developed countries. Yet the G-8 asks developing countries to take more meaningful mitigation actions. How does India's new national action plan propose to deal with climate change and how is it different from the approach being suggested by the G-8?

CASHING IN ON NATURAL RESOURCES Investments in clean technologies are riding a green wave into India. In 2007, Green India Inc raised $1.4 billion through convertible bonds from the international market even as it picked up $628 million from the domestic stock market.

US President George Bush signed off with a defiant farewell over his refusal to accept global climate change targets at his last G8 summit. As he prepared to fly out from his final G8 summit in Japan, he told his fellow leaders: "Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter.'

President Bush made the private joke in the summit's closing session, senior sources said yesterday. His remarks were taken as a two-fingered salute from the President from Texas who is wedded to the oil industry.

US representative on climate change James L. Connaughton met India

finance ministers of G8 countries recently supported setting up multi-billion-dollar funds to combat climate change in developing countries. Civil society groups and developing countries have, however, criticized the funds placed under the World Bank, saying they might be used for subsidizing carbon-intensive technologies. They want them to be under the un Framework Convention on Climate

addiction only leads to more demand. A classical case is the record rise in the crude oil prices in the last one year. At us $140, it even pinches the pockets of developed countries like the us. The bad news does not end here. As know-alls believe, oil may also pole-vault to touch greater heights. Perhaps even an unthinkable us $200 a barrel. In these hard times, considering, food

Any understanding of global warming must consider the relative contribution to the problem by the richer countries and the rich, over the poorer countries and the poor who are the most affected due to the problem. The legal regime adopted to solve the issue should place the poor and human rights in the centre stage of a new entitlement-based strategy to address the issue. This framework would then involve the development of technology reducing greenhouse emissions in the richer countries and the transfer of the same to the poorer ones.

The National Action Plan on Climate Change is only half a beginning that is neither fully vision nor plan. (Editorial)

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