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Category: Environment

  • COP26 pledges may close ambition gap by 9 Gt CO2

    COP26 pledges may close ambition gap by 9 Gt CO2

    To keep 1.5C alive, annual CO2 emissions in 2030 need to be reduced by further 22 Gt CO2, reports Vishal Gulati

    At the end of the pivotal UN climate change negotiations or COP26 week one on Friday, commitments, if delivered, would close ambition gap by 9 gigatonnes (Gt) CO2, leaving 13 Gt to go, says new analysis

    To keep 1.5C alive, annual CO2 emissions in 2030 need to be reduced by further 22 Gt CO2.

    The world came into Glasgow with a question: Can collective action by government, industry and civil society keep the prospect of holding warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius in reach?

    New analysis previewed by the Energy Transition Commission suggests that, if delivered in full, commitments made by the close of the first week at Glasgow could deliver 9 Gt of the further 22 Gt reduction in CO2 emissions required to achieve 1.5C.

    Action on methane is also crucial to achieving 1.5C, with an estimated 40 per cent reduction required in 2030 annual methane emissions needed compared to the business as usual pathway.

    (Photo: PIB)

    The same analysis finds that, if delivered, commitments by the close of the first week at COP26 would account for one-third of this 40 per cent reduction.

    To achieve 1.5C, both CO2 emissions and methane emissions in 2030 needed to be lower than what a business as usual pathway would deliver.

    Action by the close of the first week of COP26 has begun to narrow the gap between what annual CO2 and methane emissions in 2030 are expected to be, and what they need to be to achieve 1.5C.

    Leading into COP26 national decarbonisation pledges (Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs), made as part of the Paris Agreement, fell far short of keeping the planet’s average temperature rise within 1.5C, as noted in an earlier analysis by the Energy Transition Commission (ETC) published in September.

    CO2

    The same analysis identified a set of technically and economically feasible actions which, if implemented in the next decade, could keep the world on a pathway to 1.5C.

    Today’s new analysis, looking across those same actions, assesses the potential impact of total commitments to date by the close of the first week of Glasgow in bending the curve towards 1.5C.

    The research reflects new public and private sector commitments made during the first week of COP26, and the additional commitments made by the private sector through the UN Race to Zero in the run up to COP26 which were not reflected in the initial analysis of the emissions gap in September. These commitments would need to be fully executed to have the effect detailed.

    The new data and analysis by the Energy Transition Commission was previewed by the organisation’s Chair, Lord Adair Turner at the headline event “Destination 2030” at COP26.

    Sharma urges to step up talks

    COP26 President Alok Sharma on Friday urged delegates attending the UN Conference on Climate Change in Glasgow, Scotland, to step up talks in the next 24 hours in order to guarantee a successful outcome in the second and final week of the event.

    COP26 President Alok Sharma

    “It is not possible for a large number of unresolved issues to continue into week 2. In this context, I urge the Chairs, Groups and all delegations to expedite discussions over the coming 24 hours, focusing efforts on the balanced set of issues which are critical to what needs to be achieved here in Glasgow,” Sharma said in a statement released by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC)

    The UK’s former Business minister said that since next week represents a more political, high-level phase of COP26, with ministers arriving to help draw proceedings, documents should be ready on Saturday for the closing plenary of the UNFCC subsidiary bodies.

    The Glasgow summit due to finish on November 12 is seen as the last chance to tackle climate change and adopt meaningful commitment to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees. (with inputs from ANI)

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  • Delhi’s air quality deteriorates to ‘severe’ on Diwali night

    Delhi’s air quality deteriorates to ‘severe’ on Diwali night

    At 8 a.m., AQI at Delhi’s Ashok vihar was 464, Chandni chowk(371), Dwarka (472), Mandir Marg (466), IGI Airport(458), Lodhi road (459) and North campus (453) according to CPCB…reports Asian Lite News.

    The air quality index (AQI) crossed the 600-mark at several places across the national capital with a few places in east Delhi, Ghaziabad and Noida crossing the 800-mark on Friday morning, hours after the people burst firecrackers on Diwali night making the Delhi-NCR air hazardous.

    The already severe condition of the air quality on Thursday evening deteriorated further with pm2.5 concentration at 467 and pm10 concentration at 631 at 9 a.m., according to SAFAR data. There was moderate fog early in the morning, indicative of air quality may not improve much for the day.

