Climate change, a common concern

AS we commemorate anoth¬er World Environment Day, there is little doubt that cli¬mate change is a reality that calls for urgent, collective action. Evolving and accepting a global framework to arrest the emission of greenhouse gases is the challenge that leaders face. The issue is as contentious as ever. America's traditional hostility to the Kyoto protocol is well known. President George Bush has now pro¬posed, however, that the 15 most polluting countries, including the US, China and India, agree to a tar¬get to reduce greenhouse gases by 2008. Bush sees the talks as even¬tually leading to a framework that may replace the 1997 Kyoto Proto¬col, which expires in 2012.
European countries, which have always seen themselves as being on the frontline of the fight against global warming, are none too impressed with what they see as vague proposals. Since the talks will be US-led, some, like the Ger¬man environment minister, have gonesofarastosuggestthatthe US is merely hijacking the process without any serious intentions to
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put in place a tough regime. The US never ratified the Kyoto Protocol, which also exempts developing countries. There will now be increasing pressure on countries like India, China and Brazil to join a new protocol.
Developing countries have always argued that their efforts cannot be proscribed by the environmental concerns of developed countries, who have done the bulk of their polluting in the early stages and would like now to pull back. Indi¬an officials have already indicated their wariness of any cap on emis¬sions, which could affect develop¬ment plans and poverty alleviation. But an emissions target that takes into account all concerns and ensures a fair outcome for all par¬ties needs to be attempted in light earnest. India has its own share of urgent environmental concerns that need to be addressed if our air, soil and waterways are to be kept healthy. And while the state should do its part, a World Environment Day is nothing if not an opportuni¬ty for all of us to reflect on our own practices and excesses.