• UGI USER
  • Sep 09, 2023
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A Green Development Paradigm.

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  • Syllabus: GS Paper 3; Conservation, Environmental Pollution, and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.
  • Tags: #upsc #cse #climateparadigm #environment #climatechange.

 

Why in the news?

Our global goal has been to establish a green development paradigm and in respect to that India has established itself as a climate leadership by following a course defined by ambitious objectives and pragmatic actions.

 

 

Global discourse and the actual reality on global emissions

  • A careful investigation finds that the countries of the Global South, such as India, which are frequently depicted as booming emitters, are not the main causes of the ecological crisis we are currently facing.
  • In fact, industrialized countries, which account for only 16% of the world’s population, have been responsible for a whopping 77% of all emissions since 1850, with this disparity much more pronounced in per capita terms.
  • India in particular has per-capita emissions that are much lower than the average for the world. The carbon dioxide emissions per person in India are one-third of the average global rate of 4.8 metric tonnes.
  • This discrepancy highlights the need for a more equitable strategy to climate change mitigation, one that recognizes the historical carbon space resided by wealthy countries as well as the needs of developing major economies, for example, India and others in the Global South.

 

Green Development

●  Green growth entails promoting economic growth and development while ensuring that natural assets continue to offer the resources and environmental services that we depend on for our well-being. Green growth is not a substitute for long-term development. Rather, it offers a practical and adaptable method to making concrete, verifiable progress across its economic and environmental pillars, while taking into account the social implications of greening economies’ growth dynamics.

●  The goal of green growth strategies is to ensure that natural resources can fulfil their full economic potential on a long-term basis. This potential includes providing crucial life support services such as clean air and water, as well as the resilient biodiversity required for food production and human health.

●  Human capital, natural capital, and technological investments are critical for this green transition, particularly in the Global South.

India, G20 and climate action

  • Over the past year, India’s significant climate action and ambition have been reflected in India’s G20 agenda and India has played a significant role in amplifying the concerns of poor nations at the Voice of Global South Summit 2023, particularly those related to energy security, justice, and a sustainable transition.
  • India is playing a crucial role in creating a globally inclusive and sustainable agenda by leveraging its G20 chairmanship to raise these concerns.

 India and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)

  • We were able to complete our NDCs nine years ahead of schedule because to our initiatives.
  • The Indian government has set more ambitious goals for 2030, including obtaining about 50% of the total installed capacity of electric power from non-fossil fuel sources, reducing the emissions intensity of India’s GDP by 45% over 2005 levels, and adding an additional 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon sinks through increased forest and tree cover.
  • The Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) project, which aims to encourage sustainable production and consumption through individual actions to combat climate change, has been an important addition to our NDCs.

According to the International Energy Agency, LiFE initiatives might cut emissions by 20% by 2030.

  • This success story emphasizes the significance of striking a balance between development and climate aspirations, which India has successfully done.
Nationally determined contributions (NDCs)

●      NDCs are essential to implementing the Paris Agreement and achieving its long-term objectives. The NDCs represent every country’s attempt to lower national emissions and prepare for the effects of climate change.

●      In NDCs, each party must prepare, communicate, and maintain consecutive NDCs that it expects to achieve in accordance with Article 4, Paragraph 2, of the Paris Agreement.

●      In order to accomplish the goals of such contributions, parties shall adopt domestic mitigating measures.

●      NDCs are submitted to the UNFCCC secretariat every five years. The Paris Agreement stipulates that succeeding NDCs must show improvement over the preceding NDC and reflect the highest level of ambition achievable in order to raise the ambition over time.

●      Paris Agreement: The Paris Agreement came into effect on November 4, 2016, after being approved by 196 nations at the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP 21) in Paris on December 12, 2015. The deal aims to cut and lessen greenhouse gas emissions.


Various measures taken by India for a better green future

  • India is in a unique position to lead the way in promoting the new paradigm of green growth as the only G20 nation to rank in the top 10 of the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI). Being the third-largest global market for renewable energy sources and one of the most affordable, India’s dedication to this sector is clear. For example: The International Solar Alliance (ISA), which India leads, serves as an actual representation of India’s commitment to sustainable development.

Actual measures taken by India for renewable energy and environmental protection

  • The nation has seen a rise in consumer-focused solutions like the usage of distributed solar panels in recent years. Particularly, in less than ten years, the utilisation of rooftop solar panels has increased an astounding 30-fold.
  • Government policies that are supportive and extensive awareness campaigns for benefits of renewable energy sources.
  • The rapid growth of electric passenger cars, which will hold nearly 5% of the market by 2022, is one noteworthy result. In fact, sales of these environmentally friendly automobiles increased thrice from 2021 levels, highlighting India’s notable advancements in green development.
  • We use green hydrogen to decarbonize challenging industries. For this we have introduced the National green hydrogen project and established a Green Hydrogen Innovation Centre.
  • We are dealing with issues associated with the “blue economy,” the “circular economy,” and additional subjects via various working groups.

 Funding gap and actual need

  • The notion of “common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities” (CBDR-RC) was formalized in the Paris Agreement of 2015, whereby developed countries were supported in their transition to low-carbon economies by countries with high historical emissions and stronger financial resources.
  • The commitment made by affluent countries to raise $100 billion annually to aid poor countries is admirable, but its full execution is crucial. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, developed country contributions to the fight against climate change totalled $80.4 billion in 2019 and increased marginally to $83.3 billion in 2020. This ongoing shortage, which has been present since the Copenhagen Summit commitment in 2009, highlights the challenge.
  • From now until 2050, the transition cost of low-carbon/green development routes have been estimated at $4–4.5 trillion years.

What can be done to reduce these shortages?

  • These extraordinary figures show that public funding sources won’t be sufficient. Leveraged private capital is also necessary.
  • This would necessitate the restructuring and realignment of international financial institutions (IFIs).
  • In addition to direct financing, IFIs can leverage private money far more effectively through blended finance, contemporary de-risking mechanisms, co-investing, and capacity building in developing countries.
  • Both Sherpa and Finance Track discussions have focused a lot of attention on the need to reform multilateral development banks.

Conclusion

India has distinguished itself as a leader in the fight against climate change in this complicated world by laying out a distinctive path for green development that is marked by lofty objectives and practical measures. We are capable of developing a just, sustainable, and climate-resilient global economy. India still has a significant influence on these global narratives and the development of this new paradigm.

 

Sources: OECD, PIB.

Mains Question

Discuss the role of renewable energy resources in ensuring environmental sustainability with a focus on green energy and India in particular.