ABSTRACT:
India contributes about 5% to global CO2 emissions and hence trajectory of India's CO2 emissions in the next 20 years will have little impact on global warming. Global warming may, however, bring about adverse impact on India’s climate. In this talk I will discuss the challenges that we face in predicting climate change at regional scales that is relevant to policy makers. I will also discuss India’s ambitious program to promote renewable energy to combat climate change and its ramifications.

CSTEP’s research appointment is with a select set of technologies.
Not technologies per se; goodness knows there are enough science and
technology journals, conferences and workshops to promote their
findings, but on the consequences of technologies to society through
economic growth and human welfare. CSTEP will frequently release
summaries of such studies. Such policy briefs are not research papers or
even opinion pieces; but a succinct review of the state of the art and
of options such technologies provide to society.

CSTEP’s research appointment is with a select set of technologies. Not technologies per se; goodness knows there are enough science and technology journals, conferences and workshops to promote their findings, but on the consequences of technologies to society through economic growth and human welfare. CSTEP will frequently release summaries of such studies. Such policy briefs are not research papers or even opinion pieces; but a succinct review of the state of the art and of options such technologies provide to society.

Insight into India's options for energy and emissions policies may be gained from a review in the December 13, 2009 issue of the Business Standard entitled, "Climate policy options in East-west squeeze".

The following is an Op-Ed that appeared in the December 13, 2009 Deccan Chronicle

By Anshu Bharadwaj & Shuba V. Raghavan

As world leaders deliberate over global warming in Copenhagen, there is considerable acrimony at home on the recent statement by Jairam Ramesh, minister for environment, articulating a 20-25 per cent cut in India’s “carbon intensity” by 2020. Opposition staged a walkout, there was a reported rift in the Indian negotiating team and several people questioned the basis for the Indian position. The general feeling is that India surrendered too much ground to the West without anything in return and that this policy would seriously undermine development and growth.