The aggressive path of development chosen by emerging economies such as India inevitably results in climate change. Climate change, in turn, impacts the socio-economic environment while simultaneously impairing health and living conditions of the people. But, all the same, development needs to be sustained. This article makes an attempt at examining the dimensions of climate change that show up during the course of development and the challenges thrown up by the strategies for adaptation and mitigation. Policy recommendations to address the issue have been made based on a comparative analysis of the intensity of energy use and carbon and greenhouse gas emissions in developed and developing countries.

Climate change and its impact on sustainable development has been an area of concern which has resulted in a show of emotions. Earlier on, thoughts were limited to the impact on the environment alone. But today, the realm of thoughts has expanded to include serious thinking on the resources required to bear the economic costs of coping up with the retrogressive impact on the environment which is bound to arise during the course of development; more specifically in the developing or the emerging economies. This is a direct fall-out of modern day, developing economies being driven by materialistic ideologies of profit maximization and improvement in the material standards of well-being. While it is to be conceded that objectives such as these have made life comfortable and easy, years of such competitive growth have threatened the existence of humanity as a whole. Recent scientific research and conclusions and frequent natural calamities confirm that if we continue to pursue the present growth and development patterns and rhythms, we are on the path of destruction.

The problem of climate change basically relates to the anthropogenic Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, which are a direct consequence of the consumption of resources and production processes that influence both the economic bases of production and general living conditions of the people. This has been further reiterated by the fact that Article 2 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) focuses on the anthropogenic causes as inherent variations and uncertainties that are embedded in the climate systems.

Energy use, especially the use of fossil fuels in emerging economies such as India, is seen as a very important anthropogenic cause. Thus, India, in the coming years, faces one of the biggest challenges of development as it has taken recourse to adopting rapid technological developments which require use of energy sources with threatening emission trajectories. This makes global cooperation in reducing greenhouse gas emissions mandatory. The Convention further states that "such a level should be achieved within a time frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adjust naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner."

Global CEO Magazine, Climate Change, Socio-Economic Environment, Greenhouse Gas, GHG, Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCC, Place Control Systems, Solar Power Systems, Rrsearch and Devolopment, R&D, Clean Development Mechanism, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC.