Environment & Ecology
In News: A report on the policy framework of the Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage or CCUS prepared by the Niti Aayog and MN Dastur & Company says CCUS has a critical role to play for the country to halve CO2 emissions by 2050 and reach net-zero by 2070.
- India’s per capita CO2 emissions were about 1.9 tonnes per annum, which was less than 40% of the global average and about one-fourth of that of China.
About CCUS:
- It is the technology for decarbonising carbon dioxide (CO2) from high polluting sectors such as steel, cement, oil, gas, petrochemicals, chemicals and fertilisers (contribute to 70% of emission).
- The technology would help in promoting the low carbon-hydrogen economy and in removal of the CO2 stock from the atmosphere.
- It could enable the production of clean products while utilising rich endowments of coal, reducing imports and thus leading to a self-reliant India economy.
- It could enable sunrise sectors such as coal gasification and the nascent hydrogen economy in India.
- Creation of value-added products such as green methanol, green ammonia
- The key challenge would be to reduce the cost of the mechanisms to implement the technology.
- CCUS policy should be carbon credits or incentives based, to seed and promote the
- CCUS sector in India through tax and cash credits and later should transition to carbon taxes.
Source: The Hindu
Previous Year Question
Q.1) Which of the following statements best describes “carbon fertilization”? (2018)
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- Increased plant growth due to increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
- Increased temperature of Earth due to increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
- Increased acidity of oceans as a result of increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
- Adaptation of all living beings on Earth to the climate change brought about by the increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
