India enhanced climate ambitions in post COVID-19 scenario, say experts welcoming updated NDC under Paris Agreement
To further a healthy and sustainable lifestyle, 'LIFE'- 'Lifestyle for Environment' as a key to combating climate change has been added to India's Nationally Determined Contribution
Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PTI File
New Delhi: India has enhanced its climate ambitions in the post-pandemic scenario when the world is seeing less action on climate change and this needs to be appreciated, experts have said welcoming the country's updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement.
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved India's updated NDC, incorporating two of the promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Glasgow conference -- reducing emissions intensity of GDP by 45 per cent by 2030, compared to 2005 levels, and achieving about 50 per cent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by that year.
To further a healthy and sustainable lifestyle, 'LIFE'- 'Lifestyle for Environment' as a key to combating climate change" has been added to India's NDC.
Environment Ministry officials said the two quantified targets included in the NDC are interlinked with the other promises made at the Glasgow conference last year i.e. 500 gigawatt non-fossil energy capacity by 2030 and reducing total projected carbon emissions by 1 billion tonnes by that year.
"The updated NDC already includes 50 per cent electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based resources by 2030. This is going to take care of the 500GW non-fossil energy capacity target. Similarly, the decision to increase emission intensity reduction target by another 10 per cent (from 35 per cent earlier to 45 per cent now) will cover another 'Panchamrit' goal -- reducing CO2 emissions by 1 billion ton by 2030," a senior official told PTI.
"Net-zero need not be part of the NDC as it's a 2070 goal and these targets are a step in that direction. However, it could be part of India's 'Long Term Emissions Strategies' document which has to be submitted by the upcoming COP," the official said.
Net zero means achieving a balance between the greenhouse gases put into the atmosphere and those taken out.
RR Rashmi, distinguished fellow at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), said the decision by India to update its NDCs is in line with the prime minister's Glasgow announcements. It enhances the ambition and yet puts sustainable development at the centre of the debate, she noted.
It is clear that India does not envisage sectoral emission reduction obligations as part of its NDC at least till 2030. The NDC does not bind it to any sector-specific mitigation obligation or action. And, it rightly emphasises the value of a sustainable way of living as an effective and just solution to the problem of climate change, she said.
Director General of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Sunita Narain said India has taken important action at a time when the world is seeing less action on climate change.
"But disappointed that we have stated that we will have 50 per cent installed non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 instead of what India had said in Glasgow that we will meet 50 per cent of electricity requirements from renewables by 2030. This is disappointing as we are already roughly 40 per cent (power generation capacity from non-fossil fuel-based sources)," she said.
Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) fellow Dr Vaibhav Chaturvedi said the share of non-fossil sources in India's power generation capacity has already crossed 41 per cent on the back of dedicated policies, and emissions intensity of GDP declined by 24 per cent between 2005 and 2016.
Emission intensity is the volume of emissions per unit of GDP.
"That India's ambition has been enhanced in the post-pandemic scenario needs to be emphasised and appreciated. The Union Cabinet's statement explicitly states that the enhanced NDC is a step towards the net-zero goal, the government should now follow this with explicit inclusion of the 2070 net-zero pledge in its yet to be submitted long-term strategy to the UN," he said.
Madhura Joshi, senior associate at India Energy Transition Lead, E3G, said: "India's updated NDC targets are a welcome move. These targets, while lower than the 'Panchamrit', are actionable."
Vibhuti Garg, energy economist and India lead at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, said India's updated NDC does not include all the 'Panchamrit' promises made at COP26 in Glasgow.
The revised NDC does not include 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based capacity by 2030 and a reduction of one billion tonnes of carbon emissions by 2030. The current renewable energy target stands at 175 GW by 2030, she said.
In order to achieve 2070 net-zero goals, India needs actionable short-term targets till 2030 that can help the country to achieve its long-term goal, Garg added.
India had submitted its first NDC to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change on 2 October, 2015.
It had eight goals, of which three had quantitative targets up to 2030 -- cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil sources to reach 40 percent, reducing emissions intensity of GDP by 33 to 35 per cent compared to 2005 levels and creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover.
At the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) of the UNFCCC last November, Modi had announced that India's non-fossil energy capacity will reach 500 gigawatt by 2030.
He had said India will fulfil 50 per cent of its energy requirements from renewable energy sources by 2030 and reduce its total projected carbon emissions by 1 billion tonnes by that year.
India will reduce the carbon intensity of its economy by 45 per cent, over 2005 levels and achieve the target of net zero emissions by 2070, Modi had said. The five promises are called 'Panchamrit' (five nectar elements). Two of the promises have been included in the updated NDC.
Africa Climate Talks sets the tone for CCDA-X and outlines regional climate change challenges and opportunities as Africa goes to COP27
PRESS RELEASE
AUG 5, 2022
29 July 2022, Maputo, Mozambique - The fourth edition of the intensive and engaging Africa Climate Talks (ACT!-4) closed yesterday in Maputo, Mozambique.
