First India- China joint report on climate released

India and China have released for the first time a joint report to address the issues of climate change, which provides practical recommendations for greater bilateral cooperation. 'The China India Low Carbon Study', launched on the sidelines of the third Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED), in Beijing, on Tuesday, seeks to address the issues of climate change and the challenges of rising pollution that both countries face.

The concept of low carbon development has been articulated in both China and India. In China, the National Development and Reforms Commission (NDRC) describes low-carbon development as the development of socio-economic system that can realise low carbon emissions. In India, Planning Commission's constituted Expert Group on ''Low Carbon Strategies for Inclusive Growth'' recommends that low carbon strategy means identifying policy interventions and strategies that will help overcoming adoption barriers in attaining mitigation targets.

The report has adopted a transdisciplinary approach so as to facilitate knowledge exchange and dissemination to support policies and programmes through collaborative research and engagement.

Nobel Peace Prize winner and chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Rajendra K Pachauri, who released the report said the study examines the main factors in low carbon development - financing, low carbon technologies and on-the-ground implementation.

''The two countries operate in similar contexts in terms of local and global environmental issues that confront them today and will become increasingly important in the future,'' Pachauri said.

''While economic capabilities and institutional systems vary between the two, coordinated knowledge-driven processes between China and India will be instrumental in moving both toward global sustainability goals,'' he added.

Earlier, on Monday, Pachuri had cautioned that pollution levels are rising progressively in New Delhi and other cities. He said the situation is progressively getting worse in Delhi and Bangalore and even in second-rung cities like Ludhiana.

According to a recent study by Yale University, pollution levels in New Delhi were higher than in Beijing.

''It may very well be the study they are quoting is that of the worst period during the year,'' he said, responding to a question.

According to 2012 data, China was the world's top carbon dioxide emitter and India the third highest emitter after the US.

The study is aimed at providing practical recommendations for greater bilateral cooperation between the two countries, through sharing of experiences and promoting knowledge exchange to aid in the fight against global warming.