Confronting the Climate Change Challenge

Abstract

Current global climate policy architecture does not aim at stabilizingthe greenhouse gases concentration in atmosphere that may achievethe proclaimed 2°C guard rail. An alternative approach that targetson limiting the global cumulative emission to accomplish such an outcomeis put forward by German Advisory Board of Global Change(WBGU). This research work further elaborates the approach and itsflexibility instrument i.e. carbon trading. As the approach visualisessharing of the carbon budget (750Gt CO2) equally to every humanbeing (2.7t CO2 per capita), India is the country with largest tradablesurplus reflecting its low emission per capita and large population.The research work further analyzes the emission profile of rural Indiaand the significance of its future emission pathways with in the proposedframework. It also shows how low carbon development in Indiacan assist in cost effective decarbonisation of industrialised countriesand mitigation of climate change, given a global climate treaty basedon the WBGU approach.