The need to curb black carbon emissions

March 27, 2024
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN Topics

The need to curb black carbon emissions

Subject: Environment

Section: Climate change

Context:

At the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow in November 2021, India pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070. According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, India had installed a renewable energy capacity of over 180 GW by 2023 and is expected to meet its target of 500 GW by 2030.

Types of Carbon
Black Carbon (BC)	It is a component of fine particulate matter of the size 2.5 μm. It consists of pure carbon, which originates from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, coal, biofuel, biomass, wood, rubber, etc. It is emitted in the form of soot.
Brown Carbon (BrC)	It is brown smoke released by the combustion of organic matter. It coexists with black carbon when released into the atmosphere. It is one of the significant warming factors as it disturbs the temperature pattern of the atmosphere and the cloud-forming process. It also changes the solar absorption pattern and the nature of clouds.
Difference between Black Carbon (BC) and Brown Carbon (BrC)	BrC and BC differ in their ability to absorb radiation, with BC strongly absorbing radiation at all visible wavelengths, whilst BrC primarily absorbs radiation at low visible and near-ultraviolet wavelengths. This distinction is significant as it has the potential to impact the Earth’s radiation balance Soot is an airborne mass of impure carbon particles resulting from the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons. It originates from pyrolysis.
Blue Carbon (BlC)	It is the carbon captured by the world’s oceans and coastal ecosystems. This carbon is captured by living organisms in oceans and is stored in the form of aquatic biomass. Seagrasses, mangroves, and marshes are types of vegetated coastal blue carbon ecosystems, these habitats have a cover of approximately 49 million hectares worldwide. Blue carbon ecosystems act as the major sink for capturing atmospheric carbon and reducing warming effects.
Green Carbon (GrC)	It is the carbon captured into terrestrial plant biomass in photosynthesis and stored in the plants and soil of natural ecosystems and is a vital part of the global carbon cycle.
Difference between Blue Carbon (BlC) and Green Carbon (GrC)	Green carbon reflects the carbon sequestered by land ecosystems and incorporates carbon in soils and within biomass such as trees in forests. Blue carbon, by contrast, describes the carbon sequestered in the ocean, the definition of which originally focused on mangroves, salt marshes and seagrasses, but now also includes seaweed, sediments more broadly, and even carbon sequestered by whales.

Why is black carbon relevant?

Black carbon is a significant environmental and health concern, emitted from the incomplete combustion of biomass and fossil fuels.
It has been linked to global warming and various health risks, including heart disease, birth complications, and premature death.
In India, a substantial portion of black carbon emissions comes from the residential sector, primarily due to the use of traditional cookstoves burning biomass like cow dung or straw.
A 2016 study indicates that the residential sector accounts for 47% of India’s black carbon emissions, followed by industries at 22%, diesel vehicles at 17%, open burning at 12%, and other sources contributing 2%.
While decarbonisation efforts have reduced emissions from industry and transport, reducing residential black carbon emissions remains a significant challenge.

Has PMUY helped?

The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), launched in May 2016 by the Government of India, aimed to provide free liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) connections to below-poverty-line households, facilitating access to clean cooking fuel, reducing reliance on traditional fuels, and thus lowering black carbon emissions.
By January 2024, the program had successfully distributed connections to over 10 crore households, along with establishing necessary infrastructure like gas stoves and a distribution network.
Challenges:
- Despite these achievements, challenges remain. In 2022-2023, data revealed that 25% of PMUY beneficiaries, amounting to 2.69 crore people, did not go beyond zero or one LPG refill annually, indicating a significant reliance on biomass for cooking.
- Further findings in August 2023 showed that PMUY households use an average of 3.5-4 LPG cylinders yearly, which is lower than the 6-7 cylinders used by non-PMUY households, suggesting that traditional fuels still meet up to half of their energy needs.

What is the government’s role?

The government plays a crucial role in improving quality of life by providing access to clean cooking fuels, particularly LPG, as a transitional step towards renewable energy for rural communities.
Despite increasing the LPG subsidy from ₹200 to ₹300 in October 2023, and further announcing a price reduction of ₹100 in March 2024, the cost of LPG cylinders, which stands at around ₹600 even after subsidies, remains prohibitively high for many PMUY beneficiaries.
This issue is compounded by the availability of ‘free’ traditional fuels like cow dung and firewood. With an estimated ₹12,000 crore allocated for PMUY subsidies in the fiscal year 2024-2025.
A promising solution is the local production of coal-bed methane (CBM) gas, which offers a cleaner alternative with lower emissions and can be produced by composting biomass at the village level.
On the global stage, India’s efforts to reduce black carbon emissions through initiatives like PMUY can position the country as a leader in addressing health concerns and climate change, aligning with its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals.
Mitigating residential emissions could prevent over 6.1 lakh deaths annually from indoor air pollution, highlighting the global health and environmental benefits of such initiatives.

Source: TH