India pledges net-zero target by 2070 in a strong climate commitment
Glasgow, UK: India sprang a major surprise at the opening day of the UN climate summit in the Scottish city of Glasgow by announcing that it would stop adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere and achieve carbon-neutrality by 2070.
India is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and the world's third-largest emitter. In the runup to the Glasgow negotiations, it was expected to upgrade its voluntary national commitment, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi unexpectedly declared the net-zero target, adding to the roster of nations that have already done so, including the US, the European Union and China.
"What is needed today is mindful and deliberate utilisation, instead of mindless and destructive consumption," Modi said at the gathering of more than 120 heads of state. "For many developing countries, climate change is looming large over their existence. We have to take big steps today to save the world. This is the need of the hour," the Prime Minister said
This year's climate summit is seen as the "last best chance" for stronger climate action to restrain global warning within 1.5 degrees Celsius compared with the beginning of the industrial era, as agreed upon in the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement.
The UN Environment Programme said ahead of the conference that current national plans would mean a global rise of temperature of 2.7 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, and called for upgrading climate action.
There will be five key elements to India's commitment to climate action. The country will reach its non-fossil energy capacity to 500 GW by 2030; meet 50 per cent of its energy requirements from renewable energy by 2030; reduce total projected carbon emissions by one billion tons from now onwards till 2030; reduce carbon intensity of the economy by less than 45 per cent; and finally, achieve the net-zero target by 2070.
To keep temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, all nations in the world must collectively reach net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 and achieve net zero across all greenhouse gases by 2070, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world's most authoritative body of climate experts, has said in its latest scientific report.
India's announcement was welcomed by experts. "Prime Minister Modi cut through the rhetoric and delivered a big promise of climate action from India," said Ajay Mathur, director general of the International Solar Alliance.
India's new commitments have put the focus on climate finance, the top contentious issue in the global talks.
"Today it is necessary that as we track the progress made in climate mitigation, we should also track climate finance," the Indian Prime Minister said. He demanded that wealthy nations should provide climate finance to the tune of USD 1 trillion at the earliest.
The developed world has failed to provide money to developing countries to mitigate and adapt to the worst impacts of climate change.
"India has clearly put the ball in the court of the developed world," said Arunabha Ghosh, chief executive at Council for Energy, Environment and Water, a New Delhi-based think tank.
