Recently, the IPCC report focusses on keeping warming to under 1.5°C as compared to pre-industrial times.
It also said that to achieve the 1.5°C target, a 45% reduction in emissions over 2010 levels must be made by 2030.
This is a challenge for all big economies, including India, which is among the top five emitters of carbon dioxide.
Accordingly, negotiators from 196 countries recently finalised a rulebook for the 2015 Paris Agreement at the Katowice climate conference.
This reflects strong support among citizens of all countries for urgent action to avert dangerous climate change.
What should be the response from India?
India’s emission of CO2 per capita stands at an estimated 1.2 tonnes, which is far below the global average of 4.2 tonnes.
Yet, cumulative emissions (country’s total historic emissions) determine the impact on climate, and India’s emissions grew at an estimated 6.3% in 2018.
Thus, India has to systematically assess its emissions and measure mitigation actions for reporting to the UNFCCC at stock-taking meetings.
India needs to take action on several fronts –
Scaling up solar and wind power in line with the goal of reaching 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022
Steadily reducing reliance on coal
Shifting substantially to electric mobility
Adopting green industrial processes.
India could also tax luxury emissions and use the dividend achieved to give energy access to the poor, thereby ensuring a stable indigenous green climate funding linkages.
India should also make regulatory changes that favour environment-friendly alternatives in sectors like energy production, building, agriculture and transport.
With respect to transportation sector, both China and U.S., (top two emitters), has already taken the lead in advancing electric mobility, thereby reducing their carbon footprint.
A clean-up in India will thus help meet emissions commitments and remove the blanket of air pollution that is suffocating entire cities.
What should be done?
Indian negotiators put forth legitimate concerns on the likely social impact of the new rules that will operationalise the Paris Agreement in 2020.
However, increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events and the associated sea level rise that affects small island states allows little room for complacency.
Hence, the task now is to achieve a paradigm shift that will slow down the addition of new sources of carbon emissions.
