‘Solar energy capacity grew 17 times in 7 yrs’
INDIA, THE WORLD’S THIRD LARGEST CARBON EMITTER, HAS COMMITTED TO A NET-ZERO GOAL BY 2070 AND CHINA, THE LARGEST EMITTER, HAS PEGGED 2060 FOR THE SHIFT
GLASGOW: As the second week of negotiations begin at the COP26 climate summit, India on Sunday told world leaders that its solar capacity has increased 17 times in the past seven years, and currently stands at about 45 gigawatts.
India also asserted that although the country represents 17 per cent of the world’s population, its historical cumulative emissions stand at only 4 per cent.
India said this while giving a presentation on its third Biennial Update Report (BUR) during the 11th Facilitative Sharing of Views (FSV) at the ongoing COP26 climate summit here. The BUR was submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in February.
After big bang announcements at the beginning of the COP26 climate summit, representatives of 196 countries and stakeholders are now racing to bridge significant divides over climate financing, net-zero commitments and how they can achieve the 1.5°C target as these remain major sticking points that could make or break global efforts to mitigate the climate crisis.
Multiple people involved in the negotiations, which will last for six more days, said there exists hard red lines between developed and developing countries and these must be resolved for countries to come to a consensus on the Glasgow pact text.
They said at least three issues are particularly divisive: the delivery of the $100 billion climate finance that was agreed on in 2009; whether that amount is increased after 2025 period; the 1.5°C target and how it will be achieved globally now that several countries, including India and China, have announced they will not be able to go carbon neutral by 2050.
India, the world’s third largest carbon emitter, has committed to a net-zero goal by 2070 and China, the largest emitter, has pegged 2060 for the shift.
The conference aims to implement the Paris Agreement – including the goal of limiting temperature rises to between 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. British organisers are pushing to solidify 1.5C as the summit’s unequivocal temperature target.
Since the climate talks began, national delegations have been working to agree on technical details for the final pact, to be announced at the end of the conference after more negotiations this week.
They have also pushed for
their much-repeated priorities – “coal, cars, cash and trees” – shorthand for actions to phase out polluting fuels and internal combustion vehicles, provide money to help the world decarbonise, and protect forests.
On Sunday, the key highlight of the discussion on India’s third BUR was the achievement of 24% reduction in emission intensity of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over the period of 2005-2014, and the significant increase of its solar programme.
Making a statement on behalf of India, JR Bhatt, adviser/scientist in the ministry of environment, highlighted that India represents 17% of the global population but its historical cumulative emissions are only 4%, while current annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are only about 5%.
“This is complemented by the fact that India is particularly vulnerable to climate change. However, India is nevertheless taking several mitigation actions, spanning across the entire economy and society and has progressively continued decoupling of its economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions,” said Bhatt.
On the question of an increase in forest cover, India responded that people’s participation has played an important role in enhancing its forest cover, and that its forests provide all the four ecosystem services.
India highlighted that it speaks on climate change from a position of strength and responsibility.
“India’s 15% of total carbon dioxide emission in 2016 was removed from the atmosphere by the LULUCF (Land Use, LandUse Change and Forestry)... Between 2015 and 2019, the forest and tree cover increased by 13,031 sq km and mangrove cover increased by 235 sq km. Populations of Asiatic lion, elephant, rhino increased manifold in the last 5 to 6 years,” according to India’s statement.