Like China,India may set its carbon intensity cuts

However,the targeted reduction will only be a domestic commitment and would not be up for international verification,sources said.

An announcement in this regard could come as early as tomorrow when Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh is slated to make a statement in the Lok Sabha during a debate on climate change.

Carbon intensity is a reference to the amount of carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP in dollar terms. A few days back,China,also under pressure to reduce the growth of its emissions,announced 40-45 per cent cuts in its carbon intensity by the year 2020. China’s carbon intensity is significantly higher than India’s.

Sources pointed out that a 25-35 per cent reduction in carbon intensity by 2020 from 2005 levels was in line with the projections made in India’s Integrated Energy Policy announced in 2007 and also in the Eleventh Five-Year plan.

These projections were made independent of India’s climate change obligations.

Prime Minister’s Special Envoy Shyam Saran,who also happens to be India’s lead negotiator on climate change,therefore,stressed that New Delhi was not coming up with any new targets. “The numbers currently under discussion are already in public domain. We are not taking any new commitments,” he said.

Saran also said that it was not yet clear whether these numbers — pertaining to targeted reductions in carbon intensity — would be presented at Copenhagen as India’s voluntary commitments to reduce the growth of its emissions.