If India is serious about implementing the Paris Climate Agreement, it has to draw up stringent laws and policies that will make it an example for developing countries
By Ramesh Menon
India has a lot of hard work ahead now that it has ratified the Paris Climate Agreement after initially dragging its feet. The challenge now is to aggressively promote and build the infrastructure for both wind and solar energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions with new laws and policies and set an example to all developing countries. Apart from putting its own house in order, India will have to play a leadership role in convincing other developed countries to scale-up their climate targets. The Paris accord is not legally binding but it puts the pressure on countries to behave responsibly. India is the 62nd country to ratify the Agreement. Having initially opposed international pressure, India’s surprise move to take a proactive step means it wants to be seen as a responsible power willing to reduce emission norms. After India’s ratification, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: “Care & concern towards nature is integral to the Indian ethos. India is committed to doing everything possible to mitigate climate change.”
All these years, India has steadfastly maintained that the pressure on reducing emissions must not be on developing nations as it is unfair. After all, it argued, the developed countries were responsible for polluting the earth while they embarked on the industrial revolution that made them rich. India changed its stance after both the US and China, which is the worst two emitters, decided to ratify the pact. US President Barack Obama hailed the agreement saying it was the best chance we have to save the one planet that we’ve got. He tweeted: “Gandhiji believed in a world worthy of our children. In joining the Paris Agreement @narendramodi & the Indian people carry on that legacy.”
India produces about 4.5 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. It will require massive policy strategies to cut this down. The Paris agreement requires the countries who have ratified like India to draw up a national plan to limit temperature rise.
India had other reasons to sign up. Of late, Indian policy makers have been concerned about the increasing evidence of the extent of devastation caused by climate change. In the recent past, India has witnessed extreme weather events, droughts, excessive rain and sudden floods. Further warming would affect India’s agriculture and economy and drive millions into poverty and despair.
India produces about 4.5 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. It will require massive policy strategies to cut this down. The Paris agreement requires the countries who have ratified like India to draw up a national plan to limit temperature rise.
India now has an ambitious plan. It wants to increase its non-fossil fuel power capacity to 40 percent by 2030. This theoretically means that it has to boost both solar and wind energy projects on a huge scale. It wants to drastically reduce emissions by 2030 which should be much lower than ones prevailing in 2005! It wants to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tons by creating forests. All this might sound very good on paper but there has to be tremendous political will to achieve such ambitious targets. India’s dismal record at meeting any of these goals or protecting the environment has caused concern not only within the country but at global climate forums.
After the Paris Agreement was ratified, the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said: “Today the world is united in the fight against climate change. Today the world gets a lifeline, a last chance to hand over to future generations a world that is more stable, a healthier planet, fairer societies and more prosperous economies. This robust agreement will steer the world towards a global clean energy transition.” The agreement is aimed at keeping global average temperatures from rising above 1.5°C as compared to the pre-industrial years. This is going to be a major challenge.
India had other reasons to sign up. Of late, Indian policy makers have been concerned about the increasing evidence of the extent of devastation caused by climate change. In the recent past, India has witnessed extreme weather events, droughts, excessive rain and sudden floods. Further warming would affect India’s agriculture and economy and drive millions into poverty and despair.
The worrying question is whether this agreement would be able to keep the global average temperatures rise below even 2.0°C as both developed and developing countries have pledged very low emissions cut targets. The US intends to cut its emissions by 26-28 percent by 2025 against 2005 levels. The European Union has pledged to cut its emission by 40 percent by 2030 against 1990 levels. But this will still fall short of the intended target. India’s plans are equally challenging. It plans to increase its forest cover by 2030 so as to create an additional carbon sink that will absorb about three billion tons of CO2. Presently, only 24 percent of India’s geographical area is under forests. The plan is to increase it to 33 percent. As India looks at a new economic growth policy, it is obvious that a lot of forest cover is going to be lost while setting up industry and infrastructure. Already, there are conflicts because of this. Increasing the forest cover with new plantations in new areas is easier said than done. Also, 2030 is just 14 years away. If the government wants to reach anywhere close to its target, it will need tough decisions, determined political will and action.
India will have to focus on water conservation and management as it is water-stressed. The drama playing out between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu on the sharing of the Cauvery waters is just a precursor of things to come. Water cannot be a free commodity and rationing will need to be done. It will also come at a price. Millions are already buying water as groundwater is not as potable as it was.
As there were fairly good rains this year, talks about conserving water have receded to the background. Just a few months back, water trains were started to cater to drought-hit areas where rivers had run dry. But all that is a distant memory.
That is why if the Paris Agreement has to work for India, there should be strict laws to restrict rights over groundwater usage. Industries will have to be told to use only treated water and not to dip into the water table that is constantly decreasing. India will also have to put pressure on industry to produce energy efficient household appliances such as lights, refrigerators, air-conditioners and television sets.
Says Sunita Narain, director-general, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE): “The Paris deal is weak and erases historical responsibility of the developed countries in addressing climate change. However, there is still enough scope for equity and ambition in the current framework of the Paris Agreement. India should strive to bring equity back into the climate agenda.”
Environmentalists all over the world will be watching India’s stance during the climate talks next month in Marrakech held by the Conference of Parties-22 (CoP 22). “By ratifying, India has shown itself as a responsible and serious global player in the climate negotiations. But ratification is just the beginning of tough and difficult negotiations ahead. India will have to pay an important role in making the Paris Agreement effective and equitable,” said Chandra Bhushan, deputy D-G, CSE.
The Paris Climate Agreement will become operational after at least 55 countries who account for 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions ratify it. Sixty-one countries have already ratified it. Hopefully, more will follow.
This agreement will make countries pay more attention to how various activities of theirs can reduce the damage of climate change. Many years ago, the US had clearly taken a stand that it would not allow the lifestyle of Americans to be compromised. But as the situation is now serious, they too will be watching their carbon footprint, as will India.
Lead picture: (L-R) Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing at the Innovation Summit in COP 21, in Paris on November 30, 2015. At the COP 21, India had talked about the ratification the Paris Climate Agreement. Photo: PIB; A man carries schoolchildren through a flooded street during monsoon rains in Mumbai. Photo: UNI