    The fog conditions intensified in Delhi-NCR on Friday with moderate fog at visibility 200 to 500m range reported at its two airports from 5.30 a.m. to 8.30 a.m.

    Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) Palam lowest visibility was 350m while the city side had a poorer visibility at 200m, said the India Meteorological Department (IMD)

    At 9 a.m., AQI was 920 and 904 in Noida’s sector 116 and in Sector 62 respectively; 617 in Ghaziabad’s vasundhara; 897 and 699 in Delhi’s Patparganj and Sriniwaspuri respectively, according to the data from World Quality Index project, a non-profit organisation.

    However, the data given by CPCB did not reflect these station’s and showed much lesser AQI levels for other stations.

    At 8 a.m., AQI at Delhi’s Ashok vihar was 464, Chandni chowk(371), Dwarka (472), Mandir Marg (466), IGI Airport(458), Lodhi road (459) and North campus (453) according to CPCB.

    The Meteorological agencies had predicted an AQI of 500 plus for Thursday and Friday if Delhiites burst firecrackers on Diwali day. However, none of the stations touched the 500-mark

    According to the India Meteorological Department, there will be partly cloudy sky in Delhi and maximum temperature is expected to be 29 degree Celsius and minimum temperature is expected to be 14 degree Celsius.

    An AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, then 401 and between 500 is considered “severe”.

    ALSO READ-Air Commission lists suggestions to check air pollution in Delhi-NCR

  • 90% Indians want greater women role at climate talks

    90% Indians want greater women role at climate talks

    ActionAid Executive Director Sandeep Chachra said: “The vulnerable communities of India, and amongst them, women and children, are being hardest hit by the climate crisis they did the least to cause…reports Asian Lite News.

    Around 90 per cent of respondents in a survey of people in India called for greater female representation at the COP26 climate talks while 87 per cent, nearly nine in 10 people, think more must be done to give women from the Global South a voice at the global summit, according to the latest survey from ActionAid.

    The term Global South -broadly refers to Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania includes regions outside Europe and North America, mostly low-income and often politically or culturally marginalised.

    As many as 67 per cent of women in the Global South, or nearly two-thirds, think that women and girls are more likely to be adversely affected by the climate crisis, while 73 per cent, or nearly three-quarters, say that addressing gender inequality is a vital part of solving climate change, according to the survey.

    ActionAid Executive Director Sandeep Chachra said: “The vulnerable communities of India, and amongst them, women and children, are being hardest hit by the climate crisis they did the least to cause.

    “But women and their communities are also leading the fight against climate change and designing inclusive and sustainable solutions in their villages and neighbourhoods to build climate resilience and help safeguard lives and livelihoods.”

    “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for $1 trillion from developed countries as finance for developing countries to lessen the impact of climate change through mitigation and adaptation measures, should be used to draw these vulnerable communities, led by women into climate change practices. We need to encourage these communities to fulfil their role as custodians of ecological resources, to ensure their well-being and the good of all the whole world,” he added.

    ALSO READ-Farm fires from Pakistan to increase air pollution load for Delhi-NCR

  • #SelfieWithPollution to draw attention towards local sources

    #SelfieWithPollution to draw attention towards local sources

    Most common people either do not know who exactly to approach or even if they do know and approach, the authorities are not responsive enough,” said Tongad…reports Asian Lite News.

    In the season of air pollution in Delhi-NCR, stubble burning from surrounding states is often always blamed but much less is talked about the small, local sources, such as burning garden waste or municipal waste, that adds to the larger problem.

    It can be a garden waste burning or a dusty stretch raising dust clouds every time a vehicle passes ot it can also be someone burning cardboards by the roadside, literally anything and everything that can add to the overall already worse air pollution situation in Delhi-NCR.

    Environment conservationist Vikrant Tongad has appealed to people to tag him and his organisation on Twitter with a hashtag #SelfieWithPollution along with a photo of the pollution spot.

    Tongad, founder member of Social Action for Forest and Environment (SAFE), has been instrumental in getting over two dozen orders/decisions from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Delhi High Court and even the Supreme Court in various environment/conservation related matters. Almost a decade of environmental activism through legal interventions has resulted in the authorities taking his word seriously.

    “We just decided to leverage that advantage. Most common people either do not know who exactly to approach or even if they do know and approach, the authorities are not responsive enough,” said Tongad.

