The upcoming 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow comes after the recent climate report released by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The damning report claimed that the earth is heating up faster than expected and warned of catastrophic climate events if the planet heats up beyond 1.5 degrees celsius. The report, which has been described as a “code red” for humanity, said this is a crucial decade for climate change and urged leaders to take immediate action, such as committing to net-zero emissions.
Against this backdrop, much attention has been given to India, which was recently categorised as a “country of concern” by the United States’ Office of Director of National Intelligence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has confirmed his plans to attend the conference and is the leader of one of the fastest-growing economies and a signatory of the 2015 Paris Agreement. Given India’s contribution towards global emissions, its active participation at COP26 will be integral to integrated climate action.
Modi’s commitment to climate action is underscored by the fact that, after taking office in 2014, he created a new ministry for renewable energy and set targets for emission reduction and solar and wind power, and overseen the development of wind, solar, and hydroelectric power plants across the country.
In this regard, India has set an ambitious climate target of generating 450 MW of renewable energy by 2030, afforestation, and the use of LED bulbs. It has also hinted at reducing emissions by 33 to 35% from 2005 levels by 2030. Measures introduced by the government to accelerate the production of green energy have already given India the capacity to generate 40% of its energy needs through non-fossil fuels. As of August 2020, India has an installed capacity of 88 GW for renewable energy.
Additionally, on October 6, India’s Ministry of Power suggested formulating a comprehensive policy to improve energy storage. As a result, in 2016, India's carbon emissions were down 24% from 2005 levels. As per a senior civil servant in the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, by 2025, 40% of India’s power will be generated through non-fossil fuel sources.
Modi also convened the first assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in 2018 and developed the “One Sun, One World, One Grid” (Osowog) plan, which promotes the construction of a global solar grid to facilitate the unobstructed transmission of solar energy across international borders. The initiative, which includes a long-term plan for implementing and creating the World Solar Bank, is backed by the World Bank and the United Kingdom.
These initiatives have not gone unnoticed. During a recent visit to India, United States climate envoy John Kerry addressed the fourth assembly of the ISA and called India “a red-hot investment destination for solar power.” In fact, India’s commitment to clean-energy programmes, ambitious climate targets, and fiscal incentives has resulted in its renewable energy sector receiving more than $42 billion in investment since 2014 and $7 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) between April 2000 to June 2018. As a result, in its Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index, Ernst & Young ranks India as the third-most-popular country for investment in renewable energy as India allows 100% of FDI for renewable energy projects to ease the transfer of capital and technology.
However, despite large investment in clean energy and promises to make India a leader in renewable energy, India continues to source 70% of its electricity from coal and is the world’s third-largest emitter. Moreover, its commitment to transition away from coal remains shaky at best, given its dependence on the rock and the fact that it has the largest number of planned coal power plants worldwide.
Moreover, it continues to open new coalfields for mining and coal-burning plants. In addition, the clean energy fund was created in 2011 that was to be used for research and innovative projects in clean energy technology by levying taxes on mined and imported coal remains primarily unspent. Rather, most of these funds have been used to compensate states for the loss of tax revenues or fund government’s projects like the production of nuclear power, the Clean Ganga project, and urban development projects under its Smart City Mission.
The government has also overseen a reduction in forest cover, including protected forests, for development. For instance, last year, the national government announced three development projects in and around Mollem, Goa, which is located at the foothills of Western Ghats and is surrounded by protected forests. The projects include a railway track, the expansion of a national highway, and a power project. Environmental activists and locals claim that the government aims to transport coal from Goa to steel plants in Bellary via these projects.
It was thus telling that during Kerry’s visit to India in September, India failed to commit to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 like several other countries have done. In fact, on Wednesday, India rejected calls to commit to net-zero carbon emissions by a certain year. Environment Secretary R.P. Gupta said that instead of committing to net-zero, world leaders must discuss how much carbon they will emit before reaching net-zero. He pointed to how by the middle of the century the US will have released 92 gigatons of carbon into the atmosphere, while the European Union and China will have respectively released 62 and 250 gigatons. Gupta thus argued that net-zero emissions targets mean nothing so long as such large amounts of carbon are still being released.
All things considered, India’s continued dependence on fossil fuels and its failure to commit to expansive emissions reductions undermine its commitment to transition to green technology. Regardless of however much India spends on renewable energy or investment it attracts, a successful climate strategy is not possible without abandoning the use of coal or at least heavily reducing its dependence on it. To a certain degree, India may be justified in arguing that it is merely going through a phase in its economic development that wealthier countries have already experienced. It may also be correct in its accusation that developed countries are primarily responsible for climate change. Keeping this in mind, India found support in its demands for developed countries to provide funding to developing nations to respond to the climate crisis and gain access to clean development technologies and carbon-credit markets. However, irrespective of this perhaps valid defensiveness regarding its lack of progress in climate action, it must be asked what India’s level of commitment is to climate action, the Paris climate accords, or indeed any pledges it may make at the upcoming COP26, and whether these commitments can be taken at face value.
Ahead of COP26, We Must Ask: Is India Genuinely Committed to Climate Action?
Being the fastest growing economy and a prime destination for investment in renewable energy, India must commit to net-zero by 2050 and reduce its dependence on coal for electricity generation.
October 29, 2021
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi SOURCE: THE INDIAN EXPRESS