Indian may get berth on IPCC

The assurance from Pachauri coincides with the Centre’s decision to back him as the chairperson for the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, ignoring accusations against IPCC being too casual in describing the science of climate change and its dangerous consequences.

Allowing India a place in the IPCC Bureau for the fifth assessment report means New Delhi for the first time gets an opportunity to share its views on some of the controversial issues in climate change science like black carbon, Himalayan glaciers and global warning’s impact on monsoon.

Incidentally India raised doubts on IPCC’s prediction on the melting of a large number of Himalayan glaciers by 2035, few months before the controversy broke out. Last month IPCC accepted the mistake and promised to be more vigilant and careful in preparing the fifth assessment report, due in 2014. Pachauri’s acceptance to find a place for Indian scientist Subodh Sharma in the Bureau may indicate a quid pro quo on part of the UPA government for continuing with its support for Pachauri.  India also makes an annual financial contribution to the IPCC chair. As per standard practice, the Centre contributes Rs 57 lakh to the IPCC every year to maintain the chair’s independence.

As a return favour, IPCC always has the provision to have a nominee from the chair’s home country in the Bureau.

India for the first time has decided to invoke that provision so that the doors to climate science high table opens up for New Delhi.

Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, in the meantime announced setting up of the National Institute of Himalayan Glaciology at Dehradun in Uttarakhand to assess the impact of climate change on Himalayan glaciers.