India offers to cut carbon intensity by 20-25%, China 40-45%

Times of India (Dasgupta, Sethi) - On Friday, India dramtically announced that it could consider voluntarily reducing its carbon intensity by 20-25% on a purely domestic level. This represents a big leap on the measures announced so far by the government to cut emissions, and will extend to the entire economy rather than be restricted to specific sectors as is the case now.

On Thursday, China had announced its willingness to bring down its energy intensity by 40-45% from 2005 levels in the next decade. The Chinese announcement was itself a response to the US offer to reduce its emissions by 17% below 2005 levels by 2020.

By showcasing their voluntary reductions, India, China and US hope to fend off pressure that awaits them from other developed countries as well as resourceful NGOs who have often set the global green agenda. While it suits all three, it will be particularly beneficial for the US which has resisted taking emission reduction targets under an international regime.