    The agencies, such as Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) are responsive and reactive on Twitter and hence Tongad’s work has started as a small campaign on twitter but will eventually also be taken to Facebook.

    Since he made the appeal on Wednesday evening, half a dozen people have already tagged him to draw attention to local cases of burning waste/dust pollution.

    Tongad said that currently they are concentrating on Delhi-NCR only but, if needed, may take the campaign further across north-west Indian states.

    ALSO READ-Air Commission lists suggestions to check air pollution in Delhi-NCR

  • COP 26 :World Unites For Climate Summit in Glasgow

    COP 26 :World Unites For Climate Summit in Glasgow

    “Clearly, we need to address it. Clearly, we need to support the most vulnerable to cope. To do so successfully, greater ambition is now critical,” she underlined…reports Asian Lite News.

    Following a series of reports and studies warning that urgent action is needed to keep the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global average temperature increases to 1.5C within reach, the Un Climate Change Conference (COP26) opened with the key aims of raising ambition on all fronts and finalising the agreement’s implementation guidelines.

    “We are extremely grateful to the government of the UK for hosting this crucially important conference in these unprecedented times and for making every effort to keep all participants safe and healthy,” UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa said on Sunday.

    “The devastating loss of lives and livelihoods this year due to extreme weather events clarifies how important it is to convene COP26 despite the impacts of the pandemic still being felt. We are on track for a global temperature rise of 2.7C, while we should be heading for the 1.5C goal. Clearly, we are in a climate emergency.

    “Clearly, we need to address it. Clearly, we need to support the most vulnerable to cope. To do so successfully, greater ambition is now critical,” she underlined.

    Greater ambition is required to achieve progress on all elements of the climate change agenda, including reducing emissions, moving adaptation to the centre of the agenda, addressing loss and damage from extreme climatic events and increasing the provision of support to developing countries.

    A central issue is the provision of support to developing countries, especially in relation to the goal of mobilising $100 billion annually by 2020. Financial support is crucial for all elements of the climate change regime, including mitigation, but also in terms of adaptation, capacity-building, technology transfer and several other elements.

    Many parties, especially developing countries, feel that in order to advance towards full implementation of the Paris Agreement, previous commitments should first be honoured.

    Finalising the Paris Agreement’s implementation guidelines will enable the full implementation of all provisions, which will unleash more ambitious climate actions by all its parties.

    Specifically, the outstanding guidelines relate to the details around the global goal on adaptation, how to report climate action and support transparently, and the use of market-based mechanisms and non-market approaches.

    “We have no choice but to make COP26 a success. For that, we need unity of purpose. We need to leave Glasgow with a balanced package of decisions that reflects the positions of all countries. With a willingness to compromise among the many perspectives we can arrive at workable, ambitious solutions that will help us keep the 1.5C goal within reach. We stand ready to work with all parties and to leave no voice behind to reach this important goal,” Espinosa said.

    Having been postponed by a year owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and having to address items from COP25 held in 2019, COP26 has a huge agenda beyond the key aims.

    Alok Sharma (IANS)

    Addressing the conference following his election, COP President Alok Sharma thanked delegates for travelling to Glasgow and outlined the urgent need for action.

    “As COP President I am committed to promoting transparency and inclusivity. And I will lead this conference in accordance with the draft rules of procedure, and with the utmost respect for the party-driven nature of our process.

    “In that spirit I believe we can resolve the outstanding issues. We can move the negotiations forward. We can launch a decade of ever-increasing ambition and action. Together, we can seize the enormous opportunities for green growth, for good green jobs, for cheaper, cleaner power.

    “But we must hit the ground running to develop the solutions we need. And that work starts today. We will succeed, or fail, as one,” he said.

    Following a procedural opening on Sunday, to enable work to begin quickly, Monday and Tuesday will be the World Leaders Summit with the presence of Royalty and more than 100 heads of state or government.

    The World Leaders Summit provides all heads of state or government with the opportunity to set the stage for COP26.

    A number of key ministerial and other events around current climate change efforts will take place during the COP. These include the fourth biennial high-level Ministerial Dialog on climate finance, the first Ministerial Dialog on climate finance under the Paris Agreement, several workshops and events to advance gender-related issues and the annual meeting with the participation of indigenous peoples and traditional knowledge.

