Shifting Discourses of Climate Change in India: A Grounded Theory Analysis.

Developing countries like India are increasingly under pressure to sign a binding emissions treaty to avert catastrophic climatic change. However, developing countries have argued that any international agreement should be based on historic responsibility, and per-capita emissions, with developed countries taking the primary responsibility to mitigate, and fund adaptation measures in other countries. Recently, India has shifted its position in international negotiations to indicate it may be willing to sign binding mitigation agreement in future, and domestically renewed its commitment to renewable energy through the Prime Minister's eight National Action Plans, and establishing Indian Network for Climate Change Assessment. This grounded theory study investigated the evolution of climate change discourse in India by analyzing 25 interviews of Indian climate policy elites, including scientists, energy policy experts, top government officials, and other NGO organizational members working actively in the field. Our analysis suggests that India's increasing vulnerability to climate change, taken together with concerns about domestic energy security, and the international aspirations of Indian government, have set the stage for a substantial shift in Indian climate change discourse, with broader implications for environmental governance, and sustainable development imperative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]