Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change

Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change

Context: India announced ambitious goals for mitigating climate change at the recently concluded 26th Conference of Parties (CoP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Concept:

Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change

• A committee chaired by the Prime Minister called Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change will coordinate national action for assessment, adaptation and mitigation of climate change.
• The composition of the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change is as follows.

Chairperson:  Prime Minister

Members: External Affairs Minister, Finance Minister, Minister of Environment and Forests, Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Water Resources, Minister of Science and Technology, Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, National Security Advisor, Foreign Secretary, Secretary, M/O Environment and Forests, Principal Secretary to PM  and other experts.

Committee’s tasks:

• Evolve a coordinated response to issues relating to climate change at the national level.
• Provide oversight for formulation of action plans in the area of assessment, adaptation and mitigation of climate change.
• The committee would be serviced by the Prime Minister’s Office, which may obtain assistance as required from any Ministry/ Department/Agency of Government. Specifically, the Ministry of Environment and Forests will assist PMO in facilitating the work of this Committee.
• The first council was able to formulate the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), a month before the ‘Group of Eight’ countries summit that was held in July 2008.
• It was mainly shaped by a three-member group from within the council — the principal scientific advisor, former secretary to the then Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and the director-general of TERI.

Apex Committee for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement

• AIPA is chaired by the secretary of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), with the additional secretary as the vice chairperson and has a total of 17 members.
• The objective of this committee was to coordinate work for meeting India’s nationally determined contribution targets. .
• The purpose of AIPA is to generate a coordinated response on climate change matters that ensures India is on track towards meeting its obligations under the Paris Agreement including its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).
• Senior officials from fourteen ministries will serve as Members to AIPA who will oversee the progress in implementation of India’s NDC

Other key functions of AIPA:

• To operate as a National Authority to regulate carbon markets in India under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement,
• To formulate guidelines for consideration of projects or activities under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement,
• To issue guidelines on carbon pricing, market mechanism, and other similar instruments that have a bearing on climate change and NDCs.