Glasgow Climate Meet: India doesn’t rule out ‘net zero’ Commitment

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CoP 26 is soon to begin in Glasgow with focus on commitment to Net Zero.
- India doesn’t rule out ‘net zero’ commitment but insists on earlier pledges for tech transfer funds from developed countries.

Focus of the Meeting

To have all nations commit to a ‘net zero’, or a year by when a country’s fossil fuel emissions would peak and at some point be neutralised.
- All countries doing this by 2050, would mean a chance of restricting average temperature rise to 1.5 Celsius.
  - Provided emissions fall to around 45% of 2010 levels by 2030.

Deep and significant cuts to fossil fuel use.
- This could affect the development trajectory of India and other developing countries.

India’s Stand

India hasn’t entirely ruled out the possibility of agreeing to a ‘net zero’ target.
- A study by the think tank Council for Energy Environment and Water projects that for India to achieve a net-zero target by 2070,
  - Usage of coal especially for power generation would need to peak by 2040 and drop by 99% between 2040 and 2060.
  - The consumption of crude oil across sectors would also need to peak by 2050 and fall substantially by 90% between 2050 and 2070.
India will not budge on demands from developed nations on making good on previous commitments such as
- An annual $100 billion to developing countries for mitigating the impacts of climate change
- Facilitating technology transfer
- Putting in place a tangible market-based mechanism to activate the moribund carbon credit markets.

Even if India doesn’t announce a net zero target, it may update its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)
- That could include higher clean-energy targets or reductions in specific categories of emissions.

India and the United Kingdom have agreed to strengthen climate initiatives and further their green partnership.
- India would support the UK’s COP Presidency, wishing COP26 to be the COP of action and implementation.

Objections and Apprehensions of India in achieving Net Zero

High Hunger and Poverty:
- India is always determined to eschew the use of fossil fuel but only gradually.
- It cannot compromise on development, that is now primarily reliant on coal.
- Even the recent Global Hunger Index has put India much behind as compared to its neighbours.
Against Common but Differentiated Responsibility:
- Also as it goes against the core principle of ‘common but differentiated responsibility’
  - Which requires developed countries, who are responsible for the climate crisis, to take on deeper cuts
  - Also, to pay developing countries for the environmental damage from rising temperature and finance their transition to clean energy sources.

What is Net-zero?

Net-zero is also referred to as carbon-neutrality.
It is a state in which a country’s emissions are compensated by absorption and removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
It does not mean that a country would bring down its emissions to zero.
Absorption of the emissions can be increased by
- Creating more carbon sinks such as forests,
- Removal of gases from the atmosphere by technologies carbon capture and storage.

Why a call for net-zero?

For the last two years, a very active campaign has been going on to get every country to sign on to a net-zero goal for 2050.
It is being considered as the only way to achieve the Paris Agreement target
- To keep the planet’s temperature from rising beyond 2°C compared to pre-industrial times.
The net-zero formulation does not assign any emission reduction targets on any country.

India: Transforming to a Net-Zero Emissions Energy System

A report released jointly by TERI(The Energy and Resources Institute) and Shell.
It draws a pathway for the domestic energy system towards net-zero emissions by 2050, while achieving India’s sustainable economic development ambitions.

India’s NDC

India, the world’s third largest emitter.
- India’s average per capita emissions was 1.96 tons/person/annum, the European Union’s was 8.4 and the United States was 18.
In 2015 NDCs India committed to
- Increase the share of non-fossil fuel sources to 40%
- Reduce its emissions intensity per unit of GDP by nearly 33-35% of 2005 levels
- Create a carbon sink of 2.5-3 billion tons of CO2 equivalent.

Contribution of Corporates
- Indian corporates are also stepping up,
  - The Tata Group winning awards on sustainability,
  - Mahindra committed to net-zero by 2040, and Reliance by 2035.

Source: TH

Why should India commit to the net zero target ?

National interest:
- It is among the most vulnerable countries to climate change and, thus, should be the most active ones against the threats.

International Influence:
- India is a rising power,and thus needs to seek stronger global influence.
- India’s reluctance to commit to the target would be a significant drag on India’s diplomacy.

Economic Implications:
- A trade-off between reducing emissions and economic growth is very difficult.
- The negative impacts of climate change in India’s economic development is now central to success, not an added luxury to consider.
- For Instance, the U.K. has reduced emissions by over 40% and grown its economy by over 70% since 1990.
- Solar energy costs have fallen 90% in recent years, providing the cheapest electricity India has ever seen.

Way Ahead

International cooperation:
- Stronger political engagement with stronger policy support in areas like
  - Energy policy,
  - Carbon markets,
  - Technology Transfer,
  - Economic recovery.

Decarbonizing investment:
- Focus should be on zero-emissions transport
- New technologies to decarbonise sectors like steel, cement, and chemicals, and agriculture offer significant scope to raise ambition.

Source: TH

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