Climate Change: Delhi High Court Seeks Centre's Response On Steps Taken To Meet International Obligations

A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Navin Chawla directed the Centre to file the report within four weeks.

The matter will next be heard on July 27.

The development comes in a PIL filed by one Rohit Madan, seeking constitution of an Expert Committee to propose suggestions for taking all measures, including any legislative amendment, for following up on the promises made by the Union of India before UNFCCC.

The Petitioner suggested that the Committee may comprise of eminent jurists, technical experts and management experts. He added that the Committee could lay down a road map for achieving the commitments.

At the outset, Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma appearing for Centre informed the Court that the government is alive to the problems of climate change and has formed many Committees that are focusing their attention on meeting the obligations made before UNFCCC.

Sharma submitted that the National Action Plan for Climate Change was launched in 2008, for voluntarily reduced emissions and overarching mechanism to counter climate change in the country.

He added that there is also a Prime Minister's Committee on Climate Change and an Executive Committee on Climate Change.

"This is not adversarial. But the only thing is…is there a focused attention of commitments made in the international treaty?" the Bench asked the ASG.

Accordingly, it directed that a status report in this regard be filed, highlighting the steps it has taken to meet its international obligations and commitments on the issue.

Case Title: Rohit Madan v Union of India and Ors.