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  • Why Indian Approach and Signalling for COP26 Makes Sense

    Why Indian Approach and Signalling for COP26 Makes Sense

    In recent years, Indian government has promoted electric vehicles and aimed for establishing infrastructure for gradually switching from dependence on fossil fuels…writes Divyanshu Jindal

    As world leaders gear up for highlighting their national policies, achievements, and aspirations towards mitigating climate change issues at the UN Climate Change Conference (or COP-26) happening in Glasgow, the geopolitical focus has shifted towards leadership credentials through the lens of energy policies and ambitions.

    Indian delegation for the conference, as well as the G-20 summit which will precede the climate conference, will be headed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the run up to the events, PM Modi has highlighted India’s success in being among the top countries in the world in terms of installing renewable energy and has emphasised on India’s continued commitment towards mitigating the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs).

    In recent years, Indian government has promoted electric vehicles and aimed for establishing infrastructure for gradually switching from dependence on fossil fuels. Indian government also recently launched the National Hydrogen Mission which aims at making India a frontrunner for assimilating cleaner fuel technologies in coming decades. India has worked towards increasing penetration of energy-efficient lighting systems, creating LNG filling stations, and solar capacity in the recent years.

    India Foreign Secretary, Harshvardhan Shringla, also recently highlighted that India increased its renewable energy capacity by 250 percent in the last six-seven years and is on course to achieve the target of 450 Gigawatt of renewable energy by 2030.

    While it is not to say that India has succeeded perfectly in all desired goals, India has attracted undue criticisms from several critics. More often than not, these criticisms have failed to consider the wider realm of geopolitics which hugely affects the national policies being considered and adopted.

    The Coal Factor and the Net-Zero Target

    Coal stands as the most emission producing fossil fuel among others like oil and gas. Several nations have been phasing out coal usage in the recent years and several others have adopted policies to phase out coal from their portfolio of energy generation in the coming years. COP-26 aims at securing agreements from nations to end coal power by 2030 for developed nations and by 2040 for developing nations, and an agreement for non-commissioning of any new coal-based power plants from now on.  However, for many, it’s not as simple as switching to other alternatives as investment and infrastructural changes required to switch over can take decades in emerging economies like India. Increasing electricity accessibility in remote regions as well as ensuring uninterrupted power supply in most regions is a work in progress, depending heavily on thermal power plants. 

    Going into the COP-26, many nations have already announced their targets for achieving carbon neutrality or ‘net zero’ emissions, which means that the amount of greenhouse gases emitted is same as the amount of gas removed from the atmosphere by any means like carbon capture, separation, or absorption. The world’s top energy body, International Energy Agency (IEA), has said that all new oil-and-gas projects (and more importantly coal) need to be immediately halted if the world wants to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, which is the deadline that COP-26 aims for through securing an agreement among nations.

    While Australia has pledged to achieve the net-zero target by 2050, others like China and more recently Saudi Arabia have announced their target as 2060. Russia aims at achieving net zero emissions by 2060, and the US’ Biden administration too is looking towards coming up with a similar policy to achieve this target mid-century.

    However, announcing net-zero emission deadline does not amount to much in absence of clear-cut policies which will be applied in surety. This stance has been emphasised by India’s Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change as well. As the national governments around the world will be keen to focus on the 2030 targets in short term, coming up with concrete policies and steps to achieve the net zero target by mid-century is a complexity that most leaders and governments would happily want to leave for their successors in office. 

    For countries like Australia, Saudi Arabia and Russia, the net-zero target does not take in account the emissions by exports. Being world’s top energy exporters (Australia- coal, Saudi Arabia- oil and Russia- gas), their targets will have to take different routes than others like India which stands as world’s leading energy importer. The duality is visible in Saudi Arabia’s plan to increase Aramco oil production from 12 million barrels per day to 13 million barrels per day by 2027. This will help Saudi Arabia to infuse funds into transition to renewable sources from oil exports. This possibility does not exist for nations like India.

    Currently, India’s energy sector is predominantly dependent on coal. India depends more than 54 percent on coal-based power plants for its total power generation. This alone results in 75 percent of India’s green-house gas emissions. Reducing coal-dependence is touted as India’s ticket to achieve climate change mitigation goals. But setting a target like Australia and Saudi Arabia, who do not account for emissions export in their targets, will put undue pressure on India to announce a date which can be much later than 2060, thus making India look like an outlier. On the other hand, an overambitious target like 2050 can also raise more questions and scepticisms.

