India signs MoU on climate change

Taking a positive leap towards combating climate change India has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Governments of Italy, Canada, Denmark, Norway and China regarding cooperation on climate change including clean development mechanism projects.

The MoU is intended to stimulate development and bilateral cooperation in the field of clean development mechanism (CDM). While the agreement signed with China focuses on promotion of mutual understanding and coordination on climate change related issues, including international negotiations and bilateral cooperation in areas relating to energy efficiency, renewable, power, clean coal and other sectors of mutual interest.

It is to be noted here that no such agreements have been signed so far with the USA, Sweden and European Union, said Minister of State for Environment and Forests (independent charge) Jairam Ramesh in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

The MoUs will help build confidence between India and partner countries and promote development and implementation of CDM projects as well as coordination, mutual understanding and joint strategies on climate change related issues.

India has been advocating compliance of the provisions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which enjoins upon the developed countries to UNFCCC to provide finance and transfer of technology to developing countries to enable them to respond to climate change.

The current negotiations at Copenhagen are aimed, inter alia, at deciding institutional arrangements for development and transfer of clean technologies through technology cooperation and provision of financial resources to developing countries to enable them to adapt to and mitigate climate change.

Parties are currently engaged in negotiations under the UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol in order to reach agreed outcomes at the 15th Conference of Parties scheduled in Copenhagen in December 2009.

However, the intentions of developed countries into the process of combating climate change have not been encouraging so far. Advanced countries want to scrap the protocol. But developing countries are keen to have it continue, and are asking the rich countries to what extent they have complied with the protocol and what they are willing to commit under it. In fact, the fundamental difference over whether the Kyoto Protocol - the current treaty under which rich countries have to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) that are causing climate change - should continue or be scrapped remained.

India and Russia ink N-deal beyond 123 agreement

The two old friends India and Russia inked the expanded civil nuclear deal and three defence pacts. The nuclear pact between the two countries goes far beyond the 123 agreement that India entered with the US early this year. Both the countries expressed grave concern over the increasing threat of terrorism and pledged to combat the terrorism together. They also cemented ties on a wide range of interest encompassing N-trade, shared Af-pak perceptions and a plan to boost commerce to $20 billion by 2015.

The agreement between the two countries concluded in Moscow on the official visit of the PM Manmohan Singh to Russia at the invitation of Russian President Medvedev for the Annual Summit from Dec 6 to 8, 2009.

The umbrella agreement for expanding civil nuclear cooperation will give New Delhi the right to reprocess spent fuel, taking the pact “far beyond the 123 agreement” inked with the US, official sources commented Sunday.

“Our views are similar on a global issues and our cooperation can extend to cooperation at international level. We will be sharing intelligence and information gathering,” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who ends a three-day visit to Moscow on Tuesday, said.

Expressing concern over the "grave challenge of terrorism" the Russian President Dmitri Medvedev said, “There is a common threat that India and Russia face. We should consolidate our anti-terror base. We will provide concrete help in anti-terror activities.”

"The situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan underlines the importance of this... Terrorism is the biggest evil of current and last century," added Medvedev.

India and Russia pledged to work together for global non-proliferation, stressing that the proliferation of nuclear weapons and its possible link to terrorism poses a threat to international peace and security, undermines security of states, and complicates progress towards nuclear disagreement.

The two countries are convinced that the international community should enhance efforts to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

“Both Sides call upon the international community to comply with the provisions of international counter-terrorism conventions and protocols including the principle, 'either prosecute or extradite', regarding the persons accused of committing acts of terror. The Sides strongly call for an early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. The Sides intend to further develop Indian-Russian bilateral cooperation in combating new challenges and threats, including such cooperation within the framework of the India and Russia Working Group on Combating International Terrorism.”

On UN Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen, India and Russia underscored the urgency of effective international action to combat climate change, and affirmed their readiness to continue to work constructively for the success of the conference in accordance with the principles and provisions of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Bali Action Plan.

Highlights of the MOSCOW PACTS:

a) 4 N-reactors to be set up by Russia in Kudankulam (Tamil Nadu); site for fifth identified in Bengal
b) plan to boost trade between both countries to $20 billion by 2015
c) 10-year deal on weapons, aircraft and maintenance contracts from 2011 to 2020

First int’l conference on Broadcast Media and Climate Change

With a view to enhance awareness on climate change, UNESCO along with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is going to hold an international conference on ‘Broadcast Media and Climate Change: A Public Service Remit’ on September 4 and 5 at its headquarters in Paris.

The purpose of organizing such conference is to raise awareness on climate change as well as to increase the capacities of national broadcasters to report on climate change and foster cooperation among them, as electronic media could be a useful tool in raising awareness. The event is also expected to help improve the quality of information and programmes on climate change.

More than 180 national broadcasters, key international broadcasting associations and scientific organizations will meet to explore current coverage of climate change issues in different regions of the world. Participants will also seek solution to the challenges being faced by broadcasters, particularly those from the developing countries. These challenges include access to essential content and material needed to report effectively on climate change and promote mitigation strategies at local and international levels.

Commenting on the significance of organizing the conference, former Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan said that the conference will help to increase awareness and seek better reporting on climate change “at a time when the deathly silence around this crisis is becoming a major impediment for international action.”

The meeting will also look at the mechanisms and frameworks necessary for a global broadcast media partnership on climate change. A number of organizations, including the BBC, France Télévisions, the Global Humanitarian Forum, TVE, the Algerian Ministry of the Environment, and the production companies Dansk AV Produktion and Ki-Productions have partnered with UNESCO to provide a range of quality audiovisual material and resources rights-free to national broadcasters from developing countries.

Three months later in December the United Nations Climate Change Conference will be organized in Copenhagen, Denmark.