The need to curb black carbon emissions
- March 27, 2024
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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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) |
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Brown Carbon (BrC) |
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Difference between Black Carbon (BC) and Brown Carbon (BrC) |
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Blue Carbon (BlC) |
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Green Carbon (GrC) |
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Difference between Blue Carbon (BlC) and Green Carbon (GrC) |
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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