There is interior relationship between environment and human life. A full understanding of the challenges facing humanity requires knowledge of the evolution of the roles of technology, population expansions, cultural mores, climate, disease and warfare in changing human attitudes and responses through time. More recent changes in the human-environment relationship, such as accelerated globalization and global environmental change, have deep roots in humanity’s relationship with nature over the past millennium. The Great Acceleration is arguably the most profound and rapid shift in the human environment relationship that the Earth has experienced. Important phenomena include a rise in human population, the strengthening of nation states, the global transfer of inventions and values, the beginning of industrialization and the rise of global communications, and associated with these the dramatic modifications of land use and biodiversity, hydrological and energy flows, and key ecological processes. The role of the environment in economic thinking has changed substantially over the past 30 or 40 years.
“We have the moral responsibility to bequeath to our children a world which is safe, clean and productive, a world which should continue to inspire the human imagination with the immensity of the blue ocean, the loftiness of snow-covered mountains, the green expanse of extensive forests and the silver streams of ancient rivers” said by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has attended the Copenhagen Summit on climate change December 18, reflecting the seriousness attached by India to the meet where it is expected to play a crucial role. The decision of the Prime Minister to attend the Summit comes against the backdrop of insistence by world leaders, including US President Barack Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy that he should come there. The French President later told a press conference, "If India is to be heard, it needs to be present", apparently referring to the need for Singh's presence. Some 80 Presidents and Prime Ministers were attended the two-day Summit on December 17-18.
India has an Energy Conservation Act under which it has identified 9 energy intensive industries for observance of mandatory energy efficiency standards. The NAPCC also has a National Mission on Improving Energy Efficiency. Being as a developing country India has to encourage Indian industry to collaborate with its counterparts across the world to exchange best practices and improve energy efficiency through better management and/or technological innovation. However, the setting of global standards for efficiency and/or emissions on a sector basis, as legally binding commitments, is a different matter altogether. Firstly, such standards cannot reduce to a single benchmark, wide difference in industrial processes even within the same industry, on account of differences in input use, the technology adopted the skill level of personnel employed and the overall social and economic context in which production takes place. The global action on Climate Change, based on the UNFCCC, is not conditional upon maintenance of trade competitiveness or level playing fields. Climate change should remain focused on addressing the implications of Climate Change and should not impose any additional burdens on developing countries. Climate Change negotiations are taking place against the backdrop of an increasingly globalized and interconnected and interdependent world economy. At the 13th Conference of Parties in Bali, the Parties had agreed to launch an Action Plan to enhance the implementation of the UNFCCC. The Bali Action Plan seeks to ensure full, effective and sustained implementation of the UNFCCC. Although being as a developing country, we have announced that we will reduce the emissions intensity of our growth by 20-25% in 2020 as compared to 2005. India has also launched a comprehensive Action Plan on Climate Change and the eight National Missions have been set up. We have therefore adopted and started to implement a major National Action Plan on Climate Change, relying upon our own resources. Our targets include installation of 20,000 MW of solar energy capacity by 2022, improving energy efficiency by 20% by 2020 and adding an additional 6 million hectares of forests over the next several years.
Therefore the Climate Conference in Copenhagen is essential for the world’s climate and the PM's visit make a difference but it would be more effective when participation of developed country is active. The hard effort of India in making the meeting in Copenhagen a success ending up with a Copenhagen Protocol to prevent global warming and climate change. Finally, it is clear that any agreement on climate change should respect the need for development and growth in developing countries. Equitable burden should not be given to the developing countries like developed countries. It is India’s view that global warming is taking place and taking place here and now and its adverse consequences will impact most heavily on developing countries like India. As a responsible member of the international community and largest democratic country, India PM’s visit indicates seriousness to preserve and protect our environment.
