Climate change not a business opportunity: Javadekar

Climate change was a challenge and not a business opportunity and the developed world should not profit from disaster, according to Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar.

Speaking at the major Economies Forum meeting that took place in Washington on April 19-20, he said India will not allow "bullying tactics" and "days of bulldozing were over".

With the crucial climate conference to be held in Paris later this year, Javadekar said India has already initiated a very ambitious action plan for renewable energy and will walk the energy efficiency path effectively.

"India is committed to walk along the road to Paris, hand-in-hand with others for a fair and equitable agreement this year. But it would not join bullying tactics and will not allow yet another Copenhagen in Paris. The days of bulldozing have gone and now we have to work like ants to build the Earth together," he said.

The text of the minister's speech was released by the ministry of environment and forests on Tuesday.

Paris will succeed only after every country presents its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) and these get implemented, Javadekar said.

"For compliance, the developed world must fulfil its financial commitment. It will also have to ensure that at the very least, critical technologies are available at affordable cost. The developed world should not profit from disaster. Climate change is a challenge and not a business opportunity," the minister said.

He said India's emission intensity was getting reduced as per its planning and even the IPCC emission gap report has certified that India was on the dot in implementation.

"The cycle of INDCs should be 10 years and drivers for updating should be science, as it evolves, and technologies, as they develop. There is a need for large-scale behavioural change programmes to be undertaken. All countries need to ensure that fuel consumption does not increase in the period when petrol prices are lower," the minister said.

"We should discuss ideas like decarbonisation, long-term goals on forums like Major Economies Forum. But we should not bring on table any new idea/item for Paris at this late hour. Let us not try to put new targets which will not be sustainable."

Javadekar said India wants that each party should consider adjustments on the basis of historical responsibilities and equitable sharing of global atmospheric resources and carbon space in the context of imperatives of poverty eradication, universal energy access and sustainable development for developing countries.

He said India also expects that there needs to be urgent action in the pre-2020 period and it must not be delayed by developed countries.

"Any delays threaten the credibility of their ambition and commitment to combat climate change," Javadekar said.

"Let us ensure that all countries submit their INDCs, and ensure and create an ambience whereby they will be implemented. That is the sure formula for success in Paris," he said.