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PM Modi at the Climate Action Summit

September 24, 2019 by Climate portal editor Leave a Comment

From the Prime Minister’s Office, this is the text of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address (the original in Hindi) on 23 September 2019, at the Climate Action Summit 2019 during the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, USA:

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressing at the (United Nations) Climate Action Summit- 2019, in New York, USA on September 23, 2019.

I thank UN Secretary General for organising the Global climate summit.
After having received the Champion of the Earth award last year, this is my first opportunity to address the United Nations. I am pleased that my first meeting during my visit to New York is on the subject of Climate.
Excellencies, various efforts are being made by different countries to fight climate change. We must accept that if we have to overcome a serious challenge like climate change, then what we are doing at the moment is just not enough.
What is needed today, is a comprehensive approach which covers everything from education to values, and from lifestyle to developmental philosophy. What we need is a global people’s movement to bring about behavioral change.
The respect for nature, the judicious use of resources, reducing our needs and living within our means have all been important aspects of both our traditions and present day efforts. Need not Greed has been our guiding principle.
And therefore India today has come not just to talk about the seriousness of this issue, but to present a practical approach and a roadmap. We believe that an ounce of practice is worth more than a ton of preaching.
In India, we are going to increase the share of non fossil fuel, and by 2022 we plan to increase our renewable energy capacity to much beyond 175 GW, and later till 450 GW. In India we have made plans to make our transport sector green through e mobility. India is also working to considerably increase the proportion of the biofuel blend in petrol and diesel.
We have provided clean cooking gas to 150 million families. We have launched the Jal Jeevan mission for water conservation, rainwater harvesting and for the development of water resources. India is going to spend approximately 50 billion dollars on this in the next few years.
On the International forum, almost 80 countries have joined our International Solar Alliance campaign. India and Sweden together with other partners are launching the Leadership group within the Industry transition track. This initiative will provide a platform for governments and the private sector with opportunities for cooperation in the area of Technology innovation. This will help to develop low carbon pathways for industry.
In order to make our infrastructure disaster resilient, India is launching a Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. I invite Member states to join this coalition.
This year on the occasion of India’s Independence day on 15th August, we called for a peoples movement to end the use of single use plastic. I hope that this will create an awareness at a global level about the harmful effects of single use plastic.
Excellencies, I am happy to announce that tomorrow we are going to inaugurate solar panels on the roof of the UN building, funded by India at a cost of 1 million dollars.
The time for talking is over; the world needs to act now. Thank you. Thank you very much.

Source: Press Information Bureau, Government of India

India fires a climate finance broadside

September 21, 2019 by Climate portal editor Leave a Comment

We are pleased to note that the Union Ministry of Finance has issued a discussion paper titled ‘Climate Summit for Enhanced Action: A Financial Perspective from India’, for the 23 September 2019 United Nations Climate Action Summit.

The discussion paper examines various issues on climate finance from India’s point of view. We see that the paper reminds the United Nations that “in order to respond to the worldwide call for stepping up climate actions, it will have to be matched with adequate provision of climate finance from developed countries to developing countries as mandated by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) under the principles of common but differentiated responsibilities and equity”.

That means, no dilution of or change in India’s stand on the matter of who is historically responsible for the material in our atmosphere (likewise in our oceans, ice sheets and soils) which has pushed the global parts per million (ppm) of CO2 to 410.45 (the measure for 2019 June, monthly mean, by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Earth System Research Laboratory) and which a year ago was 407.84 ppm.

The paper has said that “climate finance is a key pillar in enabling climate actions” with the most recent estimates for taking climate actions being trillions of US dollars and not billions, but that “the momentum of these flows is insufficient and inadequate”. Referring to India’s Nationally Determined Contribution, the paper said our NDC is on a “best effort” basis, keeping in mind the developmental imperatives of the country. The year 2023 is when UN member countries will undertake a first global stocktake under the Paris Agreement. At that time, said the paper, “India will be better placed to consider a mid-term assessment of its actions and suitably recalibrate through re-examination and improvement” while for now, “India may only be in a position to elaborate or clarify its post 2020 climate actions already pledged in its NDC”.

Global Climate Fund (GCF) finance to India as per the latest available information amounts to only US$ 177 million. This is literally less than peanuts, INR 1,258 crore – the Union Territory of Pondicherry spent INR 2,720 crore just on social sector expenditure in 2017-18. Furthermore, limited as it is, the GCF is now facing withdrawal of some earlier promised sums. That is why the paper says, “the GCF is yet to reach a meaningful stage”. We fully agree.

