IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 14th December, 2015

  • December 14, 2015
  • 7
IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Analysis, IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs December 2015, UPSC
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Archives

 

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 14th December, 2015

 

ENVIRONMENT

 

TOPIC

General Studies 1:

  • Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, cyclone etc., changes in critical geographical features (including waterbodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

 

General Studies 2:

  • Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. 
  • Development processes and the development industry- the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders;
  • Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests; Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests; Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

 

General Studies 3:

  • Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

 

A new framework for collective global action against climate change has appeared and it sets an over-arching target of keeping emissions in control so that global temperature rise remains below 2 degree Celsius

Let us have a look at the important developments related to it.

Accountability:

CBDR—

  • Principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” (CBDR) stays embedded in the document
  • CBDR is essential to enforce accountability for the historical emissions that have already led to an increase of 1 degree Celsius in global temperature

Emission Reduction Action

  • Developed as well as developing countries have to take emission reduction
  • Developing countries can determine the nature and quantum of these nationally though; Should be able to provide a country-driven plan for adaptation and seek finance from the developed world

Self-differentiation mechanism:

  • Based upon the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) that were submitted by countries prior to the Paris summit
  • Countries can decide if they want to enhance their INDCs- if the total effort by all the countries is found to be inadequate in the “global stocktake” that will begin in 2023 and, will be held every five years thereafter

Difference:

  • INDCs submitted by the US and EU amount to just one-fifth of their fair share
  • INDCs of the majority of developing countries, including India, either exceed or broadly meet their fair share commitments.

Carbon budget available with the world is—

29,00 billion tonnes (bt) of which 1,900 bt has already been emitted

  • US and European Union (EU) together account for close to 40% of all the emissions between 1850 and 2011
  • India’s contribution is a measly 2.8%

 

Issues

  • Dilutes the principles of equity adopted by the Kyoto protocol in 1997
  • Does away with the legally binding emission targets for the developed countries that was agreed upon in Kyoto
  • No accountability for the past
  • Does not enforce any legally binding commitments from developed countries in the future as countries will set their own targets and no penalties will be imposed for failing to meet those
  • Developed nations cannot be filed for liability or compensation for loss and damage incurred by poorer nations as a result of historical emissions

 

Finance

  • Developed countries will continue to help developing countries through climate finance reaching an amount of $100 billion annually by 2020
  • Prior to 2025, a new climate finance goal will be adopted upwards of this amount

Issue:

OECD report: Total climate finance had risen to US $52 billion in 2013 and US $62 billion in 2014, thus giving the impression that developed nations were well on their way to meeting the original US $100 billion by 2020 promise.

India’s Union Ministry of Finance: Argued that the OECD report had major methodological issues of double-counting, mislabelling and misreporting, the paper indicated that the only credible estimate was for US $2.2 billion in gross climate finance disbursements

(Has scarcely been made available to developing countries and there is no clause in the Paris agreement that may alter the course)

It is necessary to “establish more credible, accurate, and verifiable numbers on the true size of the mobilisation of climate change finance commitments and flows from developed to developing countries”.
5-yr Assessment:

Every five years there shall be an (To arrive at “net zero emissions” between 2050 and 2100)

  • Assessment of how the emission reduction actions of all countries collectively are faring against the goal of keeping temperatures under control
  • Assess the kind and volume of funds being provided by developed countries

Assessment Reports— Help countries to decide if and how they want to enhance their nationally determined contributions for the next phase of the agreement
Technology Mechanism:
To help countries cooperate and foster collaborative research in future in developing and deploying cleaner technologies and fuel sources over time

 

Market mechanism:

  • A global market-based mechanism to reduce emissions be set up to allow a global carbon-trade
  • Countries get chances to take credit for emission reductions against their own targets by paying for it in countries where emission reduction is cheaper to achieve

 

Transparency Mechanism:
Uniform system in place to report on methods being adopted by countries:

  • to fight climate change
  • to achieve its nationally determined contributions

Article 4 mandates that each country should, in five-year cycles, prepare, communicate and maintain an NDC.

 

REVISION

Promises as a whole

  • To keep the rise of global temperature far below two degrees Celsius by the turn of the century
  • To ensure global emissions peak as soon as possible, with developed countries doing so before others
  • To ensure net greenhouse gas emissions become zero in the second half this century

The wins

  • Differentiation between developed and developing world while reducing emissions
  • No forcible ratcheting up of emission targets periodically
  • India does not have to compulsorily provide climate finance
  • No peaking of emissions before other countries
  • Removing reference to decarbonisation of economies against fixed deadlines
  • The Paris pact not entirely centred on mitigation, but it lays substantial stress on other elements such as finance, adaptation, loss & damage

 

The losses

  • Transparency mechanism brings equivalence between developed and developing countries through the ‘back door’. Global financial flows for thermal power in India will shrink with time
  • Climate justice has been used just as a word.
  • Carbon budget concept fails to find place
  • No reference to reducing cost of IPRs

 

India’s Initiatives:

Important Areas to be focussed upon:

  • Cleaner thermal power generation,
  • Promoting renewable energy,
  • Reducing emissions from transport and waste, and
  • Creating climate resilient infrastructure
  • Building low-carbon cities,
  • Using smarter electric and mass public transit,
  • Investing in buildings efficiency and a digital, decentralised electric grid

Also, go through:

Climate Change and India- What to expect?http://iasbaba.com/2015/08/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-19th-20th-august-2015/

The Balancing Act: Paris Agreement—http://iasbaba.com/2015/10/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-24th-october-2015/

 

MUST READ

 

Chennai floods: Water under the bridge- In a tragic misjudgment, a usually parched city set about conserving its water when it should have steadily released it

Live Mint

 

For  Detailed Analysis on  ‘Disaster Management: Chennai floods ’, refer the below link

http://iasbaba.com/2015/12/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-9th-december-2015/

 

Lessons of 1963- Resumed India-Pakistan dialogue is welcome. They must take small steps, focus on tangible achievements

Indian Express

 

When car-free is stay-at-home- In the absence of disabled-friendly public transport, Delhi’s car-free day and odd-even formula will force upon me undesired holidays.

Indian Express

 

India to talk tough on food at WTO summit

Business Standard

 

WTO meet: striking a fair deal- It is time that all these countries came together to pursue outcomes that are in the best interests of an overwhelming majority of the WTO members

Live Mint

 

For  more information on  ‘WTO and its relevance ’, refer the below link

http://iasbaba.com/2015/11/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-14th-november-2015/

 

 

MIND MAPS

 

1. Digital India

The Hindu

Digital India

 

 

2. GM Mustard

Live Mint

GM Mustard

 

3. Low Carbon Future

Indian Express

Low Carbon Future

Search now.....

Sign Up To Receive Regular Updates