In the run-up to the Copenhagen summit on climate change, India seems to be making the maximum number of concessions on its traditional stand on the issue.

First, it put its signature on a Major Economies Forum declaration asking all signatories to work towards containing the global rise in temperatures to within 2 degrees from pre-industrial levels. Then it agreed to quantify the emission cuts that its domestic actions would lead to. It also offered to report the results of its domestic actions to the United Nations every year instead of the every six years that it is supposed to do now. India is also willing to be flexible on its demand for 40 per cent cuts by the developed countries by 2020 on 1990 levels. It is open to discuss whether lower cuts, around 25-30 per cent, would be a good figure to start with.

While the apparent climbdowns from its long-held positions have opened the government to accusations that India was giving in to intense international pressure, it is also becoming evident that the country was silently preparing itself to deal with the post-Copenhagen situation.

Experts believe the calculated shifts that the government has made in the last few months are being dictated by realpolitik and a more realistic understanding of the evolving situation. It is widely believed now that Copenhagen, in all probability, would only be the starting point, and not the deadline as it was supposed to be, in finding a new global framework in climate change.

... contd.