    Invariably, India needs coal for its development in coming years. However, unlike Australia whose economy majorly depends on coal for both internal usage and exports, Indian credentials in establishing renewable capacity has been commendable. In an unpredictable world, setting a target date decades ahead in future will amount to nothing if the realities of the present would not be taken in serious consideration. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has shown how any disturbances to global economic landscape can lead to a forced roll back of decades of achievements in cooperation, in a matter of weeks. Any such disturbances in the near future are bound to affect the climate change mitigation targets as well when impetus on economic recovery can lead to environmental concerns taking a back seat.

    The Technical Factor

    With exponential improvements in technology with each passing year, the options for deploying renewable and alternative sources of energy as well as for carbon sequestering are expanding. With decreasing cost of electricity storage due to technical improvements, preserving energy generated from renewable sources like solar and wind power can become more affordable. A similar phenomenon has been witnessed in realm of solar energy where the price per unit has substantially decreased in the last few years. For developing nations like India, deploying renewable infrastructure at an early stage also means deploying costlier options. In this scenario, a few years can make a large difference in terms of switching from conventional sources of energy. While it can be argued that not everything should be seen in terms of finances, it is a bitter reality that promises made by the developed nations to fund the clean energy transitions in the developing world have not seen fruition in any sense in the last few years. The developing nations further got a taste of ‘Trumpism’ where the world’s leading nation withdrew from the Paris Agreement and looked towards adopting isolationist policies to pump its own economy while engulfing in a trade war with another leading emitter-China. This is just one example which highlights how national interests can cloud global needs at times of distress.

    Conclusion

    India stands among the world’s leading economies today. However, unlike many other leading economies which have entrenched themselves firmly in infrastructural aspects, committing to a deadline is much more complex for India. India’s report to UN highlights that even after 1990, when the nation entered a period of rapid economic growth, India’s contribution to global cumulative emissions was only 4.9 percent, while it is home to 17.8 percent of the global population. In 2015, India voluntarily enhanced its ambition to reduce the emission intensity of its Gross Domestic Product by 33-35 percent (having declared in 2010 to reduce it by 20-25 percent by 2020 from 2005 levels). India has successfully achieved the target it had set for 2020. With India partnering actively with other nations like France (for International Solar Alliance) and venturing into hydrogen technology, India’s credentials are stronger than most. Instead of setting dates, India has signalled that actions should be more important than mere promises. 

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  • New mechanism to boost response to climate change

    New mechanism to boost response to climate change

    The Systematic Observations Finance Facility (the SOFF) will plug this data gaps, a release from WMO said…reports Asian Lite News.

    A new United Nations Coalition Fund would be launched at the upcoming COP26 to significantly improve the collection of essential weather and climate data and boost the international response to climate change.

    World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) are to announce at the COP26 this new Fund. Starting October 31, world leaders are meeting at the COP26, the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) to be held at Glasgow, UK.

    There are data gaps that undermine the understanding of past and current climate, as well as the capacity to predict and project future climate scenarios. This, in turn, weakens international efforts to prepare for and respond to extreme weather events such as floods, hurricanes and drought.

    The Systematic Observations Finance Facility (the SOFF) will plug this data gaps, a release from WMO said.

    To respond to the explosive growth in the demand for weather and climate data to support essential services needed by all sectors of society, last week 193 member countries and territories of the World Meteorological Congress approved an integrated package including a Unified Data Policy, the Global Basic Observing Network (GBON), and the SOFF, to dramatically strengthen the world’s weather and climate services.

    “If you don’t have observations, then you are not able to provide good forecasts,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.

    He said there are major data gaps in our observing systems in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific islands and some parts of Latin America. Those countries are not able to provide high quality early warning services because they don’t have enough input data for the forecast models.

    “Over the next ten years, the SOFF will build capacity in 75 Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries to enable them to generate and exchange essential weather and climate data, in compliance with internationally agreed standards of GBON,” the release said.

    The SOFF will have a life-saving impact in the most vulnerable countries to climate change, where decades of progress can be wiped out by a single extreme event. However, the benefits of SOFF will be felt everywhere; countries across the globe will have access to improved weather forecasts and climate services at a critical time when the impact of climate change is intensifying everywhere.

    According to Achim Steiner, Administrator of UNDP, “Extreme weather and climate events are now increasing in frequency, intensity and severity as a result of climate change. Vulnerable communities are amongst the hardest hit. To help address this, they need access to the very best of technology to adapt to the effects of climate change and reduce risk.”

