India commissions study on equity of carbon space

Seeking to make constructive contribution to the climate debate, India today said it had commissioned a study on equity of existing carbon space in the atmosphere, which could be crucial in determining the quantum or reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases.

"We have commissioned a study on equity of carbon space. I have asked Arvind Subramanian, a noted economist with the Peterson Institute for International Economics, Washington to prepare a paper on this," Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh told reporters here.

He said the Subramanian was expected to submit the paper in April. The issue of equity of carbon space would be discussed at an international workshop being organised here in May ahead of the formal climate talks in Bonn.

Carbon space refers to the gap between existing carbon volumes in the atmosphere and the volume that will be dangerous for environment. Past emissions of greenhouse gases from rich countries have taken up much of that space and the developing countries are now standing up for their share.

The conference of experts would debate on the equity of future flows and not on the historical perspective.

"We do not have clarity on how equity is to be enshrined in international agreements," Ramesh said at the 10th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit here.

He noted that detailed separate studies by Jeffery Frankel of Harvard University, Nobel laureate Michael Spence and Potsdam Institute, Germany were available.