US must understand India's Growth imperatives: Javadekar

Posted on 24th Jan 2015 by mohit kumar

New Delhi, Jan 23 (IANS) Urging developed countries to walk the talk on climate change, union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar Friday said he expects the US to understand India's "need for growth" that aligns with its bid for greater share in global carbon space.

In view of India's growth imperatives that would accentuate its intensity of carbon emissions, Javadekar said: "America must understand India's need to grow."

Javadekar was spelling out his expectations from the upcoming meetings during US President Barack Obama's three-day visit to India that begins Sunday.

"Obama, in particularly, has a greater concern for environment. I will not say this for the whole country. Obama, as the captain, shows his commitment. But they have to walk the talk," the minister said in his address to the India Today Global Roundtable here.

Acknowledging Obama's commitment to the issue of global warming, Javadekar hoped the US Senate would follow suit that is yet to release the promised $3 billion for global climate fund to help developing countries meet the challenge of climate change.

In view of India's low carbon emission, about seven percent of the global emission, Javadekar said unlike China and the US that are among the top three biggest emitters, India faced no pressure from the world to declare its tipping point.

Tipping point is a level at which a country would first peak and ramp down its emission rate thereafter.

"There is no pressure from the world...We are already doing more than our capacity" to address the global scourge of climate change", the minister said.

"We are at a real developing stage. Therefore, our emissions will grow," Javadekar said while committing to continue advancing India's energy efficiency efforts.

He said he was positive of the outcome of the upcoming bilateral talks with the US, where the issue of clean energy technology transfer would be paramount.

India demands developed countries to transfer such technology without the strings of intellectual property rights or any ensuing cost.

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