    Weather and climate observations enabled by the SOFF are essential if the world community is to realize fully the 162 billion US dollars annually in socio-economic benefits of weather and climate prediction.

    Recognising the value of the SOFF, countries are already giving indications of financial contribution. These will be unveiled at the event in Glasgow on November 3.

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  • Centre clears the air on stubble burning in Punjab

    Centre clears the air on stubble burning in Punjab

    According to the year-wise fire count of cumulative paddy stubble burning incidents reported from October 1 to October 25, Punjab has recorded drastic reduction in such incidents…reports Asian Lite News

    The Centre has informed the Supreme Court that paddy residue burning events from September 15 to October 25 this year, have been reduced by one-third in Punjab, compared to the last year.

    According to the status report submitted by the Centre with respect to steps taken to abate air pollution in Delhi-NCR, 2,446 events were reported in Punjab this year – between September 15 and October 25 – as compared with 7,429, in the same period, last year. In 2022, Haryana reported 1,091 events, however this year in the past one month it reported 1027; and in Uttar Pradesh 54 events were reported in 2020, but this year only 30 events were reported so far.

    According to the year-wise fire count of cumulative paddy stubble burning incidents reported from October 1 to October 25, Punjab has recorded drastic reduction in such incidents. On October 19, 2019, Punjab reported 7,572 incidents, which increased to 16,221 on October 19, 2020. However, on October 19, 2021, Punjab cumulatively recorded 5,919 incidents. For Haryana, 3,183 incidents were recorded on October 19, 2019, which reduced to 2,218 a year later, and on October 19, this year, it recorded 1,828 cumulative stubble burning incidents.

    Uttar Pradesh recorded a marginal increase in fire incidents – On October 19, 2019, 55 incidents were reported and on October 19, this year, 61 incidents were reported.

    The Centre had filed an affidavit along with a status report with respect to steps taken by the Union of India, Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas and the Central Pollution Control Board.

    A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana said: “We have perused the said affidavit along with the status report and the same is taken on record. Learned counsel appearing for Respondent No 1 is directed to serve a copy of the affidavit as also the Status Report to the other side immediately”.

    The bench also comprising justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli directed the Delhi government to file an affidavit regarding steps taken to curb pollution.

    “List the matter immediately after Diwali Holidays. In the meantime, learned Solicitor General is directed to take necessary steps towards control of the pollution”, said the bench in its order.

    The top court is hearing petitions against stubble burning in neighbouring states of the capital, which leads to critical pollution levels in the city.

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  • India slams developed countries over climate goals

    India slams developed countries over climate goals

    At UN meet, environment and climate change minister Bhupender Yadav says India has exceeded its climate targets, reports Arul Louis

    While the developed countries are failing to meet their targets for fighting climate change, India has exceeded its targets, according to Environment and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav.

    “When the developed world is exhibiting shortfall in actions with just 14.8 per cent (greenhouse gas emission) emission reduction against the target of 18 per cent reduction in the pre-2020 period, India is overachieving its voluntary target of emission reduction,” he told the General Assembly’s high level meeting on climate action on Tuesday.

    “Our 2030 targets under the Paris Agreement are considered ambitious and compatible with the Paris Agreement goals. We are on the path to achieving those targets,” he said.

    The UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Emissions Gap Report released also on Tuesday confirmed India’s achievement and suggested it should set higher targets.

    The report said that India was projected to reduce “emissions to levels at least 15 per cent lower than their previous unconditional NDC (Nationally Determined Contributions) emissions target levels under current policies” and has “significant room for raising their NDC ambition.”

    NDCs are targets set by countries for cutting emissions to achieve the Paris Climate Change goal of keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and the NDC ambition is increasing the targets.

    According to the report, only Russia and Turkey are projected to meet the same levels as India.

    The report, which is an annual report card on how the goals to meet the climate change challenges are being met, was released ahead of the summit of the G20, the group of 20 large economies in Rome this weekend and next week’s UN climate change conference in Glasgow.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attending both meetings.

    Speaking at the release of the UNEP report, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the world was “still on track for climate catastrophe” with global temperature rising around 2.7 degrees Celsius.

    That will be below the Paris agreement’s target of limiting global temperature increase by the end of the century to 2 degrees Celsius.

