Why India refused to sign Methane Pledge?

Subject :Environment

Context:

A few days back, the government gave a detailed explanation to the Parliament why it refused to sign the methane pledge. It said that fundamentally methane emissions are ‘survival’ emissions and not ‘luxury’ emissions, as in the case of the West.
This pledge has the potential to affect India’s trade and economic prospects.
The government also pointed out that agriculture was not included in the emission intensity target as per India’s pre-2020 voluntary commitments.
This pledge shifts the CO2 reduction burden to methane reduction, which has a lifetime of just 12 years.

About Global Methane Pledge

The Global Methane Pledge was launched at COP (Conference of Parties) 26 in November 2021 to catalyse action to reduce methane emissions.
It was led by the United States and the European Union.
It has 111 country participants who together are responsible for 45% of global human-caused methane emissions.
India, which is not a part of the Global Methane Pledge, is among the top five methane emitters globally.
Most emissions can be traced back to agriculture.
By joining the Pledge, countries commit to work together in order to collectively reduce methane emissions by at least 30% below 2020 levels by 2030.

Concern:

Methane has contributed to about one-third of the current anthropogenic greenhouse gas-driven warming.
Methane enters the atmosphere due to leaks in oil and gas industries, rearing livestock and the decomposition of waste in landfills.
Currently, only 2 % of global climate finance goes to methane.
If the Global Methane Pledge is not adhered to, Methane emissions will likely increase by 13 % by 2030.

What is Methane?

Methane is a gas that is found in small quantities in Earth’s atmosphere.
Methane is the simplest hydrocarbon, consisting of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms (CH4). Methane is powerful greenhouse gas.
It is flammable, and is used as a fuel worldwide.
Methane is produced by the breakdown or decay of organic material and can be introduced into the atmosphere by either natural processes – such as the decay of plant material in wetlands, the seepage of gas from underground deposits or the digestion of food by cattle – or human activities – such as oil and gas production, rice farming or waste management.
Impact:
Methane is 84 times more potent than carbon and doesn’t last as long in the atmosphere before it breaks down.
This makes it a critical target for reducing global warming more quickly while simultaneously working to reduce other greenhouse gases.
It is responsible for creating ground-level ozone, a dangerous air pollutant.

About NICRA:

National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) is a network project of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) launched in February 2011.
Aim: The project aims to enhance the resilience of Indian agriculture to climate change and climate vulnerability through strategic research and technology demonstration.
The research on adaptation and mitigation covers crops, livestock, fisheries and natural resource management.
Objectives of NICRA:
To enhance the resilience of Indian agriculture covering crops, livestock and fisheries to climatic variability and climate change through the development and application of improved production and risk management technologies.
To demonstrate site specific technology packages on farmers’ fields for adapting to current climate risks
To enhance the capacity building of scientists and other stakeholders in climate resilient agricultural research and its application.
Components: The Project is composed of Four Components:
Strategic research on adaptation and mitigation
Technology demonstration on farmers fields to cope with current climate variability
Sponsored and competitive research grants to fill critical research gaps
Capacity building of different stakeholders.