India's COP26 commitments - Amrit Tatva

India has finally disclosed its net zero target, alongwith four more near-future ones. An update.

India's COP26 commitments - Amrit Tatva

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• The story: India has been a climate action supporting nation for many years, with its own ambitious renewable energy goal, and more. At the COP26 in Glasgow, 2021, India was under pressure to announce a "net zero" target.
• What India announced: India's PM Modi announced that the country India will reach its net zero carbon emission target by 2070 even as he laid out the country's climate action plan. Most other big emitters have promised either a deadline of 2050 (US) or 2060 (China).

1. Modi stressed on collective fight by nations to tackle the devastating effects of climate change and called for making 'Lifestyle for Environment' (LIFE) a global mission.
2. India announced to the world the five commitments (amrit tatva) that it would meet

• Five commitments:

1. Commitment 1 - By 2030, India will increase its non-fossil capacity to 500 gigawatt.
2. Commitment 2 - By 2030, India will fulfil 50 per cent of its energy requirements with renewable energy.
3. Commitment 3 - India will reduce one billion tonne of the total projected carbon emission between now and 2030.
4. Commitment 4 - By 2030, India will reduce its economy's carbon intensity to less than 45%.
5. Commitment 5 - India will achieve the target of net zero emissions by 2070.

• Climate change at centre of India's policies: Representing India at the ‘High-Level Segment for Heads of States and Government' at the UN COP26 underway at Glasgow, UK, India confirmed that putting climate change at the centre of its policy-making was the way forward.

1. India claimed its contribution in climate change mitigation far outstrips its role in emissions.
2. Warning that climate change is a major threat to the existence of many developing countries, the PM called on nations to must take major steps to save the world from the effects of global warming.
3. Calling for lifestyle changes, India said that environmentally conscious lifestyle choices can go a long way in tackling climate change.

• Rich world must deliver: Developed nations must fulfil the promised $1 trillion as climate finance, saying this should be tracked the same way as climate mitigation. India clarified it expected developed countries to make $1 trillion available as climate finance as soon as possible. Tracking the progress of climate mitigation must go hand in hand with tracking climate finance. Justice would truly be served if pressure is put on those countries that have not lived up to their climate finance commitments.
• Top three emitters: China had already pledged net zero by 2060, and it has given no new commitments. The US has pledged net zero by 2050, and huge domestic investments in renewable power and electric vehicles. India has committed net zero by 2070.
• Conceot of Net Zero: It is a balance where emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) is offset by absorption of an equivalent amount from the atmosphere. Climate experts feel that if nations set net zero targets, it would be a meaningful way to tackle rapid deterioration in global warming.
• Summary: India has smartly deflected the pressure for net zero target, as 2070 is so far away in the future that it makes little tracking sense in the immediate. But its other four commitments are solid, and work is genuinely on.
• EXAM QUESTIONS: (1) Explain the climate change strategy of India, as seen at the COP-26. (2) What is net zero? What are the targets set by biggest emitters of the world? Why? (3) Explain the importance of renewables in the climate change debate.

Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

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