“We should not be unduly swayed by pessimistic utterances about the fate of the upcoming UNFCC's CoP-15 talks at Copenhagen. The world is more conscious about the adverse impact of climate change today. There is an urgent need to mitigate climate change or else we would have to pay a heavy price in the future,” he said.

Pachauri urged the world leaders to revisit Mahatma Gandhi and his philosophy on simple life style and conservation of environment and ecology which would be helpful in mitigating climate change.

Pachauri expects that the world leaders would agree on three pillars - emission cut, avoiding deforestation and financing of climate projects. According to him there may be an agreement on some type of formula for cut on greenhouse gas emissions, but he is not sure whether there would be an agreement on verifiable and reportable institution for monitoring emissions.

On financing of climate projects, he said that the pledged amount of $200 billion was nothing compared to the amount doled out by countries in combating the impact of global financial crisis.

However, Pachauri admitted that after UNFCCC came into existence in Rio in 1992, the spirit of the world leaders had dampened. Thereafter the historic agreement in Kyoto raised some hopes. Kyoto Protocol was the result of the efforts of Al Gore which gave a head start to climate negotiations for the future. “Kyoto Protocol established a carbon market for the first time and a developed institution. But the Protocol has some flaws and weakness,” he said.

Showcasing 'Mahatma Gandhi and the Environment: Analysing Gandhian environmental thought' - the first of the series of publications from TERI Press that was presented to the Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh on October 12 - Pachauri said: “It is an opportune moment for world leaders to be guided by Gandhiji's writings and thoughts for achieving a lasting solution at COP 15.”

Pointing out how Mahatma Gandhi has influenced many by his philosophy of simplicity and equality, Pachauri noted that even the US President Barack Obama, when asked recently with whom he would love to have dinner, remarked “Gandhiji of course” Obama is reported to have added that he knew that the meal - as well as the attire for the evening - would be “so simple !'

Referring to Gandhiji's simple lifestyle, which is supremely relevant today, Pachauri said that “the flawed models of development” encourages migration from rural areas to the cities. Fruit production is a good example, he said. In spite of being one of the largest fruit producers in the world, not much of the produce actually reaches the market because of lack of infrastructure. This robs many of potential incomes and prompts migration town-wards”.

Recalling Gandhiji's prophetic words that “the earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs but not every man's greed,” he deplored the belief that only one pattern of development was good. “This tunnel vision has to go if we are to get on to the path of sustainable development,” he stressed.

This has happened in countries like Japan, Germany, and Israel that have espoused renewable energy sources like solar power, and also in the State of California in the United States, which offers attractive incentives to people to switch over to renewable energy sources. The European Union is planning to set up solar energy plants in north Africa.

“The technology required to make the change is not prohibitively expensive. TERI, for instance, is the technology partner to the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) which has joined hands with the Governments of Gujarat and Rajasthan to develop 3500-5000 MW solar thermal power plants - to be set up as clusters of 100 MW each. This proves that such technologies are not only feasible, but that they already exist. These modular plants could soon make heavy machinery obsolete and power generation much cheaper,” Pachauri said.

Referring to the “subtle but often unstated views of Mahatma Gandhi in the field of human ecology”, he described the apostle of peace as “a profound environmentalist who rejected the idea of blindly following western industrialism without regard to its attendant environmental, social, and economic problems.”

Gandhiji, said Pachauri, foresaw all this and recommended protecting Earth's environment and natural resources to safeguard the future of the human race and all species on this planet.

Regarding India, he said that it needs to fight against poverty and for this ample energy was required. It should take recourse to new and renewable sources of energy. The Prime Minister's Advisory Council on Climate Change has become proactive. Solar Energy Mission and other missions are likely to be launched soon before the Copenhagen climate talks.#