India: More Evidence of Change in the Political Climate on Climate Change

 Recently there has been a lot of heartening news from India on climate change. See our earlier blogs on India's new solar power and energy efficiency policies (see here and here) and the dramatic shift in India's approach to the international climate negotiations. (see here and here.)   Today I want to call your attention to another indication that India is taking really significant steps to address the climate crisis.  India's new Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh recognizes that promises to take action alone are not sufficient, but India must also improve transparency and accountability.  One tangible result is his ministry's new vastly-improved, rather sleek, and decidedly user-friendly website.

 The website offers access to updates on environmental clearances for industrial projects, lists of rules and regulations on water and air pollution, and even has a form to file a right- to- information petition.  Minister Ramesh even has a blog.   He explains that "this website is our window to all those who want to look in and see how we work."   "Climate change" is featured on the home page with a link to a list of twenty initiatives India is taking on climate change.   

 I earlier wrote about the significance of Minister Ramesh's announcement of plans to create a new National Environmental Protection Agency ("NEPA") with enforcement power.    Now you can find on the Ministry's website a discussion paper about the proposed agency.    Readers are invited to provide their own views about how best to achieved improved environmental governance there. 

 We are very encouraged by both the tone and content of this new website.  We believe it does reflect a new determination by India to become a leader in addressing the global challenge of climate change.  Hopefully it will become a vehicle for documenting and demonstrating that India is indeed taking action at home.  As we mover towards Copenhagen, we hope that this effort to improve transparency and accountability be a model for other nations around the world.

(Thanks to Michael Thompson for his contribution to this blog entry.)