Developed nations' ''clean'' growth is ''not so clean''

New Delhi, Feb 11 (UNI) Developed nations, who never tire of preaching ''low carbon economy'' to third world countries, presenting themsleves as role models, have in fact maintained their present growth, leave alone past, by banishing all polluting industries to these countries.

The candid observation comes from Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) Yvo De Boers, who has played a crucial role in the formulation of climate change policies and talks.

''They(rich nations) drive away all their carbon emitting industries to the poor nations and then buy back the product, thus saving their country from the adverse environmental impact of the manufacturing process,'' Mr Boer told UNI in an interview.

The UNFCC head had come here to take part in the 8th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit organised by TERI.

He said it would be erroneous to think that the developed states were growing while minimising their emissions. The have an obligation to transfer clean technologies to the developing countries because they are using the product manufactured in the polluting industries in those countries.

Mr Boer, however, felt it did not mean that the developing countries should now commit the same mistake as rich nations and not strive for a low carbon economy, which was a must to arrest global warming.

''India and other countries in similar situation have every right to achieve the same standard of living as the rich nations, but they should use cleaner technologies as far as possible in the interest of the planet as whole,'' he said.

''Technology transfer and finances, would, in fact be at the heart of the talks at Copenhagen in 2009,'' he said.

Here, said Mr Boer, one thing that was very important for developing countries was to assess and spell out clearly their technological and financial needs towards a low carbon economy.

Next important step was to chalk out a plan and strategy of how to use international cooperation and market mechanism to achieve the objective.

The UNFCC head said that in his meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, they discussed this issues, and Dr Singh was also of the view that one should break down the problem to different sectors of the economy, identify the differences within the sector and then determine what was required.

''I have been travelling all over the world and I have found that almost every nation working for both mitigation and adapation to climate change, but they have not understood yet how international cooperation can help them in their action.'' Mr Boer was also very critical of the present state of Clean Development Mechanism(CDM) market.

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