Handbook of Climate Change and India: Development, Politics and Governance

By Katha Kartiki

Date:

Mon, 19/12/2011 - 18:00 - 21:00

Chair:

Mr. Nitin Desai

Speakers:

Dr. Amita Baviskar, Dr. Sanjaya Baru, Dr. Navroz K. Dubash

Edited by Navroz K. Dubash, Senior Fellow, CPR, this Handbook is scheduled to be published in November 2011 by Oxford University Press (OUP) - India in South Asia, and Earthscan in the rest of the world.

How do policymakers, businesses and civil society in India approach the challenge of climate

change? What do they believe global climate negotiations will achieve and how? And how are Indian

political and policy debates internalizing climate change? Relatively little is known globally about

internal climate debate in emerging industrializing countries, but what happens in rapidly growing

economies like India’s will increasingly shape global climate change outcomes.

This handbook brings together prominent voices from India, including policymakers, politicians,

business leaders, civil society activists and academics, to build a composite picture of contemporary

Indian climate politics and policy. One section lays out the range of positions and substantive issues

that shape Indian views on global climate negotiations. Another delves into national politics around

climate change. A third looks at how climate change is beginning to be internalized in sectoral policy

discussions over energy, urbanization, water, and forests. The volume is introduced by an essay that

sets out the critical issues shaping climate politics in India, and its implications for global politics.

The essays show that, within India, climate change is approached primarily as a developmental

challenge and is marked by efforts to explore how multiple objectives of development, equity

and climate mitigation can simultaneously be met. In addition, Indian perspectives on climate

negotiations are in a state of flux. Considerations of equity across countries and a focus on the

primary responsibility for the action of wealthy countries continue to be central, but there are

growing voices of concern on the impacts of climate change on India. How domestic debates over

climate governance are resolved in the coming years, and the evolution of India’s global negotiation

stance are likely to be important inputs toward creating shared understandings across countries in

the years ahead, and to identify ways forward. This volume on the Indian experience with climate

change and development is a valuable contribution to both purposes.

Navroz K. Dubash is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi, India.

How do policymakers, businesses and civil society in India approach the challenge of climatechange? What do they believe global climate negotiations will achieve and how? And how are Indianpolitical and policy debates internalizing climate change? Relatively little is known globally aboutinternal climate debate in emerging industrializing countries, but what happens in rapidly growingeconomies like India’s will increasingly shape global climate change outcomes.

This handbook brings together prominent voices from India, including policymakers, politicians,business leaders, civil society activists and academics, to build a composite picture of contemporaryIndian climate politics and policy. One section lays out the range of positions and substantive issuesthat shape Indian views on global climate negotiations. Another delves into national politics aroundclimate change. A third looks at how climate change is beginning to be internalized in sectoral policydiscussions over energy, urbanization, water, and forests. The volume is introduced by an essay thatsets out the critical issues shaping climate politics in India, and its implications for global politics.

The essays show that, within India, climate change is approached primarily as a developmentalchallenge and is marked by efforts to explore how multiple objectives of development, equityand climate mitigation can simultaneously be met. In addition, Indian perspectives on climatenegotiations are in a state of flux. Considerations of equity across countries and a focus on theprimary responsibility for the action of wealthy countries continue to be central, but there aregrowing voices of concern on the impacts of climate change on India. How domestic debates overclimate governance are resolved in the coming years, and the evolution of India’s global negotiationstance are likely to be important inputs toward creating shared understandings across countries inthe years ahead, and to identify ways forward. This volume on the Indian experience with climate change and development is a valuable contribution to both purposes.

Navroz K. Dubash is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi, India.

Venue:

Lecture Room 2, IIC Annexe