By Rohit Kumar
In the last few decades, technological development and rapid industrialization have seen a rise in the global temperature. Different parts of the world encountered with a lot of problems unforeseen changes in weather, droughts and floods in different parts of the world from Uncontrolled rise in the temperature of the atmosphere.
Taking the issue of climate change seriously, 196 countries of the world signed the Paris Agreement on 12 December 2015. In the recently published Climate Change Index Report, India is among the top 10 countries for the second time in a row. From the rank 34 in 2014 to 10 in 2020 shows India’s dedication and commitment to curb this sensitive issue of climate change.Currently, India contributes only 6.8 percent of global emissions. And per capita emissions are only 1.9 tern per capita. Compared to this, United States emissions are 13.5 percent of global emissions and 15.52 tons per capita. The UK contributes 30 percent while the European Union, including Britain, contributes 8.7 percent.
India has received high ratings in all categories of the Climate Change Performance Index. India’s performance in the renewable energy category is moderate. CCPI has been released in collaboration with New Climate Institute and Climate Action Network (CAN)! This report states that India needs more focus on renewable energy. According to this report, no country is making enough efforts to meet the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement.
Climate Change Performance Index is an independent monitoring tool. It tracks the climate protection performance of countries. This index is being published since 2005. This index provides information on countries’ climate policy, current emission levels of greenhouse gas, energy usage, etc. This index assesses countries under four categories – greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, renewable energy and climate policy.
In this index 6 G20 countries are included in the list of very underperforming countries. America is the worst performing country with 61 ranks.
Recently on the fifth anniversary of the Paris Climate Agreement Chinese President Xi Jinping committed to do more than the previously announced action plan by 2030. and appealed to the international community to adopt a new approach with environmentally friendly climate governance. China will increase the forest area by six billion cubic meters compared to the year 2005 and increase the installed capacity of wind and solar power to 1.2 billion kWh. While China’s emissions are steadily increasing, China’s efforts so far are inadequate. Simultaneously, China is setting up coal plants in Pakistan. Continuing China’s top rung in continued greenhouse gas emissions reflects its more talkative & least acting attitude towards the climate change.
America has already come out of the agreement. But a new hope has rekindled after Beiden’s coming in to power when the US again joins the Paris Agreement. And will scale up its upcoming plans regarding climate change in accordance with the agreement.
Germany’s Chancellor Angela Markle has targeted to make the country zero carbon by 2050. But for this, neither they have any blue print ready yet, nor have they got so much towards this direction.
The stated goal of nationally determined contribution (NDC) for India has to achieve by 2030. India has taken considerable steps towards this. By 2030, a 35 to 35% reduction in emissions per unit of GDP (compared to 2005 levels). In 2030 at least 40% of the electricity will be sourced from non-fossil sources 2.5 To create 3 billion tons of additional carbon sinks. Also, the ISA is the first treaty-based international intergovernmental organization launched in Paris on 30 November 2015 by India and France, which came into existence on 6 December 2017. In addition to the ISA, India has launched the ‘One Sun One World One Grid’ project. Has initiated an initiative to build a global ecosystem to connect renewable energy resources. India has also proposed the formation of a World Solar Bank to reduce the cost of finance and technology to fulfill the mission of the International Solar Alliance. The ambitious goal of producing 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022 , Smart cities, electric vehicles, energy efficiency, initiatives and India Stage-4 to India Stage-6 emissions by April 2022, Solar Roof Top, Solar Park, Solar Street Light, Har Ghar Bijli ,Ujjwala Yojana and spending of Rs. 10,000 crore in the renewable energy sector in the budget 2020 this year have been actively initiated to implement the norms so as to reduce the impact of climate change.
While all countries of the world are forgetting the basis of humanity and engaged in adoption of modernisation, India has adopted its basic principles, live and let live, and shown its awareness,dedication & commitment towards this serious and sensitive issue of climate change. Meanwhile a lot have yet to be done in this area but the way India has shown it’s behavior towards this sensitive issue the day is not far when India will emerge as a global leader in the battle of climate change.
(Author is Civil services aspirant, writer, columnist and is presently working with department of health & family welfare government of Himachal Pradesh. The views expressed are personal opinion of the author. He can be reached at guptarohitmed89@gmail.com.)
