Should Western countries be forced to pay more attention to reducing carbon footprint than countries like India, as the developed world has contributed more towards damaging the environment? The UN framework on climate change states the need for a common but differentiated responsibility that all countries need to undertake on climate change. But I feel it is in the interest of countries like India not to follow the path of the developed world, and opt instead for energy security and lower levels of air pollution which would be achieved through a different energy mix.

There are economic benefits to using energy more efficiently. Instead of importing hydrocarbons and coal, it will be more efficient for India to use low carbon sources of energy and turn to renewable energy on a large scale. This does not compromise growth; it's just a different pattern of development.

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