by Chetan Chauhan , Hindustan Times
India set its first emission target on Thursday, announcing it would reduce emission intensity by 20-25 per cent of its 2005 level by 2020.
India is the world’s fourth largest carbon emitter, China the biggest. India’s emission intensity fell 17.6 per cent between 1990 and 2005.Outlining India’s “flexible” stand for the Copenhagen summit of 192 nations starting on Monday, Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh told Lok Sabha: “It won’t be an international commitment. We have agreed to it voluntarily and will achieve it irrespective of an agreement in Copenhagen.”
Emission intensity is a measure of emissions per unit of gross domestic product (GDP). For India, the target would mean emissions would increase to achieve 8-8.5 per cent GDP growth but its pace would fall. According to the Planning Commission, by 2020, India’s emission intensity would be half that of China, which last week announced an emission intensity reduction target of 40-45 per cent from 2005 levels.
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