India claims its emission level is within limits

New Delhi, Dec 14 (UNI) Reiterating its commitment to Kyoto protocol on climate change, India today asserted that its emission of greenhouse gases is in the range of three per cent which is well within the limits.

''We are not polluters as compared to developed countries. We are well within the emission limits,'' Environment and Forest Minister A Raja told the Lok Sabha, in reply to a calling attention moved by Congress member Jyotiraditya M Scindia.

He, however, said India would not be able to give any commitment to reduce emissions as it was a developing country requiring industrialisation to wipe out poverty.

Raising the issue of climate change, Mr Scindia pointed to the situation airsing out of Global Warming affecting India's climatic conditions as reported in UN Development programmes' Human Development Report and sought to know the steps taken by the government in this regard.

Mr Raja said climate change could not be measured within territorial limits. It is also not possible for any single nation to meet the climate change commitments individually. "It is a common commitment that can bring in some results." He said though the United States and Australia are not signatories to the Kyoto Protocol, the US had its own laws. However, Australia had been trying to address the issue by way of complementing Kyoto protocol objectives.

Enlisting different measures being intiated in India, Mr Raja said a sum of Rs 1,200 crore had been spent on afforestation during the tenth plan period. In order to minimise emission levels, the government had implemented different measures under the Environment Protection Act.

Mr Raja said the government would study the emerging picture as soon as the fourth Inter-Governmental Panel on Climatic Change (IPCC) report was available. ''The report will be out next year. It is expected to reduce the scientific uncertainties to an extent,'' he added.

''The government is aware of the potential seriousness of the problem of climate change and is undertaking various steps to study, analyse and also adapt to the emerging situation,'' he said.

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