Conference of Parties (Cop23) - Bonn

What is the issue?

23rd conference of the ‘UN Framework Convention on Climate Change – UNFCC’ is currently underway at Bonn, Germany.

What are the focus areas?

• Developing countries including India are focussing on ensuring adequate financing for mitigation and adaptation.
• They are moving ahead with specific instruments for loss and damage they suffer due to destructive climate-linked events.
• Envisioning technologies, sharing expertise and building structures for addressing future challenges anchored most debates.  

What is ‘Transport Decarbonisation Alliance’?

• It is alliance that has been declared at the current Bonn session– which intends to facilitate a shift to sustainable fuels. 
• This envisions a framework for getting cities to commit to eco-friendly mobility.
• This will also improve the quality of urban life for citizens.
• Notably, India is systematically replacing its public buses with an electric fleet and plans to go electric for all vehicles by 2030.
• Such measures will have a beneficial effect not just on transport choices, but on public health through pollution abatement.
• Laws to raise the energy efficiency of vehicles would work well if supported with financial incentives.

How are India’s advances towards its targets?

• India’s pledged to reduce the intensity of its greenhouse gas emissions per unit of GDP by 20-25% from 2005 levels by 2020.
• This commitment was made in Copenhagen in 2009 and has been progressing positively.
• The pledges made in the Paris pact of 2015 are also proceeding according to the envisioned targets. 
• 40% share of renewable energy is targeted by 2030 – which would be in line with emission intensity for GDP growth of 7% or less.  
• Notably, generating 175 gigawatts of renewable power by 2022 is already underway.
• India could further raise its ambition in the use of green technologies, which would mark it as a global climate leader.

How does the future look?

• Challenges - The impact of extreme weather events such as droughts and floods on economic growth hasn’t been enumerated.
• In this context, the rich countries must give up their rigid approach towards the demands of low and middle income countries.
• An early resolution on the question of financing mitigation, adaptation and compensation is desirable.
• There is also some worry that an increase in coal, oil and gas production could negate some of the gains made.
• Opportunities - The climate question presents a leapfrog era for ushering in a new era of innovation and growth.
• Hence, projects have to be decisively pursued and barriers for wider adoption of renewable need to be taken down.

Source: The Hindu