    The report said that only ten of the 20 countries in the G20 group of large economies are likely to reach their original NDC targets — and significantly the US and Canada, whose leaders preach the loudest to the rest of the world about global warming, are not among the ten.

    “It is worth noting that Canada and the United States of America have submitted strengthened NDC targets, while independent studies suggest that they are not on track to meet their previous NDC targets with currently implemented policies. These two countries therefore need to make significant additional efforts to meet their new NDC targets,” according to the report.

    US President Joe Biden is still struggling to get his own party to agree before the Glasgow meeting to his ambitious climate change agenda that is to be codified in his budget bill.

    Yadav said in his address to the General Assembly that the developing countries that created the problem by enriching themselves through the use of fossil fuels must take the responsibility for it and support the developing countries that are facing the consequences of global warming.

    “Those who are historically responsible for climate change and have benefited in the past through a carbon intensive development must step up their action and take lead in providing timely and adequate finance and technology to support developing countries to accelerate their actions,” he said.

    He said, “The current stock of greenhouse gases is a result of the economic growth in the industrialised countries in the past which demanded increasing amounts of energy in the form of fossil fuels and they became today’s prosperous countries with capital stock and infrastructure. In contrast, the adverse impacts of climate change falls disproportionately on developing countries who contributed little to the stock of greenhouse gases.”

    Highlighting the problem, the UNEP report acknowledged that per capita emissions vary significantly across G20 members, with India’s emissions about half the G20 average.

    The media and politicians in developing countries downplay their countries’ destructive emissions by diverting attention away from per capita emissions to the total emissions of the country without regard to its population.

    While they often say that India is the third biggest polluter, an Indian puts out only 1.8 tonnes of CO2, while an American emits 15.2 tonnes and a Canadian 15.5 tonnes.

    According to the UNEP report, India’s NDC is for reducing the measure known as the emission intensity of gross domestic product (GDP) by 33 to 35 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030 and increasing the share of non-fossil fuels in primary electricity production to 40 per cent.

    “We have reduced our emission intensity of GDP by 24 per cent between 2005 and 2016, thereby achieving our pre-2020 voluntary target,” Yadav said.

    Emission intensity of GDP is the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted to produce a unit of GDP, which means that if the intensity is lowered, economic grow can be achieved with less pollution.

    “India has also set out an ambitious target of 450 GW (gigawatts) of renewable energy by 2030. It may be noted that currently we have 389 GW total installed capacity. We have already achieved 155 GW of non-fossil fuel installed capacity as of now. We are accelerating action and we are confident to achieve this ambitious target by 2030,” Yadav said.

    The report said that China was the only large economy where carbon dioxide emissions from the use of fossil fuels rose last year, registering an increase of 1.3 per cent. In India it fell by 6.2 per cent.

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  • London Expands World’s First Ultra Low Emission Zone

    London Expands World’s First Ultra Low Emission Zone

    The enlarged zone is an extension of what was the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) covering mainly central London, reports Asian Lite News

    Europe’s biggest ultra-low emission zone, spanning about 380 square km of London, has come into operation.

    Around 3.8 million people live within the zone which extends to the north and south circular roads around the British capital, reports Xinhua news agnecy.

    London City Hall expects around 110,000 vehicles are likely to pay a 12.50 pounds ($17.22) charge for driving within the new zone.

    Drivers who don’t pay face a penalty charge of 160 pounds, reduced to half if paid within 14 days.

    The enlarged zone is an extension of what was the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) covering mainly central London.

    A City Hall spokesperson said: “The new zone covers one quarter of London and is the largest zone of its kind in Europe. It will bring the health benefits of cleaner air to millions more Londoners. The scheme will operate 24 hours a day, every day of the year except Christmas Day.”

    The ULEZ is also a crucial step towards London’s ambitions to tackle the climate emergency and put the city on the path to be a net zero carbon city by 2030.

    Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “This is a landmark day for our city. Expanding the Ultra Low Emission Zone today will clean up London’s toxic air pollution and help tackle the global climate emergency by reducing emissions.

    Ultra Low Emission Zone
    (Photo: Twitter@MayorofLondon)

    “In central London, the ULEZ has already helped cut toxic roadside nitrogen dioxide pollution by nearly half and led to reductions that are five times greater than the national average. But pollution isn’t just a central London problem, which is why expanding the ULEZ today will benefit Londoners across the whole of the city and is a crucial step in London’s green recovery from this pandemic.”

