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Developing emissions agenda for govt responsibility

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-08-11 07:47

It is obvious that developed countries have been responsible for sending up most of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere that are causing anthropogenic climate change and that, therefore, they must bear the major share of the responsibility for its mitigation. It is equally true that per capita emissions are much higher in the developed world, which means it cannot in justice unduly pressure developing countries to undertake binding emission-cut targets.

But that's just one part of the story. Two other things must be recognized if we are to succeed in our fight against climate change. The first has to do with the inequities inherent in class-bound societies and the second with bad politics and irresponsible governance. India and, particularly, Kolkata, its eastern metropolis, showcase both these problems. Let's begin with the latter.

For the past few years, there has been an attempt through judicial intervention to clean up Kolkata's befouled air - the city's air quality is among the worst in the world. Last year, the provincial high court passed orders to effect two changes: phasing out of all carbon-belching commercial vehicles more than 15 years old by July 31, 2009, and replacing all two-stroke three-wheelers running on diesel and petrol by four-stroke vehicles running on cleaner fuels - LPG or CNG - by Dec 31, 2008. The latter deadline was missed and extended by the court to July 31, 2009. This is where the irresponsible politics of the provincial government of West Bengal, where Kolkata is located, and the opposition parties kicked in. The government, for long held hostage by the associations of public transport vehicle owners and workers' unions, did nothing to ensure that the three-wheeler deadline was met. Egged on by the provincial opposition parties as well as the ruling Left Front coalition, three-wheeler owners and drivers launched a violent agitation when the deadline came by. The government asked the court for an extension and got it. The next seven months were taken up by more procrastination and as the new deadline approached the situation remained as shambolic as it was in 2008. In fact the government itself tried to scuttle the changeover.

With the deadline approaching bus owners declared an indefinite strike. But faced with a new sense of resolution on the part of the government and public willingness to bear some inconvenience, they called off the strike and announced that the impugned vehicles would be pulled off the road.

The new deadline has finally been enforced. The transport associations have appealed to the Supreme Court, India's highest court, but have been given no relief. Another hearing has been scheduled, but given the fact that the Supreme Court itself initiated measures to clean up urban pollution it is very unlikely that it will rule in favor of the polluters.

Kolkata's air quality meanwhile has improved dramatically. The transport sector is coming around to the realization that it will have to comply with the new regulations. The point in all this is simple. This rigmarole has been perpetrated because the provincial government does not take palpable health concerns and climate change seriously. Similarly, the opposition is interested in pandering to sectional interest at the cost of the larger public good. The cities of New Delhi and Beijing have demonstrated that this need not be the case.

India's capital changed over to CNG for its entire public transport system in 2001 because of a Supreme Court order despite the government's initial reluctance to act boldly.

In the run-up to the 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing put in place stringent measures to control vehicular transport and its emissions to ensure blue skies. Other cities in India are following the examples of New Delhi and Beijing - if not in so holistic a fashion.

The second issue is intra-national inequities. The reason why per capita emissions in developing countries, especially the emerging economies, are low is because the large number of the poor consumes and emits very little. The growing middle class and the affluent are the largest source of GHG emissions. In the arena of urban transport it is up to the government to put a lid on such emissions by designing and encouraging mass transport systems, and discouraging the use of private vehicles through punitive fiscal measures. It is especially important that hidden subsidies, for instance, for parking are phased out through market-based pricing regimes and taxes introduced on gas-guzzling vehicles like SUVs. Stricter GHG emission standards must be imposed, too - for fuel and engines both, or through a blanket and stringent tailpipe emission norm.

Free rides must go as developing countries strengthen their moral and logical case to help bring greater pressure to bear on the developed world while negotiating on climate change.

The author is a veteran journalist and political commentator based in Kolkata, India.

(China Daily 08/11/2009 page9)