In 2015, developed countries published a roadmap for global climate finance to US$ 100 billion, which claimed that public climate finance levels had reached US$ 41 billion per year in 2013-14. However, these claims have been contested by many. There have been many critiques on such reporting particularly on credibility, accuracy and fairness. There have also been serious concerns raised about the methodologies of accounting especially the definitional requirements of ‘new and additional’ and ‘grant equivalent’ finance. Suffice to say that the claims of the developed countries do not stand up to scrutiny.

The paper has said that finance needs for India’s are approximately US$ 206 billion (at 2014-15 prices) between 2015 and 2030 for implementing adaptation actions in key areas like agriculture, forestry, fisheries, infrastructure, water resources and ecosystems. Apart from this, there will be additional investments needed for strengthening resilience and disaster management. (RG)

The full discussion paper is available here.

Late, but on the way

May 28, 2019 by Climate portal editor Leave a Comment

At this point, the monsoon 2019 system is farther away, in terms of its movement, than where it is normally found at this time of the year. The India Meteorological Department maintains its maps showing the movement of the system through late May and early June.

Judged against its averaged movement over the last decade and over a 50-year long-term average, the northern limit of the system is some 450 kilometres away from where it usually is in the south-west Bay of Bengal, and is about 400 kilometres away from the more easterly end of the same perimeter in the east-central Bay of Bengal. Whereas around 27 May the monsoon system would have normally been some 150 kilometres north of the Andaman Islands, now it is at 11N (near Little Andaman).

This delay has no bearing on the forecast for the overall adequacy of rainfall during monsoon 2019 because, as the IMD has said, the large-scale features which influence our monsoon are favourable, these being:
* Weak El Niño conditions that are prevailing over the equatorial Pacific Ocean; the latest Monsoon Mission Climate Forecasting System (MMCFS) forecast indicates that these conditions are likely to continue during the monsoon season but with reduced intensity.
* Neutral Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) conditions over the Indian Ocean; the latest MMCFS forecast indicates these conditions are likely to continue during the monsoon season.

The weekly outlooks are as follows.
The week 24 May to 30 May: the south-west monsoon cloud cover belt moves into sea regions – the south-east Arabian Sea, the south-west and south-east Bay of Bengal, and the north Andaman Sea. Showers in the entire north-eastern region with heavier daily rain (5-10 mm/day) in Manipur, Nagaland and Assam hills. Light showers in Karnataka, Kerala, adjacent Tamil Nadu and Rayalaseema.

The week 31 May to 06 Jun: the south-west monsoon cloud cover belt does not advance further into the Arabian Sea while it moves further north into the east-central Bay of Bengal. The north-east region continues to have showers as the eastern Himalayan region is fully covered. Lower Assam and Meghalaya to have heavier showers of up to 20 mm/day. The spread of light showers in Tamil Nadu is wider as the north Lankan gap between the cloud fronts over the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal closes, light showers (up to 5 mm/day) continue in Kerala and south interior Karnataka.

The week 07 Jun to 13 Jun: the main feature is the advance of the south-west monsoon cloud cover belt into the east-central Arabian Sea (off the central Konkan coast). With the limits of the south-west monsoon cloud cover belt remaining as they were over the Bay of Bengal, light showers extend over Tamil Nadu, south interior and coastal Karnataka, Goa and the Maharashtra Konkan with heavier showers (5-10 mm/day in Kerala). All states of the north-east continues to receive heavier showers (10-20 mm/day) and the western Himalaya – all divisions of Jammu & Kashmir, the northern halves of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand – receive light showers.

The week 14 Jun to 20 Jun: consolidation of the south-west monsoon cloud cover belt over the seas with the east-central and north-east Arabian Sea fully reached, the north-east Bay of Bengal likewise, and its north-west entered. This brings heavier daily rain (up to 20 mm/day to all states of the north-east and light showers to West Bengal, parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, parts of Odisha. The entire west coast has rain with the northern precipitation line from Thane (20N) to Latur (18N), to Warangal (18N) and Kondagaon (in Chhattisgarh, 20N), to Rayagada (in Odisha, 19N). Light showers also in the western Himalayan region (up to 5 mm/day).

