Ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow- India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has rejected calls to announce a net-zero carbon emissions target. The GoI has iterated that it is more important for the world to lay out a pathway to reduce such emissions and avert a dangerous rise in global temperatures.
Net-zero emissions refer to achieving an overall balance between greenhouse gas emissions produced and greenhouse gas emissions removed from the atmosphere, through natural means or by using the still-nascent carbon capture technology.
Less per capita greenhouse emissions: India
According to data provided by the Climate Watch by World Resources Institute, despite having a population in excess of 1.3 billion, India only emits 7.1 per cent of global emissions and has per capita emissions of about 2.47 Tco2e (tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent), much lower when compared to the global average of 6.45 tco2/per capita.
Thus, the western nations trying to push India to adhere to their line is sanctimonious hogwash at best. Before the G20 and COP 26 summit, India has been playing on the front foot and not succumbing to the developed world lobby of environmentalists.
Reportedly, the Environment Ministry has also asked compensation for the losses caused by climate disasters. Rameshwar Prasad Gupta, the ministry’s senior-most civil servant said, “Our ask is this: there should be a compensation for expenses incurred, and it should be borne by developed nations,”
India wants to fix accountability
According to an ET report, the 2015 Paris climate agreement included a speech to address “loss and damage,” for causing environmental damage. The crux of the idea is that based on historical contributions to global greenhouse gases, countries will provide compensation for the damages that pollution will one day cause.
However, because the developed nations have historically been the major emitters of greenhouse gases, the issue to fix the liability was never fleshed out and thus it remained a grey area. India is looking to address this particular issue.
Read More: Western nations harassed India over climate change. PM Modi’s bold demand has shut them down
Western world not following Paris agreement
The United States, Britain, and the European Union have set a target date of 2050 to reach net-zero, while China and Saudi Arabia have kept the target year as 2060. However, none of them has managed to keep themselves in check, according to the Paris Climate treaty.
As reported previously by TFI, according to Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, India is the only G20 nation well on track to achieve the goals mentioned under the Paris Agreement.
Despite being a developing nation with a major part of the population yet to benefit from the industrial revolution or lack thereof, India has managed to keep its emissions in check.
Under the Paris agreement, the goal is to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels. And India under PM Modi, for the first time has been ranked amongst the top 10 countries in the climate change performance index.
Where is the funding? Ask the developing world
Moreover, the so-called developed countries were supposed to provide $100 billion in climate finance to developing countries annually, starting in 2020. The money would have been used for projects that reduce emissions and help countries adapt to global warming and yet they haven’t been able to fulfill their promise.
With such dubious commitments, India and the developing world is wary of the developed world and its sweeping idea of net-zero emissions. The Western nations have already peaked their carbon emissions. They should have brought down their emissions long ago and if they were indeed serious, they wouldn’t have kept the timeline around 2050.
The developing world is yet to hit those peaks and much before it, the West is preaching and pressuring it to adhere to ideas that could potentially wipe out the population much before climate change will do. PM Modi is taking a stand for the developing nations and the message should be clear to the West. Get serious or stop trying to hassle us.