Principles for a simple, effective, efficient and equitable international agreement on global actions on climate change

Comments on Rajiv Kumar “India: Are we isolated on climate change?” 17/08/2009, http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2009/08/17/are-we-isolated-on-climate-change/

I think an effective, fair and practical international system for carbon emissions mitigation should be based on the following principles:

1. It is efficient from the global point of view, that is, to incur the least costs in achieving a given objective. This means every country needs to participate and a global tax imposed on emissions from every country.

2. It is effective, that is, it achieves the objective the target to mitigate global emissions. This means the targets of emission mitigation should be based on the most reliable scientific evidence.

3. It is fair to every country. It seems that a most likely internationally equitable approach is to have everyone at a certain given time the same "property right" of the global atmosphere, so they have the right to impose penalty on emissions from any countries. This means that the global tax should be distributed to everyone equally, irrespective which countries they are from.

4. It is simple to implement.

An international system of climate change may take many forms, but the underlying principles should be clear and well founded. An agreement based on the above principles is likely to be much superior to most systems currently discussed and debated in many countries, such as the emissions trading scheme bill in Australia recently defeated in its senate, or the similar bill in the US that passed its House of Representatives and is in front of its Senate. Those bills may aim at effecting a domestic emissions trading scheme that can be costly to administer.

Any country including both developed and developing countries alike can use these principles to formulate their negotiation strategies. India can be more proactive and effective in its attitude towards climate change and Copenhagen negotiation. A fair international system will not undermine developing countries’ interests, like India’s, but it will be in the best interest of every country.