UPSC Articles
India to achieve net zero emissions by 2070
Part of: Prelims and GS III – Climate change
Context Indian Prime Minister said at the COP26 summit in Glasgow that India will achieve net zero emissions latest by 2070.
Key takeaways
- By 2030, India will ensure 50% of its energy will be sourced from renewable energy sources.
- India will reduce its carbon emissions by 2030 by a billion tonnes.
- India will also reduce its emissions intensity per unit of GDP by less than 45%.
- India also emphasised that in the spirit of climate justice, rich developed countries ought to be providing at least $1 trillion in climate finance to assist developing countries and those most vulnerable.
- Climate adaptation must be given importance too.
- Criticism: According to several experts, Taking on net zero targets requires a sharp shift to clean energy sources that will impose a steep cost.
What is COP26?
- The Conference of Parties (COP) comes under the United Nations Climate Change Framework Convention (UNFCCC) which was formed in 1994.
- 2021 marks the 26th Conference of Parties (thus the name COP26) and will be held in the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow.
- The UNFCCC was established to work towards “stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.”
- It laid out a list of responsibilities for the member states which included:
- Formulating measures to mitigate climate change
- Cooperating in preparing for adaptation to the impact of climate change
- Promoting education, training and public awareness related to climate change
- India hosted the eighth COP from October 23 to November 1, 2002 in New Delhi.
- One of the most important conferences, COP21 took place in 2015, at Paris, France. Member countries agreed to work together to ‘limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.’
