Dear members,
Centre for Social Markets (CSM) headed by Ms Malini Mehra, which last month
served as adviser to Al Gore's climate project in India, has actively come
forward in support of the protest against Climate Change misinformation
campaign in the media.
CSM has been independently following the events of climate deniers that are
attempting to gain foothold in India now that they are losing ground in the
West. Together, we will prevent this distortion of debate for action against
climate change.
I'm forwarding below press release issued by CSM about release of CSCCC
report by planning commission chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.
Thanks
Manu Sharma
*________________*
*CLIMATE DENIERS MOVE INTO TOWN – AND MONTEK DOES A MBEKI*
New Delhi: 4th April 2008
This week saw the climate deniers move into town. At an event hosted on 2nd
April by the Delhi-based Liberty Institute, and the London-based Civil
Society Coalition on Climate Change, CSM was witness to the launch of the
"Civil Society Report on Climate Change". The Coalition was formed in
February 2007 by the International Policy Network (IPN), a well-known
ExxonMobil-backed organization based in London.
The event featured a range of neo-liberal grandees with associations with
free-market think tanks such as the US-based Cato Institute and the
Competitive Enterprise Institute, known for their rubbishing of climate
science and the international consensus represented by the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
The Civil Society Report on Climate Change itself was released astoundingly
enough by Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of India's Planning
Commission and one of the country's leading political lights. Allegedly
produced by 40-plus civil society organisations from around the world, the
stated aim of the report is to "educate the public about the science and
economics of climate change." It concludes that cutting greenhouse gas
emissions is not a cost-effective way to address climate change. Rather, it
argues that policies must promote economic growth and empower the poor so
that they are able to solve today's problems and adapt to tomorrows.
The report criticizes the "pressure" being created by the rich countries on
India, China and other poor countries to sign up to binding emission
reduction targets. According to Barun Mitra, director of the Liberty
Institute, such emission restrictions would hold back economic development
in India, China and other poor countries, thereby preventing them from
solving the problems they face today.
Some of the key conclusions of the report can be summed up as follows:
- Cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the coming two decades is not a
cost-effective way to address climate change.There is no evidence that
climate change has caused an increase in disease. If the main causes of
diseases such as diarrhoea and malaria are properly addressed, climate
change will not increase their incidence.
- Agricultural production has outpaced population growth in the past
50 years. With continued technological improvements, this trend will
continue to 2100, even if the global mean temperature rises by 3*C.
- Water scarcity is a problem in many countries, but with better
management and modern technologies, more water can be made available to all.
- Global restrictions on greenhouse gases would undermine the capacity
of people in poor countries to address the problems they face today as well
as in the future by retarding economic growth and general economic
development.
- Instead of pushing emissions restrictions and failed aid policies,
governments should focus on reducing barriers to economic growth and
adaption, e.g. removing trade barriers and decentralising management of
water and land.
Speaker after speaker, including Prof Deepak Lal of the University of
California in Los Angeles; Prof Julian Morris of the Civil Society Coalition
on Climate Change in London; Dr Amit Mitra of the Federation of Chambers of
Commerce of India (FICCI); Dr Madhav Khandekar of Environment Canada; and
Prof. Mao Shoulong of Renmin University in Beijing, denounced as biased and
alarmist claims about human-induced climate change, which, they claimed,
were being used to justify calls for intervention and regulation.
During his release of the free-market Coalition's report, Dr Ahluwalia noted
that he had also released the United Nation's Human Development Report on
climate change in 2007 but was highly critical of it. He rejected many of
the UN report's recommendations on the grounds that it was not fair to
impose restrictions on developing economies, and that one could adapt more
easily if economic development took place. He pointed out that from a
developing country perspective, since there was "uncertainty in doomsday
scenarios", one needed to ask who should be the first to take action. For
him, the key issue was about a fair distribution of emission controls, which
should be anchored in a per capita emissions approach. He added that he is a
member of the drafting committee of the government's Action Plan on Climate
Change, to be released in June 2008, which will deal with the issue of
adaptation.
Former environment minister Suresh Prabhu was also supposed to attend but
could not make it.
In a reaction to the event and Dr Ahluwalia's role in it, CSM Chief
Executive, Malini Mehra said:
"At a time when India is seeing a surge of domestic concern about the
implications of climate change for us – and our politicians and business
people are finally beginning to react – it is disappointing to see Dr
Ahluwalia backing such biased and discredited views. The international
consensus on climate change is clear. The Prime Minister himself has clearly
stated: 'The threat of climate change is real and unless we alter our
lifestyles and pursue a sustainable model of development, our future will be
at peril' (G-8, Heiligendamm 2007) Dr Ahluwalia's questionable role in
promoting the views of climate skeptics such as this Coalition puts him in
the same category as South Africa's President Mbeki on HIV/AIDS.
For those of us Indians who are keen to promote a responsible and pro-active
agenda on climate change – in our own national interest – his words have
come as a blow. He would do well to remember that India already has
obligations under the Bali conclusions to undertake 'Nationally appropriate
mitigation actions by developing country Parties in the context of
sustainable development; supported by technology and enabled by financing
and capacity building, that are measurable, reportable and verifiable.' Many
of us expect more of our government and will be watching this space to
ensure that we see greater leadership in the long-promised, and much
delayed, National Climate Change Action Plan in June."
++ END ++
*
NOTE TO EDITORS*
1. The *Centre for Social Markets* (CSM) is an independent non-profit
organisation dedicated to making markets work for the triple bottom line –
people, planet and profit. Founded in 2000 by Indian social entrepreneur,
Malini Mehra, we are a values based organisation committed to sustainable
development and human rights. Full details: www.csmworld.org
2. In 2007, CSM launched *'Climate Challenge India'* an independent,
non-partisan, non-political educational effort designed to spread awareness
and generate positive energy on climate issues in India.The first effort of
its type in the country, Climate Challenge India, seeks to build a new
climate of hope and opportunity on climate change as the global community
begins to face up to the enormity of the challenge. In December 2007 it was
recognised as one of the world's top five climate campaigns and profiled at
Bali. Full details: www.climatechallengeindia.org
3. *Civil Society Coalition on Climate Change*: According to its website -
http://www.csccc.info/ - the Civil Society Coalition on Climate Change seeks
to "educate the public about the science and economics of climate change in
an impartial manner. It was established as a response to the many biased and
alarmist claims about human-induced climate change, which are being used to
justify calls for intervention and regulation.
The Coalition comprises over forty independent civil society organisations
who share a commitment to improving public understanding about a range of
public policy issues. All are non-profit organizations that are independent
of political parties and government."
4. *International Policy Network*: According to the website, ExxonSecrets -
http://www.exxonsecrets.org/html/orgfactsheet.php?id=108 the International
Policy Network (IPN) maintains a network of free-market think tanks around
the world and supports the development of new organizations. Roger Bate and
Julian Morris, IPN's directors, both work for the Institute for Economic
Affairs in London. Bate is also a fellow at the Competitive Enterprise
Institute (CEI), where another IPN staff member, Kendra Okonski used to
work. Disinfopedia reports that in 2003 the address and phone number for CEI
and the US office of the IPN were identical.
For further information, or to arrange interviews, please call:
Ms Farah Abdullah, Programme Manager, CSM
Email: i...@csmworld.org or Mobile: +91 (98374) 49714
___________________________________________________________________________ _________________________
(Ms) Sumana Das
Administrative Officer, Centre for Social Markets
For News& Information: www.csmworld.org
For more on CSM's award-winning 'Climate Challenge India' campaign please
see: www.climatechallengeindia.org
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