View: How India is leading the climate action | Economic Times

At the Brics environment ministers’ meet on August 27, it was emphasised that ‘building an inclusive and environmentally sustainable future requires collective global action for poverty eradication, promoting sustainable lifestyles and sustainable patterns of consumption and production, and a development philosophy based on protecting and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development and effectively addressing climate change’.GoI has maintained that any global action against environmental challenges must also be guided by national priorities and principles of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC). The Brics nations affirmed this in their joint statement.Emission RemissionOver the past seven years, India has been working towards ensuring its nationally determined contributions (NDCs) have a strong focus on climate change adaptation. In its NDCs submitted in 2015, it pledged to improve emissions intensity of its GDP by 33-35% by 2030 below 2005 levels. It also promised about 40% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030. New Delhi agreed to enhance its forest cover, which will absorb 2.5-3 billion tonnes of CO2, the main gas responsible for global warming, by 2030.India managed a 24% reduction in emission intensity of its GDP between 2005 and 2016, thereby achieving its pre- 2020 voluntary target. India’s efforts won it a spot among the top five countries in terms of installed renewable energy (RE) capacity. India’s non-fossil fuel-based installed capacity is 151 GW, around 39% of its total installed capacity.GoI also announced an aspirational target of RE capacity of 450 GW by 2030. On August 15, the PM announced the National Hydrogen Mission for generation and export of green hydrogen. On August 24, India’s first green hydrogen electrolyser manufacturing unit started operations in Bengaluru. India’s total forest and tree cover stands at 807,276 sq km, 24.56% of the country’s total area. Total carbon stock in the country’s forest is 7,124.6 million tonnes, an increase of 42.6 million tonnes from 2017.India is one of 16 member countries of the Electric Vehicles Initiative (EVI). It is implementing the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme to support the EV market development and its manufacturing ecosystem to achieve self-sustenance. India has leapfrogged from Bharat Stage-IV (BS-IV) to BS-VI emission norms by April 1, 2020, which was earlier to be adopted by 2024.Indian Railways (IR) is targeting full electrification of broad-gauge routes by 2023. It has set a target of becoming a net-zero carbon emitter by 2030. Accordingly, IR Organisation for Alternate Fuels (IROAF), its green fuel vertical, has invited bids for a hydrogen fuel cell-based train on railways network.Ethanol blending in India has increased from 1.5% in 2014 to 8.5% at present. In 2013-14, about 38 crore litres of ethanol were purchased. This has now grown to more than 320 crore litres. GoI has resolved to meet the target of 20% ethanol blending in petrol by 2025, which was earlier to be achieved by 2030. Under the Smart Cities Mission, the Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework 2019 has been launched. This intends to provide a clear roadmap for urban India towards combating climate change through adoption of both mitigation and adaptation measures.Positive ClimateIndia, in partnership with Sweden, launched the leadership group in Industry Transition Track at the UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019. GoI is also supporting adaptation actions of states and Union territories through the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change.India and France created the International Solar Alliance (ISA), which has become a treaty-based organisation open to all UN members. So far, 80 countries have ratified the ISA Framework Agreement. Through ISA and bilateral development partnerships, India is already working to enhance capacity in neighbouring countries and in Africa, Asia and Latin America, to deploy green technologies in support of development.A similar approach underpins GoI’s initiative on the creation of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. India has adopted a cooperative approach to build resilience in infrastructure — transport, communication, buildings — across the world, especially in regions prone to natural disasters.The objective is to find best-in-class, readily deployable, scalable and affordable solutions.Long-term strategies need to be guided by not just mitigation but also climate adaptation, with a clear roadmap for provision of finance and technology. ‘Habit and attitude’ are as much a part of the solution. Equity and climate justice should be a touchstone of any global climate response. India is working at the national level towards achieving that target, and collaborating globally to ensure we save Earth, the only home we have.