india
India's pavilion at the COP27 in Egypt's Sharm el-Shaikh. (Photo credit: PIB)

India, G20 countries need stronger steps to fulfil climate promises

By undertaking systemic transformation and massive cuts in the electricity supply, industry, transport and buildings sectors, and the food and financial systems, countries can keep up with their climate promises, according to the 2022 Emissions Gap report
By undertaking systemic transformation and massive cuts in the electricity supply, industry, transport and buildings sectors, and the food and financial systems, countries can keep up with their climate promises, according to the 2022 Emissions Gap report

New and updated pledges, including a submission by India, to cut greenhouse gas emissions will take less than 10% off projected 2030 greenhouse gas emissions, while a 45% reduction is needed by 2030 to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C by the end of the century, according to a new UN report released today.

Climate pledges leave the world on track for a temperature rise of 2.4-2.6°C by the end of this century, according to the Emissions Gap Report, 2022 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), released on October 27.

The emissions gap report–which marks the run-up to the 27th Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP27) starting on November 6, 2022 in Egypt–provides the latest assessment of scientific studies on current and estimated future greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It also compares these with the levels permissible for the world to progress on the least-cost pathway to achieve the 1.5 – 2 degree celsius that 193 parties committed in 2015 under the Paris agreement. Going beyond the 1.5-2 degree celsius threshold will expose millions of people to climate-related risks, such as heat waves and floods.

The report states that urgent transformation in the electricity supply, industry, transport and buildings sectors, and food and financial systems would help put the world on a path to success.

“The ambition gap persists and is unsurprising, but the report also points to an implementation gap. Countries have not put in place policies to reach even the limited targets they have promised. Global climate debates should focus more on the here and now than future speculative targets,” Navroz Dubash, professor at the Centre for Policy Research and one of the reviewers of the Emission Gap report, told IndiaSpend.

“The report finds that many net-zero targets have low credibility and are not aligned to short- and medium-term actions. The solution is to focus on what we can do now, while simultaneously providing detail on net-zero targets and aligning present actions with future needs,” he added.

Decisions from 2021 are inadequate, need to strengthen 2030 targets

As many as 166 nations have submitted new and updated NDCs as of September 2022, but progress on these updates has been woefully inadequate, the UNEP report stated.

India’s coal usage and the resulting greenhouse gas emissions in 2021 exceeded pre-pandemic 2019 levels, the report says. India is the third-largest carbon emitter in the world although our per capita carbon emissions are low, the report shows. Achieving carbon neutrality, also known as net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, by 2070–i.e., balancing carbon emissions and carbon absorption from the atmosphere–is a necessity for India, which has been experiencing increasing extreme weather events.

India submitted updated climate pledges, or Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in August 2022. According to the updated NDC, India stands committed to reducing emissions intensity of its GDP by 45% by 2030, from the 2005 level. It has also pledged to get about 50% of electric power installed from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030. India also added a healthy and sustainable lifestyle, ‘LIFE – Lifestyle for Environment’ as a key to combating climate change.

The report shows that the new and updated NDC’s will have some impact in decreasing India’s emissions. India’s emissions are also not expected to peak or reach their highest level before 2030, the report claimed. The emissions drop sharply once they reach the peaking point, according to studies. But, the longer we delay the peak, the more difficult it will be to limit global temperature rise, according to a 2017 World Resource Institute report.

Earlier, at COP 26, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced five emissions pledges to control India’s emissions; net-zero emissions by 2070, and by 2030 achieving non-fossil fuel energy capacity of 500 GW, 50% energy from renewable sources, reducing total projected carbon emissions by 1 billion tonnes and reducing the carbon intensity of the economy to less than 45%.

But, for developing countries such as India, implementing net zero and NDCs also depends on access to financial, technological and technical support, capacity building support and availability of market based mechanisms, IndiaSpend reported in January 2022.

In addition, India is among the countries whose historical responsibility for climate change is marginal compared to that of developed countries like the US. The UNFCCC recognised the principle of equity, which is that developed countries need to do more to compensate for their historical carbon emissions and assist developing countries in adopting cleaner energy and reducing carbon emissions.

Need faster sector-wide net-zero transition

The report finds that the transformation towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in

electricity supply, industry, transportation and buildings are underway, but the transition needs to be faster. Of these four sectors, transition in electricity supply is most advanced, as the costs of renewable electricity have reduced dramatically. However, the pace of change must increase alongside measures to ensure a just transition and universal energy access.

The report also goes on to suggest action to reduce emissions, including removing fossil fuel subsidies, promoting renewable expansion, supporting zero-carbon industrial processes, promoting electrification, incentivising zero-carbon building stock, among others.

India still needs to invest more to increase the share of renewable sources in electricity generation, electrification of fossil-fuel dependent industries, commercial manufacturing of green hydrogen and promoting electric vehicles, IndiaSpend reported in January 2022.

