The shape of a five-year climate agenda for India
- July 5, 2024
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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The shape of a five-year climate agenda for India
Sub: Environment
Sec: Climate change
Impact of Government’s Climate Action Choices:
- Choices will affect all Ministries and sectors.
- Influences India’s economic sustainability and global position.
- Focus on climate finance and justice over the next five years.
India’s Transformation:
- Significant progress in climate action over the last decade.
- Established global institutions like the International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, and the Global Biofuels Alliance, as well as shaped the Green Development Pact under its G-20 presidency last year.
- The 2070 net-zero target and ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).
- Domestic policies now include sustainability, such as the Indian emissions carbon trading scheme.
Future Goals for the Government:
- Accelerate sustainable economic development.
- Adopt the mantra ‘go higher, go wider, go deeper’ to align climate leadership with economic growth.
Global Leadership (Go Higher):
- ‘Go higher’ relates to India’s global leadership.
- Host significant international climate summits, potentially the UN Conference of Parties in 2028.
- Aim for consensus on issues like halting new oil and gas investments post-2030 and securing adaptation finance.
- Promote equity in international forums and lead global institutions for climate finance.
Broaden Targets Beyond Power Sector (Go Wider):
- ‘Go wider’ means India has to adopt and strongly communicate sectoral emission reduction targets that go beyond the power sector.
- Set sectoral emission reduction targets beyond the power sector.
- Focus on zero-carbon mobility, including two- and four-wheelers, to boost rural mobility and clean energy jobs.
- Use the 2035 NDC submission as an opportunity to expand energy transition targets.
State-Level Climate Action (Go Deeper):
- Going deeper implies that sub-national climate action and resilience must come to the fore in this term of the government.
- Collaborate with States like Tamil Nadu and Bihar on net-zero plans.
- Create a Centre-State coordination group and incentivize State-level actions through the Sixteenth Finance Commission.
- Promote scientific modelling in policymaking and establish unified data measurement and reporting architecture.
Long-Term Vision:
- Aim for sustained climate leadership over the next four to five years.
- Strengthen India’s position at international tables and demonstrate climate action prowess.
Source: TH