By: Dr. Satyawan Saurabh
Net-zero emissions are a method of balancing greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere by greenhouse gas absorption from the atmosphere. In zero carbon emissions, the country will focus on limiting carbon emissions. But in net-zero carbon, the country will focus on bringing net carbon emissions to zero. At the 26th Conference of the Parties, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a five-fold strategy – called Panchamrit – to achieve this feat. Under this, India will achieve its non-fossil energy capacity of 500 gigawatts (GW) by 2030. India will meet 50 percent of its energy needs from renewable energy by 2030. India will reduce its total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes from now till 2030. By 2030, India will reduce the carbon intensity of its economy by more than 45 percent, so by 2070, India will achieve the goal of net zero.
India has ratified the promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Glasgow last November to accelerate India’s reliance on renewable energy to power the economy and become effectively fossil fuel-free by 2070. An update has been approved to India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), a formal communication to the United Nations, on the steps taken by the country to prevent global warming from rising further by 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. The steps have been explained.
Achieving net zero emissions and meeting the net-zero goal will require energy-efficient buildings, lighting, appliances, and industrial practices. Increased use of biofuels in agriculture may help reduce emissions from light commercial vehicles, and tractors. In aviation, the only practical solution to reducing emissions is greater use of biofuels until hydrogen technology scales up. The rise of electric vehicles will help further curb carbon emissions.
India will have to rely on natural and man-made carbon sinks to absorb those emissions. Trees can absorb 0.9 billion tons; The country will need carbon capture technologies to sequester the rest. India, which already taxes coal and petroleum fuel, should consider taxing emissions to make a difference. There are four main types of low-carbon energy: wind, solar, hydroelectric, or nuclear power. The first three are renewable, meaning they are good for the environment – because natural resources (such as the wind or the sun) are used to generate electricity. Deploying low-carbon energy will help address both domestic and international climate challenges while improving the economic well-being of India’s citizens.
India’s energy mix is currently dominated by coal-fired power generating stations. The need of the hour is to increase the share of renewable energy in this energy mix. Given the massive changes India’s energy system is undergoing, we would benefit from taking stock of our actions and focusing on near-term change. This will allow us to meet and even over-comply with our 2030 target, while also ensuring concomitant developmental benefits such as developing a vibrant renewables industry. and better understand the impacts of net-zero scenarios through modeling and other studies before making the net-zero pledge. It would also be in India’s interest to link any future pledges to the achievement of near-term action by industrialized countries. This would be fair and in line with the principles of the UNFCCC and would also enhance the feasibility of our actions, for example by increasing the availability of new mitigation technologies and reducing costs.
India has made strong progress on its climate commitments and remains a key international stakeholder in building ambition and shaping a low-carbon future. India has an important role to play in future greenhouse gas mitigation as well as large-scale climate adaptation with millions of lives already exposed to extreme heat, drought, and flooding. With much of the country’s infrastructure still being built and future energy supplies yet to be established, India has an opportunity to set a low-carbon development paradigm for the rest of the developing world.
The writer is Research Scholar, Poet, Independent Journalist, and Columnist, All India Radio and TV Panellist.
