Legislation required to deal with climate change

Palampur, May 31 (UNI) Who should bear the brunt-- the victims of climate change or those who have perpetuated the harm? This was the question before the panelists invited for the second day's session of the three-day 10th World Conference on Environment Management here today.

''Climate change is an environment, social and economic injustice which calls for a legislation and its proper execution,'' Research and Development World Environment Foundation director, Usha Dar, said speaking on 'legal, legislature and Enforcement measures for combating climate change' in the conference, organised by the World Environment Foundation in association with the Institute of Directors (IOD) and the World Council of Corporate Governance UK.

Talking to UNI, she said climate change was an infringement of human rights and needed a legislation. ''The climate security acts, particularly the US Climate Security Act 2007, should include two more principles -- a dematerialised model of growth to reduce material intensity as well as activation of women and children so that the movement could become global and reach grass root levels instead of being confined to legalities and conference tables.

The meet stressed the need of a legislation for combating climate change and the importance of community participation.

Recommending community participation, one of the speakers, Mr Pablo C Ortega, the Mayor of San Fernand, La Union (Philippines) said, ''Community participation and empowerment can bring success to the programme; strong political will, counterparting scheme, good working relationship of executive and legislative departments and improved techniques like solid waste management are important in achieving the goal.'' Another speaker, Mr Ram Pratti, the President of Weston Solution India Ltd, put the weigh on performance rather than just compliance.

''We are at the tipping point where main streaming of sustainability is important but as a mature business leader we should not forget the three basic points of a company -- People , Profit and Planet which are capable of giving desired result albeit in the long run.'' Panelist T S Seshadri advocated the use of large scale eco-friendly power generation from wood (Bio-Mass) using energy plantation.

While speakers talked about the measures and community participation, all of them agreed on the adaptation strategies for turning climate change as an opportunity to excel in the fields of agriculture, fisheries and tourism. They said new techniques like rotation of crops and breeding of new varieties could not only fulfil the damage but also cater to the new requirements of this age.

Unequivocally they conceded, ''Near future is for huge investment in green house management by public-private sector and in the development of new water and energy related technologies as through them we can armour ourselves to cope up with the situation.

Those who attended the conference were Dr A N Saksena, Former Financial Advisor of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dr Tej Pratap, Vice Chancellor of CSKHPKV Palampur, Dr P S Ahuja , Director of IHBT, CSIR, Palampur and Dr D D Patra, head of Agro Technology Division Lucknow.

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