In India, renewable energy (RE) sources make up 29% of electricity generation capacity at present, against the target of 50%. The majority of India’s RE comes from solar (12.4%) and wind (10.2%), and India will need to greatly expand these capacities within eight years to meet the PM’s pledge, IndiaSpend reported in January 2022.

Transport accounts for 11% of India’s carbon emissions and is a major source of air pollution in several cities countrywide. For the transportation sector, electrifying road transportation is a key step to halving carbon emissions this decade and stabilising global heating at 1.5°C, IndiaSpend reported in November 2021.

Since 2019, India has implemented the second phase of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India(FAME) with a total budget of Rs 10,000 crore ($1.32 billion), focused on supporting electrification of public and shared transportation. The scheme aims to support, through subsidies, the manufacture of 7,090 electric buses, 500,000 electric three-wheelers, 55,000 electric four-wheeler passenger cars and 1 million electric two-wheelers, or around 1.5 million Electric Vehicles (EVs) in all. Just over halfway into phase II, by December 7, 2021, the scheme had incentivised only 176,327 EVs–11% of the target.

food and farming

More sustainable food systems

Food systems are major contributors of climate change, biodiversity loss and land-use change, the report claimed. The food system that we rely on, which includes agriculture production, currently is responsible for one-third of total GHG emissions globally.

In November 2021, 45 governments, led by the UK, pledged urgent action and investment to protect nature and shift to more sustainable ways of farming at the 26th COP, the climate change conference in Glasgow, according to a UK government press release. It said that the commitments would help leverage over $4 billion of public sector investment into agricultural innovation to improve soil health, helping make these techniques and resources affordable and accessible to farmers.

India has been slowly moving towards chemical-free farming that could reduce farm input costs, improve soil health and water efficiency and lead to an increase in farm produce prices helping farmers, IndiaSpend reported in July 2022. In a multi-part series (herehere and here), IndiaSpend has also explored the different facets of natural farming, its implementation in India, and the possibility of success.

The UNEP report noted that, in India, production of legumes in the last five years has consistently increased, a step in the right direction. Legumes such as beans, peas and lentils increase the release of ammonium nitrogen into the soil. The greater availability of nitrogen in the soil can reduce the need for nitrogen fertilisers for other crops when legumes are used in rotations or as cover crops or intercrops.

Transformation of the financial system

Financial actors, such as banks, institutional investors, and public financial institutions, have shown limited action on climate mitigation by focusing on short-term returns rather than long-term returns on low-carbon technology, conflicting objectives, such as providing finance to the fossil fuel sector, and not recognising climate risks adequately, the report noted.

A global transformation to a low-emissions economy is expected to require investments of at least $4-6 trillion a year. This is a relatively small (1.5-2%) share of total financial assets managed, but significant (20-28%) in terms of additional annual resources to be allocated, the report noted.

At COP26, countries and financial institutions announced a Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), a global coalition of financial institutions, committing to net-zero emissions exceeding $130 trillion, over the next 3 decades.

GFANZ includes 450 financial institutions in 45 countries. Internationally, even institutions that funded fossil fuel projects in the past are setting newer targets for funding clean, sustainable projects. But Indian institutions are lagging, we reported in October 2021.

The United Nations Environment Programme issued Principles for Responsible Banking in 2019 to guide banks to consider the environmental and social impacts of the projects they lend to. Yes Bank is the only signatory from India as of September 2022, we had reported.

Governments and key financial actors will need to steer credibility in transforming the financial system and its structures and processes, engaging governments, central banks, commercial banks, institutional investors and other financial actors, the report said.


This story was originally published on IndiaSpend, with the support of Climate Tracker’s COP27 Climate Justice Journalism Fellowship.

