Urgent to raise climate ambitions further: Kerry
NEW DELHI: US special envoy on climate John Kerry said on Tuesday he has urged the Indian government to think about announcing a 450GW renewable energy goal by 2030 as part of India’s nationally determined contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement at the UN climate change negotiations (COP 26) in Glasgow in November, stressing that modelling studies indicate the goal could put India’s NDC on track to keeping global warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius.
India and the US launched the Climate Action and Finance Mobilisation Dialogue (CAFMD) on Monday — a partnership to attract investment and technology in clean energy projects. The dialogue is one of the tracks to finance projects for to mitigate the climate crisis under the India-US climate and clean energy agenda 2030.
“Finance and technology will be critical for India. On the climate action tracks we want to work very closely, do whatever we can to accelerate the achievement of 450GW of renewable
energy. Why? Because it’s a big number. It’s an ambitious goal, and India as a developing nation can make a major effort to keep world temperature increase at 1.5 degrees Celsius. I personally urge that the government think about announcing that as part of its nationally determined contribution because to do so is really to help other countries realise that nations are stepping up in a significant way to deal with the crisis,” he said in a press briefing on Tuesday.
Kerry said that during his meetings with Indian government officials on Monday, including Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav and power minister RK Singh, they did not spend much time talking on net zero emission target by 2050. “We did talk about it. What we focused on is now, which is 450 GW. The modelling shows that when India achieves that, India is on track to hold on 1.5 degrees,” he said.
India hasn’t assured him on enhancing its NDC yet.
According to Climate Action Tracker, an independent agency tracking climate action, India’s NDC is 2 degrees C compliant, but there is potential for the nation to become a world leader with enhanced 1.5 degrees compatible targets, and just a swift transition away from coal to accelerate the switch to renewable energy. The tracker is still analysing US’s NDC by incorporating recent announcements the Biden administration has made. “No one said no, but no one said yes either. It’s the PM’s prerogative. Internal deliberations need to take place in India. We have nine years to implement decisions to keep catastrophic climate change at bay according to the latest science. I have told India it is urgent. We have to get this done. They said they will take a look at that and will evaluate it…I anticipate increases in effort,” Kerry said.
A senior environment ministry official, who asked not to be named, said: “He (Kerry) has urged us to raise ambition in our NDC. We have said that is the PM’s call. We cannot commit to anything immediately. The 450 GW is PM’s goal for the nation.”
On being asked if the 1.5 degree goal was still alive considering that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said last month that it was extremely difficult if not impossible to limit global warming to that mark, Kerry said it was still doable if all countries got on board.