As international climate negotiations progress this week in
Bangkok, Thailand, India has shown signs of more proactive
engagement on climate change issues both internationally and at
home. While the Indian government continues to emphasize poverty
alleviation and economic development as the country's highest
priorities, recent stances on domestic emission reductions
indicate that India is taking considerable steps to encourage
more constructive global climate talks. India joins a growing
contingent of developing countries that "are making very
significant efforts to show what they are doing to address
climate change and indicate what more they are willing to do,"
according to U.N. climate chief Yvo de Boer. Until recently,
India had repeatedly rejected calls to quantify its targets for
reducing greenhouse gas emissions on the grounds that this would
jeopardize national poverty alleviation goals. "India cannot and
will not take emission reduction targets because poverty
eradication and social and economic deve