Conference of Parties (COP 27) Part - 2

Why in news?

The annual Conference of Parties (COP) of UNFCCC concluded its 27th edition at Sharm El Shiekh, Egypt.

To know about COP 27 Part – 1, click here

What about the role of India in COP 27?

Long Term-Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS)

• India announced its LT-LEDS, a roadmap to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070.
• The plan focuses on strategic transition of high-emission sectors and a discussion of India’s climate adaptation needs.
• India is the 58th country to submit its plans to the UNFCCC.

In Our LIFEtime campaign

• It was jointly launched by India and UNDP to encourage youth between the ages of 18 to 23 years to become message bearers of sustainable lifestyles.
• It also aims to foster responsible consumption patterns and influence the lifestyle choices of the younger generations to make them Pro-Planet-People.

Leadership for Industry Transition (LeadIT) Summit

• It was launched by Sweden and India at the UN Climate Action Summit in 2019 and is supported by the World Economic Forum.
• India and Sweden hosted the LeadIT Summit 2022 at COP27.
• The LeadIT initiative focuses on low carbon transition of the hard to abate industrial sector.
• It gathers countries and companies that are committed to action to achieve the Paris Agreement.

MoEFCC – UNDP Compendium

• India launched the MoEFCC – UNDP Compendium “Prayaas Se Prabhaav Tak - From mindless consumption to mindful utilization’’ on the sidelines of COP27.

BASIC Ministerial Meet

• Ministers of Brazil, South Africa, India and China (BASIC Countries) pledged their full support for substantial progress towards the establishment of a finance mechanism for Loss and Damage.
• The principle of Common But Different Responsibilities (CBDR) and respective capabilities was emphasised.

Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC)

• Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC) is an intergovernmental alliance that works on a voluntary basis for planting, conserving and restoring mangroves.
• Members - MAC is led by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Indonesia and includes India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Japan, and Spain.
• Aim - To educate and spread awareness worldwide on the role of mangroves in curbing global warming and its potential as a solution for climate change

Efforts taken by India

• Net zero - India’s long term goal is reaching net-zero by 2070.
• The National Hydrogen Mission launched in 2021 aims to make India a green hydrogen hub.
• The country also has clean energy plans such as 20% ethanol blending with petrol to burn less fossil fuel by 2025
• The electric vehicle project has been on the government’s focus for at least five years.
• Updated NDCs

What should be India’s actions in the coming decades?

• Sectoral transformations - Electricity and industry sectors which together account for over three-fourths of India’s CO2 emissions needs to be prioritised.
• Investment in research and innovation - Multiple technologies in the energy and industry sectors need to be explored and scaled up.
• Innovation in business models is equally important to push low-carbon technologies.
• Adaptation and resilience - There is a need to strengthen basic infrastructure such as disaster-resilient buildings for better disaster response.
• The capabilities of individuals and communities needs to be strengthened to adapt to the long-term impacts of climate change.
• Carbon pricing - Creation of a domestic carbon market must be given priority.

What are the major misses of COP27?

• Mitigation - An inclusion of a stronger mention of the goal of pursuing the 1.5 degree Celsius target was a major missing.
• The only decision in this regard was to continue the discussions on a work programme to urgently scale up mitigation action.
• Adaptation - Developing countries, who are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, have often argued that adaptation is not given sufficient attention.
• About one-third of the world, including about 60% of Africa, is not equipped with early warning and climate information systems.
• Developing countries have been demanding that at least half of climate finance should be directed towards adaptation projects.
• Finance - The developed countries have not yet delivered on their promise to mobilise USD 100 billion every year, which should have happened in 2020.

References

1. The Indian Express│COP-27 and its dialogue with world
2. Livemint│MoEFCC – UNDP Compendium
3. PIB│LeadIT Summit 2022
4. PIB│BASIC Ministerial Meet
5. Moneycontrol│India’s LT-LEDS is a commendable start