India committed towards sustainable development: PC

8220;The developing countries are, therefore, obliged to significantly augment their capacity to cope with and adapt to climate change,8221; he said and stressed in this context the principle of 8220;common but differentiated responsibilities.8221;

However, Chidambaram told the delegates, including several heads of the state, that India, being an energy deficient country, is obliged to explore every option available to produce and procure energy.

Stressing his point with statistics, he said in 2006-07, India produced 662 billion units of electricity from all sources for a population of over a billion people.

8220;Energy is the sine qua non of development. We are obliged to explore every option available to us to produce or procure energy. However, we are profoundly concerned about environmental degradation and climate change,8221; he said.

India, he said, has taken a number of measures that are inherently supportive of sustainability and development.

8220;We have insisted on use of CNG in public transport, we have metro rail in many cities and we have commenced a major bio-diesel programme including mandatory blending of ethanol in petrol,8221; he said.

As a part of its effort to stem climate change, India has launched a 8220;green project8221; that will be the world8217;s largest afforestation project covering six million hectares of degraded forest land, Chidambaram said.

Besides, India has enacted an Energy Efficiency Code for new commercial buildings. Another act mandates procurement of electricity from renewable sources and has given a major fillip to wind energy sector,8221; he said.

8220;This year, we set up a special committee to look into the impact of climate change. The committee will study the impact of anthropogenic climate change on India and identify the measures that we may have to take in the future. In addition, we have constituted a Council on Climate Change chaired by the Prime Minister to coordinate national action plans,8221; he said.

India, he said, upholds the view that adaptation is the key for developing countries but it needs to be adequately resourced without diverting funds meant for development. 8220;In any case, development is the best form of adaptation.8221;

Adaptation, he emphasised, has been integral to India8217;s development process.

8220;We are challenged constantly by climate variability. We spend every year over 2 per cent of our GDP in development measures with strong adaptation content like cyclone warning and protection, coastal protection, flood control, drought relief, and food security,8221; he said.

Adaptation, he said, can become a reality if the world is able to put new and intelligent technologies to use. 8220;We urge the countries of the world 8211; especially the developed countries 8211; to seize the opportunity.8221;

8220;We propose to make available Compact Fluorescent Lamps at the price of normal incandescent bulbs,8221; he added.