Between contemplation and climate

June 8, 2017 by Climate portal editor Leave a Comment

Whether or not the USA, Europe, the Western world, the industrialised Eastern world (China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan), adhere to or not their paltry promises about being more responsible concerning the factors that lead to climate change, is of very little concern to us. We have never set any store by international agreements on climate change.

This year will see the twenty-third conference of parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and for 23 years the world and India have listened to lofty tales about simple science. In these 23 years, neither has reckless consumption been halted nor has the economic model that encourages such reckless consumption been questioned by the conference of parties. As long as they do not, inter-governmental agreements are useless.

That is why we find unnecessary and pointless the hand-wringing that has taken place about the decision of the government of the USA to exit what is called the ‘Paris Agreement’, the December 2015 document agreed to and signed by practically every country which has some fuzzy paragraphs about low-carbon economy, innovation, technology, energy and finance – all of which have very much to do with the hold of the finance capitalists and the global technocrats over the international systems of our time.

President number 45 of the USA is neither wiser than nor baser than the wisest of basest of any of his predecessors: the American political system has to do entirely with the desire to dominate other countries. Number 45’s manner may be irksome, but through him speaks the American finance capital, its bloatsome defence industry and its insensate technology industry.

We do not expect the chiefs of the Western countries, the so-called major powers of the European Union, and their allies such as Japan and Australia to do any less. They are no different. We do not think any of them, their armies of bland advisers, their bankers and the brigades of industrialists great and petty who crowd their corridors of governance have read, much less reflected, on the lambent wisdom of our civilisation.

Many centuries ago, in the section of the Digha Nikaya, or Collection of Long Discourses, called Samannaphala Sutta, or the Fruits of the Contemplative Life, it was written that there are those who are addicted to debates and shout: “You understand this doctrine and discipline? I’m the one who understands this doctrine and discipline. How could you understand this doctrine and discipline? You’re practicing wrongly. I’m practicing rightly. I’m being consistent. You’re not. What should be said first you said last. What should be said last you said first. What you took so long to think out has been refuted. Your doctrine has been overthrown. You’re defeated. Go and try to salvage your doctrine; extricate yourself if you can!”

And this is how we view what are called climate negotiations, between the experts of countries. We care not for the arguments of number 45 of the USA, for what many in the world in the last week have protested as being absurd – it undermines economy, it takes away jobs, it is unfair, it is disadvantageous to us, and so on – is what they cheer and support their own countries for in areas where they stand to gain, such as trade (to sell cheap and useless goods), technology (to enslave and control), finance (to spin webs of debt), processes of modernisation (to homogenise cultures so that ever more ‘markets’ come into being).

We in India need no such instruction. But we must guard against our philosophies being swept away by these agreements, these grand comities of nations, the barrage of numerics and scientifics that are invented to display to us what a threat we are should we not emulate the West and its ways. We must guard against our own who prefer the baubles of post-industrial society to the intellectual and spiritual riches of our civilisation, and who seek to infest India with the same technological and ‘modern’ wares that so entranced the West and doomed its folk. This has very little to do with climate and its change and very much more to do with our Indic sciences and their worth, our conduct and our duty to Punyabhoomi Bharat.

– Rahul Goswami

Monsoon outlook for June and July

May 29, 2016 by Climate portal editor Leave a Comment

At the end of May 2016, based on a reading of the seasonal forecasts of our Earth System Science Organisation group (under the Ministry of Earth Sciences) and complemented by the collaborative seasonal forecasts of the NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction, we have prepared an outlook for the June and July monsoon 2016 months.

The regional rainfall outlook for June and July 2016. Green hues are +0.25 to +1mm/day averaged over the outlook period.

The outlook shows: (1) that our main concern of whether the first stage monsoon forecast of the IMD remains true is fulfilled, which is, that the 2016 monsoon will be normal (and better than normal in some regions); (2) that our next most important concern of whether any region will have significantly below normal rainfall is also addressed, and under the current forecasts there is no such region; (3) that the June and July rains will be at least normal in most states and meteorological sub-divisions.

Some provisos need to be observed. The seasonal forecasts are released for three month spells (May to July, June to August, and so on). Depending on the kind of modelling that is followed (and there are several) the outlooks are updated or modified every 10 days to fortnightly to monthly. These updates are based on what are called ‘initial conditions’ which for our current outlook is the first half of May.