    According to Khan, pollution leads to 4,000 London residents dying early each year and children in the capital growing up with stunted lungs.

    Khan has provided 61 million pounds in funding for grants for small businesses, charities operating minibuses, and low-income and disabled Londoners to scrap older, more polluting vehicles.

    Sarah Woolnough, CEO of the charities Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation welcomed the move.

    “Whilst this is a huge step in the right direction, we mustn’t be complacent against this invisible threat. The fact of the matter remains that the majority of people living in London, are still living in areas where pollution levels are dangerously high.”

    Alex Williams, TfL’s Director of City Planning, said: “London’s toxic air is a crisis that requires bold action right now. The expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone is vital if we are to help prevent more premature deaths and serious health conditions, as well as tackle the pressing issue of the climate emergency. The central ULEZ that launched in April 2019 was a world first and has already seen harmful nitrogen dioxide slashed by 44 per cent. Today’s expansion of the zone will see the whole city breathing cleaner air.

    (Photo: Twitter@MayorofLondon)

    “More than 20 million motorists have already checked the compliance of their vehicle since 2018, and if you still unsure please use our checker. We are now seeing 87 per cent vehicles in the zone meeting the standard, this is much than we would have expected if the scheme hadn’t been introduced, and it highlights how the scheme has already been effective in cleaning up London’s air. For those liable for the charge, we would ask them to consider walking and cycling where possible, or using public transport. If they do need to drive, car clubs with ULEZ-compliant vehicles, or switching to a cleaner vehicle, are the best options.”

    Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, founder of the Ella Roberta Family Foundation and World Health Organization Advocate for Health and Clean Air, said: “The coroner’s inquest into my daughter Ella’s death made clear that all levels of government must work to get dirty cars off the road, to protect human health. Children suffer the most from air pollution, as their lungs develop until they are ten. The ULEZ is helping to clean up the air that London’s children breathe from the moment they step out of their homes.”

    (Photo: Twitter@MayorofLondon)

    Anjali Raman-Middleton, 17, Co-founder of Choked Up, said: “We’ve already seen the impact that the ULEZ has had on our air and are thrilled to be supporting its expansion. This is a significant step in cleaning our air and meeting London’s target of carbon-neutrality by 2030. Whilst there is still work to be done to ensure that every Londoner breathes easy, ULEZ expansion will improve the health of millions.”

    Jordan Cummins, CBI London Head of Policy, said: “The CBI recognises and welcomes the Mayor’s continued commitment to improving London’s air quality. The extension of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone comes at a critical moment, as the UK hosts COP26, and the capital continues to set a world-leading example to global cities on emissions reduction. To achieve this, with business as a partner, it is also critical that we look to secure a cohesive London-wide set of clean air policies – supporting consumers and businesses to make the shift to cleaner vehicles and delivering the charging and refuelling infrastructure that is required to reach the capital’s net zero ambitions.”

    (Photo: Twitter)

    Professor Sir Stephen T Holgate, MRC Clinical Professor at Southampton, UKRI Clean Air Champion and Special Advisor to the RCP on Air Quality, said: “Air pollution is a scourge on society, especially harming the young and old as well as those with pre-existing diseases. With the expansion of the ULEZ today, the Mayor of London has taken a vital step that will deliver major reductions in toxic pollutants across London. Reductions that will have significant benefits for the health of all Londoners.”

    Jane Burston, Executive Director, Clean Air Fund, said: “London continues to be a world leader in developing and implementing ground-breaking clean air policies, designed to improve the health of everyone who lives, works and learns in the city. Where London leads, others will follow. We look forward to seeing more cities in the UK and around the world, inspired by London’s can-do attitude, introducing similar schemes to make our cities healthier, happier places in which to live and grow.”

    (Photo: Twitter@MayorofLondon)

    Simon Birkett, Founder and Director of Clean Air in London, said: “The ULEZ expansion is a vital step on the path to achieving zero tailpipe emissions from vehicles and a beacon of hope in the days before COP26.”

    Richard Dilks, Chief Executive of CoMoUK said: “The expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone is a symbiotic fit with shared transport options such as car clubs, bike and e scooter share schemes as they all enable Londoners to step away from car ownership. Doing that cuts people’s transport emissions and costs while cleaning up London’s air and delivering more liveable neighbourhoods.”

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