The Centre for Policy Research invites you to a discussion on: Designing a Climate Law for India: Principles and Form
The first of a two-part webinar series informed by CPR’s recent op-eds on the case for a climate law, and designing a framework climate law in India.
The recent IPCC report has underlined the need for legislation that addresses the threat of climate change directly and comprehensively. At present, India has but a patchwork of laws and institutions that bear marginally on the issue. Given India’s low per-capita emissions, high global GHG contribution, and extreme vulnerability to climate-events, a new climate law must perform a delicate dance between development, mitigation, and adaptation. It will require a methodical approach where the comparative advantage of broad conceptual questions is weighed to determine what kind of legislative intervention would work best for India before hashing out any particulars.In this webinar, we will aim to discuss three broad questions of principle that ought to form the foundations of climate legislation in India.
- Should we pass a framework climate law that acts as an overarching basis for climate policy in India or trigger a series of upgrades to existing laws (EPA, Air Act, etc.) to make their jurisdiction over climate explicit?
- Should an Indian climate law guarantee a ‘right to climate’ or aim to maximise utility/low-carbon development?
- Should the law articulate an ‘outcome duty’ to place a cap on GHG emissions or design ‘procedural duties’ to mainstream the climate issue in all levels of governance?
This is the first of a two-part webinar series on climate law in India. The second webinar, which will be announced shortly, will focus on what India can learn from climate laws around the world.
