India aims for 10% cut in emissions by 2012

The 1,400-odd green house gas (GHG) mitigation projects approved by the Indian government are expected to attract foreign investment worth US$16 billion and neutralize 10% of the current levels of emissions by 2012, Jairam Ramesh, minister of state (independent charge) for environment and forests, said. Inaugurating the India Carbon Market Conclave 2009, organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Ramesh said India had decided to ramp up its forestation program from one million hectares of land annually to 2.5 million hectares to check climate change. “India’s green house gases mitigation efforts are strong and growing. In two years from now, we will put into place mandatory fuel efficiency standards for the transportation sector, starting with voluntary labeling process and gradually moving to mandatory standards for all types of vehicles on the roads,” he said. The government has initiated a major scientific assessment of the impact of climate change on different sectors of the economy and in different regions. The details of the study, which involves 127 institutions and 220 scientists, would be released in November 2010. (September 5, 2009)