Flavia Lopes
Flavia Lopes is environment reporter with IndiaSpend, a data news platform based in India. She has previously written for Wire, Article 12, BehanBox and was a mobile journalism fellow with Internews and a media fellow with Rising Flame. She is also a graduate of Conflict Studies from London School of Economics. When not working on stories, you can find her cooking, journaling or learning new languages. Currently, she is trying her luck with Farsi.
slot maxwin slot ovo starlight princess live casino slot zeus pg soft slot olympus ibcbet maxwin slot thailand slot pgsoft slot slot mahjong zeus slot digmaan slot mania slot pulsa jdb slot slot777 slot shopee slot spade gaming slot thailand slot thailand slot thailand slot gacor slot mahjong roulette habanero sv388 joker123 fafaslot pgsoft mahjong wins jdb slot slot thailand slot gacor slot mahjong slot gatotkaca pg soft pragmatic play slot bank bsi slot bank jago lucky neko spaceman slot olympus slot88 starlight princess slot dana digmaan joker123 zeus slot slot mania slot habanero idnslot slot pulsa jdb slot slot hoki fafaslot nolimit city slot princess fafaslot fafa slot slot princess slot 77 slot pulsa slot bri slot ovo slot gopay slot jepang slot 777 slot88 slot ovo slot gopay slot jepang slot 88 slot receh slot 123 joker123 slot princess slot kamboja roulette online baccarat online idn poker dragon tiger nolimit city slot dana thailand slot slot gacor slot thailand slot mahjong mahjong ways slot88 slot dana joker123 slot maxwin slot88 slot dana joker123 slot maxwin slot mahjong slot gacor slot thailand slot mahjong slot gopay slot88 slot thailand slot zeus sbobet slot toto slot server thailand slot thailand slot77 slot gacor slot thailand slot server thailand slot thailand akun gacor slot maxwin slot gacor slot thailand slot kakek zeus Pg Soft Maxbet Ibcbet Starlight Princess Slot Ovo Joker123 Mahjong Ways 2 Sv388 Sbobet Slot Dana Slot Thailand Slot Thailand Digmaan Sv388 Joker123 Mahjong Ways 2 Slot Dana Slot Gacor Slot Anti Rungkat baccarat roulette sicbo casino online sv388 tembak ikan online sbobet slot macau slot thailand slot thailand slot maxwin slot88 slot88 slot deposit ovo situs slot wwg slot slot thailand wm casino tembak ikan slot thailand slot wala meron slot nolimit city slot pg slot gacor slot88 slot50000 slot mahjong slot thailand 66k bet slot daftar judi slot online indonesia slot mahjong ways slot thailand mahjong ways slot gacor slot mawin slot gacor slot gacor slot gacor slot thailand slot thailand slot gacor slot ovo slot gacor slot gopay slot gacor slot gacor slot thailand slot gacor judi slot slot thailand slot thailand slot thailand slot mahjong ways 2 slot pragmatic slot demo pragmatic slot demo pg soft demo slot pragmatic slot gacor 4d slot pg soft pgslot pgsoft pgsoft sv388 slot88 pgsoft slot thailand slot88 slot thailand slot gacor slot ovo slot dana fafaslot slot ovo slot jepang judi slot gacor slot rusia Situs Daftar Judi Slot Mahjong Ways 1 dan 2 PG Soft Online PG Soft : Daftar Situs Judi Slot Online Gacor Slot Kakek Zeus RTP Slot > Daftar Situs Judi Slot Gacor Mahjong Ways 2 PG Soft : Daftar Situs Judi Slot Online Gacor Terbaik Situs Slot Online Gacor Dan Agen Slot Pragmatic Play Terpercaya Slot Gacor: Situs Slot Online Pragmatic Play & Bocoran Pola Slot Situs Slot Online Terbaik Terpercaya dan Terbesar di Indonesia Slot Kakek Zeus Daftar Link Slot Olympus Terbaru Slot Dana Daftar Judi Slot Online Indonesia Paling Gacor di Indonesia Sabung Ayam Online Sv388 Daftar Situs Judi Slot Online SLOT88 SLOT PG SOFT GACOR Bandar Slot Daftar Situs Judi Online Terbaik & Terpercaya Gacor power gaming sv388 lucky neko slot gacor slot gacor slot88 slot kakek slot pg slot kakek zeus slot dana slot maxwin slot server luar negeri slot thailand Link Daftar Situs Judi Slot Deposit Dana 20RB Tanpa Potongan Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Link Daftar Situs Judi Slot Deposit Dana 20RB Tanpa Potongan Slot Pragmatic - Link Alternatif Judi Slot Online Gacor Kakek Zeus Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Daftar Slot Dana Daftar Slot Dana Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play lucky Neko Daftar & Login Slot PG Judi Slot 88 Online Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Slot Mahjong Ways 2 Mudah Jackpot Paus di PG Soft Hari ini 2023 Lucky Neko Situs Slot Gacor Pgsoft Hari Ini Slot Pragmatic - Link Alternatif Judi Slot Online Gacor Kakek Zeus SITUS SABUNG AYAM SV388 ONLINE DAFTAR LINK LOGIN APK AGEN SV388 Daftar Judi Slot Online Indonesia Paling Gacor di Indonesia SBOBET Login Agen Judi Bola Sbobet Mahjong Ways | Slot PG | Slot Mahjong Ways 2 | Slot PGsoft | Daftar Slot Mahjong Situs Joker123 | Joker123 | Joker Gaming | Daftar Slot Joker Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Agen Daftar Situs Judi Slot Online Terpercaya Slot Kakek Zeus : Daftar RTP Judi Slot Online Gacor Gampang Menang Joker123 Game Slot Gacor Joker Gaming Casino Online Indonesia Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play slot mahjong pg soft slot gacor slot thailand slot maxwin slot spaceman pg slot