Dr Rajendra K Pachauri, chief guest at the Earth Care Awards, chairperson of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and director general of The Energy and Resources Institute, spoke to Anahita Mukherji on why India need not go down the same path as the developed world. Excerpts from an interview:
Should Western countries be forced to pay more attention to reducing carbon footprint than countries like India, as the developed world has contributed more towards damaging the environment?
The UN framework on climate change states the need for a common but differentiated responsibility that all countries need to undertake on climate change. But I feel it is in the interest of countries like India not to follow the path of the developed world, and opt instead for energy security and lower levels of air pollution which would be achieved through a different energy mix. There are economic benefits to using energy more efficiently. Instead of importing hydrocarbons and coal, it will be more efficient for India to use low carbon sources of energy and turn to renewable energy on a large scale. This does not compromise growth; it's just a different pattern of development.
You seek to bring corporates on board the battle against climate change. At a time when large corporates have backed think-tanks that fund climate change sceptics, why would they support sustainable development at the cost of business interests?
Lots of cor porates have done outstanding work in conserving the environment, which shows that such actions have co-benefits . Let's accept that corporates are a part of society and if climate change has a major negative impact on society at large, they will also be affected by it. Rational thinking, reflection and use of knowledge and science will prove the need for corporates to take climate change seriously.
How can one hold businesses accountable for their impact on the environment?
Business has a crucial role to play in dealing with climate change. Enlightened government policy and the right regulatory mechanisms can hold the corporate sector accountable.
