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NEWS: India places reservations on Rio+20 green economy initiatives

The Times of India reports that the following issues are being discussed in the lead-up to the Rio+20 summit:

  • “global targets for reducing subsidies on social goods in the name of ‘getting prices right’ (allowing markets to operate without any intervention by the governments, even in supply of essential services like drinking water, food, public health, access to power or education);
  • green targets, such as using a fixed percentage of renewable energy in the power mix of a country;
  • a carbon tax;
  • trade measures to force targets on developing nations.”

The Times of India article notes that India “has placed its reservations” on these items.

In part, “India believes this (green economy agenda) could become another route of imposing targets upon developing countries drawing resources away from the priority of poverty alleviation.”

“India has pointed out that the (1992) Rio Conference had agreed that conspicuous consumption and unsustainable lifestyles in the developed countries should be rationalized to reduce the per capita consumption footprints and this should be pursued in the new regime too to provide space for growth in the developing world.”

The full article can be read at http://m.timesofindia.com/home/environment/developmental-issues/India-opposes-imposition-of-blanket-green-targets-on-developing-nations/articleshow/11227348.cms.

For our campaign web-page on Rio+20, please go to http://canadians.org/rio20.