The three-day session was co-hosted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), African Union Commission (AUC), Africa Development Bank (AfDB), Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), and the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) with partnership support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). It brought together leading climate academics, researchers, civil society actors and youth alongside officials from Eastern and Southern African governments, regional economic communities and international development agencies.
This was the first session of ACT!-4 organized as part of a regional Climate Talks series by the African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) of the ECA to pursue the theme, “Ensuring a just and equitable transition and human security in Africa: Building resilience.”
This year’s theme builds up on the gains realized from last year, which run under the aegis, “Climate Change and Development in Africa: African perspectives on climate resilient recovery from COVID-19”.
Prof. Manuel Guilherme Júnior, Vice-Rector, University Eduardo Mondlane welcomed participants to Mozambique, and encouraged frank discussions that would generate robust solutions, not just for the region but also for Africa’s climate responses.
Speaking on behalf of Vera Songwe, the Executive Secretary of the ECA, Jean Paul-Adam, who heads the Technology, Climate Change and Natural Resource Management division at the ECA, noted that ACTs! serves as an all-inclusive climate change and development dialogue forum. “The fourth ACTs! is an opportunity to deliberate on viable solutions on Just Transition, Loss and Damage, innovative financing models including green and blue bonds as well as Climate-Debt-Swaps to boost resilience in Africa.”
Ms. Eunice Kamwendo, who is the director of ECA’s Sub-regional office for Southern Africa noted the significance of the Talks being held in Mozambique, which has been in the frontlines of building homegrown climate resilience and adaptation responses due to its interventions to the intense occurrences of cyclones and storm surges.
COP27 will be an implementation COP
The UN Resident Coordinator in Mozambique, Myrta Kaulard, extended a warm welcome to participants noting that this year’s deliberations of ACTs! were “paramount in discussing and contributing to just transition in Africa.” Ms. Kaulard thanked the Government of Sweden for it strong support to the United Nations, including support for the African Climate Policy Centre’s programme on delivering climate resilient development policies in Africa and noted that “COP27 will be an African COP and an implementation COP”
In her opening remarks, Anna Tjärvar of the Swedish Embassy in Ethiopia, acknowledged that Africa faces significant challenges in adaptation and remains a vulnerability hotspot for climate change. To this end, Ms. Tjärvar reiterated Sweden’s commitment to continue working with the African Climate Policy Centre and the African Union alongside member states including civil society to find appropriate adaptation and resilience solutions.
James Murombedzi who heads the African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) set the scene by stating that the talks were a first step in democratizing the climate discourse in the continent by engaging grassroots voices who are mostly underserved in the global dialogue. According to Murombedzi, the forum serves as “a platform for continental stakeholders to engage in open discourses aimed at catalyzing emerging African perspectives on the most pressing concerns around climate change and socio-economic development.”
The Mozambican climate vulnerability due to increased and intensified cyclones served as a strong case study to discussants sharing experiences, solutions and best practices on mitigation, adaptation and climate action.
“The Mozambican experience has given the African Climate Talks ample framework to help shape the African narrative on how to better respond to climate change and build resilient economies” Murombedzi said.
The deliberations and resolutions from this all-engaging forum contribute to the regional realization of Africa’s Agenda 2063 aspirations and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through climate resilient development.
Dr. Harsen Nyambe who is the Director of the African Union Commission’s Directorate of Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy noted that increased public participation remains a critical pillar of successful climate action and welcomed the now established trend of the catalyzing effect of ACTs! in mobilizing action to counter vulnerabilities which affect wider continental aspirations and sustainable developmental goals. Dr Nyambe also thanked the ECA for its technical and academic input and contributing heavily towards the successful launch of the comprehensive African Union Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy and Action Plan.
The Talks held on the backdrop of a region inundated by cyclones, storm surges, floods and drought affecting more than 20 million people was also addressed by Amos Makarau, the Regional Director of the World Meteorological Organization Regional Office for Africa (WMO-ROA). Makarau called for sustained and increased investment in climate information services to boost Africa’s early warning and early action systems, which are prerequisites for informed decision making by policy makers.
The African Development Bank lauded the Africa Climate Talks for creating a platform for the discussion of African perspectives on key issues in the linkages between climate change and Africa’s transformative development trajectories, bringing together all stakeholders.
ACTs! attracts youth
A large cohort of students signifying a growing interest in climate action attended this year’s ACTs! co-organized in partnership with the Eduardo Mondlane University and helped meet one of the core tenets of its objectives, which is building a critical mass of young people as future climate champions.
“African Climate Talks is taking a proactive African-centric approach to move beyond dependency on external support towards solutions from within the continent.” Adam said.
The second session of ACT!-4 is slated for Niamey in Niger to amalgamate the Western, Central and Northern Africa climate perspectives.
The 2022 edition of the ACTs! forum has broken new grounds and set the regional agenda for the tenth anniversary of the premier continental Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA-X) conference while at the same time outlining the first steps in collating Africa’s priorities at the COP27 in Egypt in November.
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org
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