India’s announcement of a long-term plan to combat greenhouse gas emissions brings on board all the world’s major economies — including big polluters like the United States, China, the European Union and Brazil — with national pledges to address climate change.
India’s pledge is among the least ambitious of the big emitters, but even so, with less than two months to go before a critical United Nations climate conference in Paris, it is an important development. In contrast to past efforts to reduce greenhouse gases by assigning specific emissions levels only to industrialized countries, while giving developing countries like India a pass (an approach that met with stiff resistance in the United States), the Paris conference is asking every country to create its own plan.
Strategic Perspectives Through Research and Dialogue
