India will walk the energy efficiency path aggressively: Prakash Javadekar

NEW DELHI: With the crucial UN climate change conference slated for later this year, India today said that it will walk the energy efficiency path aggressively in reducing its carbon emission intensity and urged developed nations to do the same "vigorously".

Making a statement at the informal ministerial consultations at Paris, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said that his government is working "overtime" and taking its own climate action with "conviction".

Noting that India's target was to eradicate poverty first, Javadekar said that the country's Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) will indicate the action on this. It can be noted that ahead of Paris negotiations every country is submitting its climate action plan or carbon emission cuts based on its own capabilities.

"What India is doing under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a laudable job. Our target is to eradicate poverty first and our Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) will indicate the action on this. Still in this backdrop Narendra Modi government is working overtime and taking its own climate action with conviction...

"...on our own volition. With our own resources. We are walking energy efficiency path aggressively and we will reduce our emission intensity. But that is what India is doing on its own. Developed countries need to do it vigorously," Javadekar said.

He said that as the world itself has decided to take action (climate change) voluntarily, this voluntarism should be respected and appreciated and taken to its logical end. "We must welcome that all countries are taking action and we should limit Paris to that," he said.

Javadekar asserted that the concept of differentiation is cardinal to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ( UNFCCC) mandate and there should be no attempt to dilute differentiation.

"It should be reflected across all elements of the new agreement. The annexes are an important part and basic structure of differentiation and we should not play with the basic concepts and the pillars on which UNFCCC edifice of climate action is based," he said.