Here is a more detailed regional outlook for June and July 2016:
• Tamil Nadu and Kerala will have rain that over the season is +1 to +1.25mm/day.
• Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telengana, Madhya Pradesh, most of Maharashtra, all the states of northern and north-west India, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Sikkim, Arunachal, lower Assam, western Meghalaya, and Lakshadweep will have rain that that over the season is +0.25 to +1 mm/day.
• Odisha, Chhattisgarh, southern Jharkhand, gangetic West Bengal, eastern Vidarbha (Maharashtra), the north-eastern half of Telengana, north coastal Andhra Pradesh, upper Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura will have rain that over the season is -0.2 to +0.25mm/day and Andaman and Nicobar islands will have rain that is up to -0.5 mm/day.

This outlook we will amend between June 10 and 15 as the ESSO’s forecasts and international collaborative monsoon forecasts are updated.

Prepare for May heat

May 4, 2016 by Climate portal editor Leave a Comment

The heat outlook for the first half of May, which was released by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on 02 May, calls for immediate attention and preparation on all fronts.

The forecast is for three periods of five days each (called pentads) with expected temperature anomalies given for maximum and minimum temperatures. The big picture is that over some parts of the country maximum temperatures will remain 3-4 C above normal for all the three pentads.

Minimum temperatures that are 1-5 degrees higher than normal will increase in terms of the geographical range as the days progress through the first, second and third pentad: 02 to 06 May, 07 to 11 May and 12 to 16 May.

There are several particular alerts arising from the IMD heat wave outlook:

The heat outlook for the first half of May, released by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), for the three five-day periods of 02 to 06 May, 07 to 11 May and 12 to 16 May.

1. Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal and south Chhattisgarh, which have seen some record-breaking high temperatures in April, will continue to see above normal maximum temperatures.

2. South Interior Karnataka, coastal Maharashtra and Goa (the Konkan), and Saurashtra will experience a gradual rise in maximum temperatures from the first to third pentad.

3. Maximum and minimum temperatures both, in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand will remain around 5 C above normal for the duration of the forecast.

4. The 12 to 16 May period (third pentad) will see higher than normal maximum temperatures (2 to 5 C) over almost the entire country, and higher than normal minimum temperatures over most of the country.

Other observations are:

5. The North-East will experience minimum temperatures about a degree higher than normal during 07 to 16 May.

6. For the second pentad, that is 07 to 11 May, maximum temperatures in north-west India (Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, western Madhya Pradesh, Delhi) will drop by 2 to 3 C.

7. Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseem and Tamil Nadu will experience lower minimum temperatures by 1 to 2 C during 07 to 16 May.

Please observe basic precautions during this period in particular: eat smaller meals more often; drink water even when not thirsty; avoid tea, coffee and alcohol; plan your activities to avoid being outdoors during 11am to 4pm; do not leave children in cars by themselves; keep a watch on the elderly especially those who are infirm or invalid; wear non-synthetic non-polyester light-coloured and loose fitting clothes; if working outdoors rest frequently; provide drinking water and shade to animals and pets.

A tribute to the weathermen of Bharat

April 12, 2016 by Climate portal editor 9 Comments

When the weather causes anxiety, in the districts and towns, harassed administrators and the impatient public turn quickly to the weatherman. Whether for advice about a possible heat wave, about thunderstorms or hail storms, about extended dry spells, about the possibility of rainfall during a crop sowing period one week distant, it is the local weatherman who has the knowledge and provides the answers.

That weatherman – and weatherwoman, for the service has a number of women scientists – is from the India Meteorological Department, the weather watchers for Bharat.

Theirs is often a thankless task, of poring over the output from instruments and computations, ensuring that the essential information about weather conditions six, 12 or 24 hours hence is transmitted to all those to whom it matters.

Our weathermen scan the skies with their instruments so that they can issue, to airports and airfields all over Bharat, the ‘meteorological aerodrome report’ (or METARs) on which all our commercial flights depend. Our weathermen scan the seas with their instruments to issue the sea weather reports and fleet forecasts for marine traffic in the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, the Andaman Sea and the nearer Indian Ocean.

India Climate portal thanks readers for the appreciative responses to this tribute, and for the comments (below) which we urge the Ministry of Earth Sciences to consider.

Our weathermen scan the atmosphere with the aid of the orbital eyes of our satellites so that, for every single district, an agricultural meteorology forecast is issued every day and for every crop season. Our weathermen scan the routes of the Indian Railway system, the largest and most heavily utilised in the world, for threatening weather conditions that would affect the running of trains. They do this every single day, round the clock.

