India’s reluctance to adopt greenhouse gas emission related targets, the third largest polluter after China and the US, might lead to isolation in the global arena, warned Jairam Ramesh, former Environment Minister.
He felt China was following a “nuanced” approach and “showing flexibility” on the issue.
At an interactive meeting here with academicians, public policy researchers and journalists, organised by think-tank Observer Research Foundation, he described the Chinese Government as the “supreme pragmatist.”
“While India has adopted an obstructionist position and become a hero among the domestic audience, China is taking up a more nuanced approach on the greenhouse gas emission issue,” he said.
Ramesh also said that in India, environment is not a “lifestyle, but a livelihood issue.”
Whether it is acquisition of land or tampering with forest rights, it all boils down to livelihood of people, he said.