Greenpeace, an environmental watchdog, has said in its report entitled “Hiding Behind The Poor’ that India’s rich consumers are fuelling greenhouse gas emissions in the country. The environmental watchdog has suggested the government to impose population tax on these consumers.

The Greenpeace report says that more than 150 million Indians are currently using luxury goods and airplanes. It produces 4.5 times more carbon emissions than what the other 800 million poor produce. The report was based on a survey of 819 families from seven different income groups across the country.

Greenpeace India chief, G. Ananthapadmanabhan, said that the government should not use its average low carbon per capita emissions at present as a reason for not taking steps to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released in the country.

He said:

A comparatively small population of wealthy class of more than 150 million Indians is emitting the greenhouse gases more than the sustainable limit in the country. It should be maintained to restrict global temperature rise to below two degree centigrade.

However, India has not accepted caps on carbon dioxide emissions and said that that these steps may hurt country’s economic progress. The growth is needed to pull millions of poor people living below poverty line. As far as greenhouse gases emissions are concerned, India’s per capita greenhouse gas emissions are comparatively low than the 23 percent of the global average.

However, Greenpeace India chief further said that if India accepts the proposal for imposing a special tax on India’s rich consumers for higher carbon emissions, it would strengthen India’s position on UN climate change negotiations. According to him, it would strengthen India’s position to point fingers on developed countries also.