Today the India Meteorological Department has issued its first forecast for the 2016 monsoon, the Indian summer monsoon, whose patterns have been so well known for all our recorded history. It is a forecast that has been impatiently awaited this year, because of the shortages of water in our river basins, because of the likelihood – as ever – of heat waves, and because we have been so very worried about whether we will get the rains that eluded Bharat in 2015 and 2014.

The short answer is: yes we will. The details of the percentages, the probabilities, the averages, the likely ranges and other ponderables are all over the news. We’d like to compliment the people behind the forecast.

We sincerely thank the women and men of the India Meteorological Department for their extraordinary efforts – every day, week, season and year – to serve us. The IMD today provides us, in the public domain, through the internet, via television, with the help of mobile phone messages, and through smartphone apps, an array of weather services. These scientists, administrators, technicians and field staff have worked as hard to make this range of services available to us as they have worked to understand our ‘mausam’ better. Theirs is a science whose complexity defies the most powerful computing systems available, and they translate what they see into language that guides us as we go about our daily routines. It calls for a breadth of skills that must be applauded.

A sense of history and philosophy guides their work. The scientists and technicians of the Department take as much inspiration from the Upanishads (which contain serious discussion about the processes of cloud formation, rain, and the seasonal cycles) and from Varahamihira’s classical work, the Brihatsamhita, as they do from the insights that they collaborate on today in what is known as earth systems science. It is a remarkable legacy that is very much alive in the offices and field stations of the IMD.

For their work, and as representatives of the widely distributed IMD network of staff, we thank:
Director General of Meteorology, Laxman Singh Rathore; Additional Director General of Meteorology (Research), Bishwajit Mukhopadhyay; Deputy Director General of Meteorology (Upper Air Instruments), Devendra Pradhan; Deputy Director General of Meteorology (Surface Instruments), Rajesh Ramdas Mali; Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Regional Meteorological Centre New Delhi, Anand Kumar Sharma; Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Regional Meteorological Centre Mumbai, K S Hosalikar; Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Regional Meteorological Centre Kolkata, Gakul Chandra Debnath; Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Regional Meteorological Centre Chennai, S Bagulayan Thampi; Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Regional Meteorological Centre Guwahati, Sanjay Oneill Shaw; Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Regional Meteorological Centre Nagpur, P K Nandankar; Head, Agromet Services K K Singh; Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Satmet, New Delhi, Ashok Kumar Sharma; Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Hydromet, New Delhi, Surinder Kaur; Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Services, New Delhi, Brahma Prakash Yadav; Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Organisation, New Delhi, S D Attri; Deputy Director General of Meteorology, EMRC, New Delhi, Sunil Kumar Peshin; and Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Numerical Weather Prediction, New Delhi, Swapan Kumar Roy Bhowmik. Thank you all for a job very well done indeed.

Rahul Goswami

Normal to good monsoon likely

April 10, 2016 by Climate portal editor 1 Comment

The Indian summer monsoon in 2016 for the months of June to September will be normal to above normal in almost all the meteorological sub-divisions.

This is our reading of the seasonal climatic predictions provided by five different sources, amongst them the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which themselves are based on ensembles of forecasts.

Our outlook for the June to September 2016 period is based on an initial study of the three-monthly and seasonal predictions which are in the public domain, from the following agencies:

A mapping of the forecast by one predictive climate model, for the May to July period. Source: NOAA/NCEP

The Climate Prediction and Monitoring Group of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India; the Climate Forecast System Version 2 (CFSv2) by the Climate Prediction Center of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), USA; regionalised Multi-Model Ensemble (NMME) forecasts from the Climate Prediction Center which are based on models of the NOAA and NASA; and the Meteorological ‘Met’ Office of Britain which is a World Meteorological Organisation climate research centre.

Combining the indications from this early set of forecasts we see that when typical monsoon conditions have set in over southern and peninsular India, the June and July rainfall patterns should be normal for June with an increase in average rainfall for July (in the southern peninsula, the west coast, north-eastern states and the north India mountainous states). The models currently also point to the August and September period recording above normal rainfall over most of India, and normal rainfall in central India.

The climatic prediction models whose forecasting products we have examined make their predictions for 90-day periods (such as May, June and July together) based on conditions observed and calculated for a given month (January, February and March so far). We will consolidate and expand the scope of this initial prognosis – which is of a normal to above normal monsoon – as these forecasts are updated.

