In the din of the cacophonous multilateral dialogue on climate change and the actions that countries must take to mitigate global warming, I am concerned that India loses sight of one simple but important fact: measures to limit carbon and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) have a positive correlation with economic growth and vice versa. There is no trade-off between carbon mitigation and growth.

My concern arises from the nature and content of the international dialogue. America is refusing to be bound by global targets on carbon emissions. They say that such targets would have limited impact if India and China refuse to accept them. This is because both countries are potentially the largest emitters of carbon and there would be no purpose in participating in a protocol that lacks teeth from the outset. India and China have responded in like measure. They have made clear that America’s stand is self-serving and even immoral. It is because of America (and the developed world) that the world is confronting the current problem. It is because of their pattern of growth that carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere have increased from 280 ppm at the time of the industrial revolution to around 400-450 ppm today. Why should the now industrialising world bear the burden of someone else’s extravagance? The polluter must pay and the West should offer a compensatory package of financial and technical support to the rest of the world. India and China have also pointed out that despite their rapid economic growth their per capita emission of carbon is still but a fraction of the emissions from the West.

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