19.2 ndian onom
conditions. Climate science has rightly taken
IntroductIon up an important position in the public debate.
Improving living standards for mankind has been Even as the science of climate change grapples
the single minded goal of all nations and world with uncertainties, the world is witnessing more
bodies. After defining development in numerous extreme events. With rising extreme events, and
ways for over two decades, there seems to be a rising citizen demand, the world has little option
consensus on ‘Human Development’. While a but to listen to the voice of evolving science and
large population on the earth is still to get the respond adequately with strategies and policies
‘bare minimum’ for development, humanity is at rooted in the principles of multilateralism with
the crossroads where it is faced with the first of its equitable and fair burden sharing.1
kind challenge—the challenge of ‘climate change’. Since 2010 onwards, the world has witnessed
The dilemma is that whatever we can do for our increasing numbers of natural disasters and
development, there has to be a repercussion on extreme weather conditions—frequently getting
nature. An even bigger dilemma is in achieving a news headlines across the world. Policy-makers
global consensus on how to check or restrict and have been facing enormous pressure on availability
finally reverse the process of climate change. of clean air, water and energy together with the
We may consider the year 2012, arguably, problems of poverty and hunger, especially in
a high water mark in the field of environment the developing world. Though, the concerns
and sustainable development initiatives. The of climate and environment have been there in
global community met at the UN Conference on India’s policies, we see it increasing in the past
Sustainable Development that took place in Rio half a decade. It was in Economic Survey 2011–12
in June 2012, also marking the 20th anniversary that a chapter ‘Climate Change and Sustainable
of the first Earth Summit held in 1992. The Development’ appeared—the chapter has been
conference reviewed the progress made, identified retained by the upcoming volumes. This shows
implementation gaps, and assessed new and the inclusion of environmental concerns in India’s
emerging challenges, which resulted in a political policy-making.
outcome called the ‘The Future We Want’. In The year 2015 witnessed two landmark
India, the Twelfth Five Year Plan was launched international events—the historic climate change
with a focus on sustainable growth. This along agreement under the UNFCCC in Paris in
with sustainable development policies and December 2015 and the adoption of the SDGs
programmes, which are being followed signalled (Sustainable Development Goals) in September
to citizens at home and the world at large that 2015. The Paris Agreement aims at keeping the
India is committed to sustainable development rise in global temperatures well below 2°C,which
with equal emphasis on its three dimensions— will set the world towards a low carbon, resilient
social, economic and environmental. and sustainable future, while the Sustainable
A survey of the global comparative opinion Development Goals, which replace the MDGs
shows that people in India and indeed all (Millennium Development Goals), set the
countries, have a marked and rising concern about development agenda for the next fifteen years.
sustainable development and climate change (cited On the domestic front too some important
by the Economic Survey 2014–15). However, climate-related initiatives were taken, including
the challenges are also formidable, especially in
1. Oliver Morton ‘Megachange: The World in 2050’, in
the context of finding the matching resources Daniel Franklin and John Andrews, The Economist in
of the required magnitude given the economic London: 2012) pp. 92–110.