RIO Earth Summit 1992

RIO Earth Summit 1992 - Transcript

RIO Earth Summit 1992


United Nations Conference on Environment and Development UNCED was held in Rio de Janeiro Brazil 172 countries participated towards reconciling the impact of human socio economic activities on the environment Principle theme was the environment and sustainable development UN sought to help Governments rethink economic development and find ways to halt the destruction of irreplaceable natural







RIO Earth Summit 1992 cont


Three major agreements aimed at changing the traditional approach to development were adopted



Agenda 21 A comprehensive programme of action for global action in all areas of sustainable development



The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development A series of principles defining the rights and responsibilities of States



The Statement of Forest Principles A set of principles to underlie the sustainable management of forests worldwide



In addition two conventions namely the United Nations Framework

Agenda 21


Contains detailed proposals for action in social and economic areas combating poverty changing patterns of production consumption and addressing demographic dynamics Conserving and managing the natural resources that are the basis for life protecting the atmosphere oceans and biodiversity preventing deforestation and promoting sustainable agriculture



Agenda 21 cont


There are 40 chapters in Agenda 21 divided into four sections



Section I Social and Economic Dimensions includes combating poverty changing consumption patterns etc



Section II Conservation and Management of Resources for Development includes atmospheric protection combating deforestation etc



Section III Strengthening the Role of Major Groups includes the roles of children and youth women NGOs etc

The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development


It supports Agenda 21 by defining the rights and responsibilities of the states regarding these issues



Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development



That scientific uncertainty should not delay measures to prevent environmental degradation



Eradicating poverty and reducing disparities in worldwide standards of living are indispensable for sustainable development



The full participation of women is essential for achieving sustainable

The Statement of Forest Principles


It is a statement of principles for the sustainable management of forest Following are its provisions



All countries notably developed countries should make an effort to green the world through reforestation and forest conservation



The States have a right to develop forests according to their socioeconomic needs in keeping with national sustainable development policies



Specific financial resources should be provided to develop programmes that encourage economic and social substitution policies

Top ten emitters

Top Asian emitters

India China Emission

Cost of Mitigation

Equity

Impact on India


The United Nation Environment Programme included India among 27 countries that are most vulnerable to rise in sea level India is a Party to the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol



India s position


India is probably the first developing country which has incorporated into its constitution the specific provision for environment protection Article 48A of the Constitution of India provides that the state shall endeavor to protect and improve the environment and safeguard the forest and wildlife of the country





Similarly Article 51A g makes it obligatory for every citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment including forest lakes rivers and wildlife and to have compassion for living creatures



India has established the National Clean Development Mechanism Authority NCDMA on 2nd December 2003 India s CDM potential represents a significant component of the Global CDM market As of April 2009 420 out of total 1 593 projects registered by the CDM Executive Board are from India which so far is the second highest by any country in the







These projects are in the sector of energy efficiency fuel switching industrial processes municipal solid wastes and renewable energy



Climate friendly measures undertaken by India 2006 India s National Environment Policy
underlines that while conservation of environmental resources is necessary to secure livelihoods and well being of all the most secure basis for conservation is to ensure that people dependant on particular resources obtain their livelihood from the fact of conservation than from degradation of the resource



As part of such policy measures have been taken to promote the use of CNG for public transport including metro rail in two cities enact the Energy Conservation Act 2001 and notify an Energy Efficiency Code for the new commercial buildings



India s per capita consumption of energy is 530 kgoe Kilogram of Oil Equivalent of primary energy compared to the world average of 1770 kgoe India s per capita emission of Co2 is among the lowest in the world It is approximately 1 tonne per annum as against a world average of 4 2 tonne per annum while the average for industrialised countries ranges between





National Action Plan on Climate Change


As part of national voluntary actions to address the climate change related concerns India released its Nation Action Plan on Climate Change NAPCC on 30 June 2008 The National Action Plan advocates a strategy that promotes firstly the adaptation to climate change and secondly further enhancement of the ecological sustainability of India s





Impact of policy measures taken by India to mitigate India with limate change c17 of the world s population
contributes only 4 of the total global greenhouse gas emissions against 30 approx of the U S and 25 of the EU countries



In terms of per capita GHG emissions in the year 2004 India is further lower at only 1 02 MT CO2 about 23 of the global average as compared with the per capita emission of 20 01 MT CO2 in US



However over 700 CDM projects have been approved by the CDM National Designated Authority and about 300 of these have been registered by the CDM Executive Board The registered projects have already resulted in over 27 million tonnes of certified CO2 emission reduction

Present Scenario


1 US citizen 107 Bangladeshis 134 Bhutanese 19 Indians 269 Nepalese





Unacceptable Need to secure ecological space



3 truths Climate change political and economic Is related to economic growth No one challenge has built a low carbon economy as yet
Is about sharing growth between nations and between people The rich must reduce so that the poor can grow Create ecological space Is about cooperation If the rich emitted yesterday the emerging rich world will do today Cooperation demands equity and fairness It is a pre requisite for an effective climate agreement





U S take on Developing nations


Even if we made mistakes India and China must not They must move to a lowcarbon economy They don t They want the right to pollute Fact Nobody knows what a low carbon economy will be Trajectory of growth has been to first pollute get rich and clean up We are being asked to clean up before we get rich Then technologies that exist are expensive This is why the rich world



New renewables still small part of world primary energy supply less than 1 39 of

India s primary energy comes from renewables because of chulhas of poor

Gandhi was once asked if he expected India to attain the same standard Be the change you want to see in the world of living as Britain He replied It took Britain half the resources of the planet to achieve this prosperity How many planets will a country like India require