MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)
(a) The Government of India has articulated and put across the concerns of developing countries at the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Glasgow, United Kingdom. As a part of its overall approach, India emphasized the foundational principles of equity, and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. It also highlighted that all countries should have equitable access to the global carbon budget, a finite global resource, for keeping temperature increase within the limits set by the Paris Agreement and all countries must stay within their fair share of this global carbon budget while using it responsibly. India also called on the developed countries for climate justice, and for undertaking rapid reductions in emissions during the current decade so as to reach net-zero much earlier than their announced dates, as they have used more than their fair share of the depleting global carbon budget.
India also highlighted that the transfer of climate finance and low-cost climate technologies have become more important for the implementation of climate actions by developing countries. The ambitions on climate finance by developed countries cannot remain the same as they were at the time of the Paris Agreement in 2015. It was emphasized that just as the UNFCCC tracks the progress made in climate mitigation, it should also track climate finance. Further, it was conveyed to the developed countries that India understands the suffering of all other developing countries, shares them, and hence raises the voice of developing countries.
(b) India’s historical cumulative emissions and per capita emissions are very low despite being home to more than 17% of the global population. India has contributed only about 4% of the global cumulative greenhouse gas emissions between 1850 and 2019.
All decisions at the annual Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC are arrived at by consensus and hence the question of India being directed to undertake any action by such decisions does not arise.
Even though we are not part of the problem, India is committed to being part of the solution and has done far more than its fair share. India’s commitment to emission intensity reduction of the economy is an economy-wide target and not specific to any sectors including transport and energy sectors.
(c) The Government of India stands committed to combating climate change through its several programmes and schemes including the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) which comprises missions in specific areas of solar energy, energy efficiency, water, sustainable agriculture, Himalayan ecosystem, sustainable habitat, green India, and strategic knowledge for climate change. The NAPCC provides an overarching framework for all climate actions. Thirty-three States /Union Territories (UTs) have prepared their State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) in line with NAPCC taking into account the State specific issues. These SAPCCs outline sector-specific and cross-sectoral priority actions, including adaptation. The government seeks to address the environmental issues and problems like air pollution, management of waste, degradation of forests, biodiversity loss, and land/soil degradation through promotional and legal measures. The promotional measures are undertaken by various ministries/departments through various programs, schemes and activities in close cooperation, with state governments and all other stakeholders, to preventing air pollution, management of waste, enhancing forest and biodiversity and preventing land/soil degradation. Further, the regulatory measures are implemented through Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, Environment (Protection) Act, 1986; Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980; The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972; The Indian Forest Act, 1927; The Biological Diversity Act, 2002; Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016; and rules and Notifications under these Acts, as amended from time to time. A number of actions have been taken by the Government to combat air pollution, waste, degradation of forests, biodiversity loss, and land/soil degradation, which inter alia, includes the following:
i. The Ministry has launched National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in January 2019 to tackle the problem of air pollution in a comprehensive manner with targets to achieve 20 to 30 per cent reduction in PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations by 2024. City Specific Clean Air Action Plans have been prepared and rolled out for implementation in132 non-attainment and million plus cities.
ii. As per Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, local bodies and village panchayats shall facilitate construction, operation and maintenance of solid waste processing facilities and associated infrastructure on their own or with private sector participation or through any agency for optimum utilization of various components of solid waste adopting suitable technology including the technologies and guidelines issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs from time to time and standards prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board.
iii. The Government has launched several schemes/programmes which include inter - alia the National Afforestation Program, Green India Mission, Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojna (PMKSY) which contribute to the target of restoration of 26 million hectares of degraded land and achievement of land degradation neutrality with focus on sustainable and optimum utilization of land resources. This will help in preserving forests and biodiversity, facilitating conservation of natural resources and improving carbon sinks.
iv. The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 enacted in pursuance to the Convention on Biological Diversity to which India is a Party, is aimed at conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use of its components, and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of these resources, also known as access and benefit sharing (ABS). The Act is implemented through a three-tiered institutional mechanism, namely National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) at the national level, State Biodiversity Boards at the State level, and Biodiversity Management Committees at the local body level.
(d) The total expenditure required for various schemes and programs relevant to environmental issues as well as the allocation thereof are determined annually according to the extant norms and procedures followed by the Government for annual budgeting and financial allocation process.
(e) Providing new and additional financial resources as well as transfer of technology to address the global climate change challenge are among the commitments and responsibilities of the developed countries under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Paris Agreement. India also require its due share from such international financial resources and technological support. The overarching decision titled Glasgow Climate Pact, adopted by all countries, noted with deep regret that the goal of developed country Parties to mobilize jointly USD 100 billion per year by 2020 in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation has not yet been met.
In the same context, on behalf of developing countries, India put forth strongly that the global call towards increased ambition in climate mitigation should be correspondingly matched by adequate additional means of implementation encompassing new and additional financial support and technology transfer to the developing countries. It was stated that while India resolved to move forward with new commitments and in such times, the transfer of climate finance and low cost climate technologies becomes more important. India expects developed countries to provide climate finance of US $1 trillion per year to the developing countries.
(f)India at COP 26 has expressed to intensify its efforts to address the challenge of climate change by presenting to the world following five nectar elements (Panchamrit) of its climate action:
i. Reach 500GW non-fossil energy capacity by 2030.
ii. 50 per cent of its energy requirements from renewable energy by 2030.
iii. Reduction of total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes from now to 2030.
iv. Reduction of the carbon intensity of the economy by 45 per cent by 2030, over 2005 levels.
v. Achieving the target of net zero emissions by 2070.
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