Al Gore on Climate Change

·         On March 15, 2008 former US Vice-President Al Gore said that India, as an advanced developing country, had the capacity to lead the world in development of new renewable energy technologies in fight against climate change.

·         He said India itself is very vulnerable to climate change but it can become part of the solution.

·         Gore said India had already proven its capabilities in sectors like IT, pharmaceuticals and steel and it could do the same in development of renewable and other new technologies to solve the climate change problem facing the world.

·         Gore, the 2007 Nobel Peace laureate also admitted that his own country (US) was the largest source of greenhouse gases and there was a need for change in the policy.

·         Notably In US the change is beginning to happen as the three candidates in the race to the White House had a clear position on climate change that was very different from present administration.

·         Gore categorically said developed countries must not be asked to take mandatory cap on the emission of GHGs as they, too, had the right to aspire for higher standards of living.

·         The project, a joint initiative of TERI and the JSW Foundation, will hold training and workshops to create awareness about climate change at the grass-roots level

·         Chairman of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change and Nobel laureate R.K. Pachauri shared that the report on climate change by the council appointed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to be announced in June, which will pave the way for a national policy on climate change.