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DE RUEHCG #0010/01 0201109
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 201109Z JAN 10
FM AMCONSUL CHENNAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2593
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RUEAEPA/HQ EPA WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDC/NOAA WASHDC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CHENNAI 000010 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SECC TODD STERN 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: SENV ENRG EAID EAGR PREL TSPL TRGY KSCA KGHG IN
 
SUBJECT:  VIEWS ON GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE AMONG SOUTH INDIA'S CIVIL 
SOCIETY LEADERS 
 
REF:  A) 09 KOLKATA 255 B) 08 NEW DELHI 2955 
 
¶1.  Summary.  Civil society leaders report that ignorance about 
climate change pervades South India, with politicians, government 
officials, and business leaders focused on development at all costs. 
 Despite widespread ignorance about the issue, civil society leaders 
still look to the government to drive the climate change agenda, and 
hope that enlightened consumers in the first world can nudge Indian 
government and industry into action.  The lack of awareness of 
climate change in South India, which is one of India's most 
well-educated and prosperous regions, indicates that informed debate 
about India's climate change policies is a long way away.  End 
Summary 
 
Support for India's official position. 
---------------- 
 
¶2.  In the run up to the December 2009 Copenhagen summit, we met 
with leaders from South Indian civil society to discuss their views 
on global climate change.  South India, with its vast coastline and 
population dependent on agriculture, fisheries and coastal tourism, 
is one of the regions in India most vulnerable to the effects of 
climate change.  Leaders from NGOs, state government, academia, and 
industry unanimously support the Government of India's position of 
"common but differentiated responsibilities" (ref A).  We heard the 
refrain: "India did not create this problem, the developed countries 
did" so "they should help solve it."  Our contacts said India should 
not accept any binding limitations for its legitimate development 
and economic goals, especially when citizens of developed countries 
have wasteful and extravagant lifestyles, consuming more than their 
fair share of the world's natural resources.  At the same time, our 
contacts also acknowledged that India's external stance is 
unsustainable in the long run.  "India cannot repeat others' 
mistakes; India cannot have one-dimensional growth," said 
Swaminathan Krishnamurthy, Associate Director of Climate Change and 
Sustainability Services for Ernst and Young. 
 
Development trumps climate change concerns 
---------------- 
 
¶3.  Civil society leaders said that only top bureaucrats in 
environment and related ministries in the central government (ref 
B), and the Prime Minister's office are sensitive to climate change. 
 Our contacts said that most of the country's political leaders and 
government officials are uninformed about climate change and doing 
little to change the situation.  Indian Youth Climate Network's 
Saleem Khan believes governments at all levels are focused on 
development and economic growth at the expense of the environment. 
 
 
¶4.  Big business, especially multinationals in South India, is aware 
of climate change, but remains focused on hard cost/benefits 
analysis and consumer perceptions.  Confederation of Indian 
Industry's (CII) Karthikeyan, a counselor from CII's Green Business 
Center, acknowledges that medium, small and micro enterprises are 
generally ignorant of and apathetic to climate change.  Our contacts 
said that the general population is similarly ignorant about and 
apathetic to climate change, which tracks the low level of awareness 
of and care for environmental matters in general in India.  India's 
largely poor population is too busy trying to survive to know or 
care about climate change.  Filmmaker and conservationist Shekar 
Dattari described society's attitude as "the environment is to be 
dealt with after everybody has a Nano," referring to the low cost 
car that Tata launched in 2008. 
 
Looking to government to save the day 
---------------- 
 
¶5.  Civil society leaders look to the government for bold and 
decisive action to drive the climate change agenda, even as they 
recount the government's poor record in environmental protection. 
They believe that despite its external position, India's government 
must promptly institute substantive, time-bound, internal targets to 
reduce Indian industry's greenhouse gas emissions.  Our contacts 
expect little progress without the government cracking the whip on 
industry and creating a credible framework for environmental 
enforcement.  Nearly everyone cited the 2003 statewide 
implementation of mandatory rain water harvesting to address 
extended drought conditions in Tamil Nadu.  The ordinance, which 
encountered strong resistance by the state's citizens at the time of 
its enactment, has since been viewed favorably and replicated by 
other governments in India. 
 
 
CHENNAI 00000010  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶6.  CII's Karthikeyan says industry supports the promotion of 
renewable energy and voluntary mechanisms, but does not support 
regulatory measures to combat climate change.  Our civil society 
interlocutors, suspicious of industry, said that business needs to 
be prodded into action using both carrots and sticks, especially on 
energy conservation and alternate energy.  Dr. S. Gomathinayagam of 
Centre for Wind Energy Technology, said that industry understands 
only money, or as he put it, "Vitamin M."  Civil society leaders we 
consulted want government to provide meaningful and effective 
environmental education to the public, and foster earth-friendly 
alternatives such as subsidized CFLs and solar energy devices.  A 
few acknowledged that without a fundamental change in the 
consumerist mindset of India's billion plus population, climate 
change and other environmental crises would only be exacerbated with 
time.  They believe a combination of education, low cost green 
technology, and spirituality can help Indian society find long-term 
sustainable solutions. 
 
And seeking outside help 
---------------- 
 
¶7.  Our contacts also believe that civil society in developed 
countries could help force change in India.  They want enlightened 
overseas consumers to nudge India by imposing social practices 
requirements (e.g., refusing to purchase goods manufactured using 
polluting technologies) and governmental restrictions (carbon taxes 
or similar levies).  Our contacts cited as a model the role of the 
developed world in helping reduce the use of child labor in India. 
They also said developed countries should offer green technology at 
nominal or no cost, and help not just in mitigation efforts but also 
in adaptation. 
 
¶8.  Comment.  The low level of awareness of climate change our 
contacts ascribe to political leaders, government officials, 
industry, and the general population is discouraging but not 
surprising in a country where many people struggle to simply 
survive.  But if South India -- home to one of the country's most 
well-educated and prosperous populations -- is uneducated about and 
apathetic to climate change, then the Indian body politic has a long 
way to go before it can intelligently consider its responses to the 
challenge.  Ignorance and apathy about climate change and general 
support for the government of India's stance in international 
negotiations mean that it will be difficult to shift Indians away 
from their development-at-all-costs approach.  Views from the U.S. 
government will likely be ignored by Indians.  The greater impact 
will arise from people-to-people interactions, especially through 
collaboration on education and the environment, through which the 
credibility of U.S. civil society may influence opinions in India. 
End comment. 
 
SIMKIN