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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Study reveals US doublespeak on emission cuts -Vishwa Mohan

Study reveals US doublespeak on emission cuts -Vishwa Mohan

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published Published on Oct 8, 2015   modified Modified on Oct 8, 2015
-The Times of India

NEW DELHI: America has for long sought to shift the greater onus of battling climate change on the developing world. But a new study seeks to remind the richest nation on the planet to first practice what it preaches. Indian think tank, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), has tried to bring the focus back on the consumption-fuelled lifestyle of the developed world, specifically the US, in a comprehensive study that substantiates the government's call for 'climate justice'.

The CSE analyzed USA's 'climate action plan' and studied World Bank and Human Development Index (HDI) data to show how lifestyle in rich nations is turning out to be disastrous for world climate. The think tank also reveals how US — the biggest historical polluter - has tried to mislead the world on emissions just by shifting the base year from 1990 to 2005.

The study titled, 'Capitan America (US climate goals: a reckoning)', lays bare how the world's most powerful economy is doing very little to combat climate change. Referring to the American 'climate action plan', the CSE said the "US INDC is neither ambitious nor equitable" and it puts the world at "deadly risk" given the impacts of changing climate.

The think tank compared the data of USA, EU, India and China and said, "The US is not doing anything extra for climate change; most of the changes are happening naturally and automatically because of economic reasons and market forces. Worse, improvements are being squandered away because of increased growth and consumption".

"Our analysis shows that the key economic sectors of the US economy - energy, transport, industry etc - are operating and would continue to operate till 2030 in a business-as-usual way, even as the rest of the world gears up to fight climate change," said CSE director general Sunita Narain after releasing the study.

The INDC of the US promises to reduce emissions by 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2025. This is equivalent to emissions cut by a mere 13-15% by 2025 below 1990 levels. This means that in 2025, its per capita emissions are going to be 13.5 tonnes. In comparison, the EU has committed to reduce 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. This means in 2025 the per capita emissions of the EU will be 7.0 tonnes — about half of the US. India's per capita emissions in 2025 would be 3.0-3.5 tonnes - one-fourth of the US.

Referring to those figures and findings of the study, Chandra Bhushan, CSE's deputy director general said, "The US has not put in place policies to shift its economy towards low carbon. The result is the US will produce and consume 20% more fossil fuels in 2030 than what it does today. Renewable energy will only contribute about 15% of primary energy in 2030 — up from 11% currently."

Industry is the only sector in the US where emissions and energy consumption has declined. But consumption of industrial goods has skyrocketed. The US is not making these goods. Instead, imported goods now account for 60% of all goods purchased. Narain said, "This means industrial emissions have not gone down, but merely been outsourced."

The Times of India, 8 October, 2015, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/developmental-issues/Study-reveals-US-doublespeak-on-emission-cuts/articleshow/49265311.cms


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