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India and Climate Action
Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment
- First, the monsoon: The Indian subcontinent is
in the middle of the South-west monsoons that plays a crucial role in the lives
and livelihoods. Economic activities are heavily dependent on this season, main
being agriculture. It is predominantly rain-fed and any change in weather
patterns will have devasting impacts on a large portion of the Indian
population. Around 49% of the country is dependent on agriculture for their
primary source of income.
- Change is coming: Recent reports by the Ministry of Earth Sciences provides evidence of changing climate over the country and its potential impacts. It states that there has been a noted 0.7? rise in average temperature that has been observed over India for the period from 1971-2018. In parallel, came the Covid-19 pandemic, forcing India to take drastic measures to halt the spread of the disease. With the onset of the cyclone and monsoon season, the country has the added challenge to deal with a pandemic and extreme weather events. The issue of 'compounding risks' has now been brought to the forefront. For instance, maintaining social distancing norms in cyclone shelters when Cyclone Amphan made landfall in West Bengal was a challenge.
- NDCs: The year 2020 was crucial in the global discourse on climate change due to several reasons - (i) countries to submit revised NDCs to reflect enhanced ambition; (ii) decisions on market mechanisms under the Paris Agreement, etc. With important conferences - COP26 and the meetings of the Subsidiary Bodies being pushed to 2021, there is a risk that it upsets processes like the Global stoctake which is to begin in 2023. This has complicated the global response to climate change.
- Indian case: India is on its way to overachieve 2 out of 3 quantifiable targets set forth in the NDC by 2030 - reducing emissions intensity of GDP by 33-35% from 2005 levels and 40% non-fossil fuel electric installed capacity in 2030. The third quantifiable target involving carbon sinks (additional 2.5-3GtCO2e carbon sinks) is still in progress.
- Road ahead: With the ongoing threat of a pandemic and the urgency of the climate threat, India should emphasize upon following 3 agenda items:
- Adaptation and Loss & Damage - Addressing climate-induced risks require conscious and serious efforts. The Paris Agreement also aims to strengthen the Warsaw International Mechanism on loss and damage. As highlighted by the Global Commission on Adaptation report in 2019, it is in the interest (environmental and economic) of the world to invest in resilient infrastructure.
- Enhancing mitigation efforts - The world is still far behind on emissions reductions. The aggregate emissions pathway consistent with the goal of limiting warming to well-below 2C is well known, as is the aggregate gap with current emissions pathways. The need of the hour is to assess structural changes in high emitting sectors. India can follow a 1.5-degree path at a low cost by adopting a set of measures consistent with low carbon development while meeting the objective of inclusive economic growth, energy security and clean air.
- Global stocktake (GST) - Article 14 of the Paris Agreement requires the CMA to periodically take stock of the implementation of the Paris Agreement and to assess collective progress towards achieving the purpose of the Agreement and its long-term goals. The first GST will take place in 2023 and every five years thereafter. The ongoing pandemic has complicated the international climate discourse further. The
- Summary: The UNFCC has launched the first phase of an important transparency process on countries' pre-2020 climate action. This first phase consists of questions and answers period and follows on from expert analysis of the reported information by countries earlier in the year. And forms part of the Multilateral Assessment (MA) and the Facilitative Sharing of Views (FSV) processes that are the foundation of the enhanced transparency framework under the PA. These interactive processes play a crucial role in building trust among countries. India has been leading in efforts to bring countries together as in the case of International Solar Alliance. A constructive role in the transparency framework is required of India.
- Conclusion: A problem as complex, multifaceted and long-term as climate change can be solved only through a process of rapid social, technological and policy actions. India's stance has always been clear on the global stage that climate change must be addressed in the country while being conscious of the country's developmental agenda. The development pathway of India is marked by the dependence on climate-sensitive sectors- agriculture, water, health, infrastructure, natural ecosystems and forestry and energy.
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