March heat patterns in India

March 25, 2016 by Climate portal editor Leave a Comment

From now until the end of March 2016, the maximum temperature anomalies will be less than what has been experienced in March until the 24th.

The India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) numerical weather prediction service has however shown that maximum temperatures will still be above normal by 1 to 3 Celsius over most of central and northern India between 25 and 31 March.

We find that when read with the minimum temperature anomalies, most of peninsular, central and northern India have in March experienced an upward shift in overall temperatures by 1 to 3 Celsius. The meteorological sub-divisions of Telengana, Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra Pradesh in particular stand out for higher minimum temperatures.

Over the last week, maximum temperatures were markedly above normal (5.1° C or more) at most places over West Rajasthan; at many places over Uttarakhand and East Rajasthan; at a few places over Gujarat and at isolated places over Madhya Pradesh; appreciably above normal (3.1°C to 5.0°C) at most places over Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi; at many places over Punjab, rest Gujarat and West Madhya Pradesh.

Maximum temperatures were also appreciably above normal at a few places over Madhya Maharashtra and at isolated places over Marathawada, Vidarbha and Kerala; above normal (1.6°C to 3.0°C) at most places over Rayalaseema and West Uttar Pradesh; at many places over Tamil Nadu, Interior Karnataka, East Madhya Pradesh, and the north-eastern states.

India spells out a climate action plan

October 7, 2015 by Climate portal editor Leave a Comment

We present here the summary of India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) which have been submitted to the UN Climate Change Convention (the UNFCCC). This summary has been released by the Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Our analysis of and commentary on India’s INDCs will follow in separate articles.

The Government of India has said that the country’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) are balanced and comprehensive. In official statements, the government said that INDCs include reductions in the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 per cent by 2030 from 2005 level and to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO₂equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030. India has also decided to anchor a global solar alliance, INSPA (International Agency for Solar Policy & Application), of all countries located in between Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn.

The INDCs centre around India’s policies and programmes on promotion of clean energy, especially renewable energy, enhancement of energy efficiency, development of less carbon intensive and resilient urban centres, promotion of waste to wealth, safe, smart and sustainable green transportation network, abatement of pollution and India’s efforts to enhance carbon sink through creation of forest and tree cover. It also captures citizens and private sector contribution to combating climate change.

The INDCs outline the post-2020 climate actions they intend to take under a new international agreement. The INDCs document is prepared with a view to taking forward the Prime Minister’s vision of a sustainable lifestyle and climate justice to protect the poor and vulnerable from adverse impacts of climate change. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change adopted an inclusive process for preparation of India’s INDCs. It held stakeholder consultations with the specific involvement of the key Ministries and State Governments. Interactions were also held with civil society organisations, thinktanks and technical & academic institutions of eminence. The Ministry had commissioned Greenhouse Gas (GHG) modeling studies for projections of GHG emissions till 2050 with a decadal gap. The gist of all these consultations & studies were taken on board before submitting India’s INDCs. The government zeroed-in on a set of contributions which are comprehensive, balanced, equitable and pragmatic and addresses all the elements including Adaptation, Mitigation, Finance, Technology Transfer, Capacity Building and Transparency in Action and Support.

Planned actions and economic reforms have contributed positively to the rapidly declining growth rate of energy intensity in India. The Government of India, through its various institutions and resources, has taken steps to decouple the Indian energy system from carbon in the long run. Despite facing enormous development challenges like poverty eradication, ensuring housing, electricity and food security for all, India declared a voluntary goal of reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP by 20–25%, over 2005 levels by 2020, despite having no binding mitigation obligations as per the Convention. A slew of policy measures to promote low carbon strategies and Renewable Energy have resulted in the decline of emission intensity of our GDP by 12% between 2005 and 2010. It is a matter of satisfaction that United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in its Emission Gap Report 2014 has recognized India as one of the countries on course to achieving its voluntary goal.

India has adopted several ambitious measures for clean and renewable energy, energy efficiency in various sectors of industries, achieving lower emission intensity in the automobile and transport sector, non-fossil based electricity generation and building sector based on energy conservation. Thrust on renewable energy, promotion of clean energy, enhancing energy efficiency, developing climate resilient urban centres and sustainable green transportation network are some of the measures for achieving this goal.

Solar power in India is poised to grow significantly with Solar Mission as a major initiative of the Government of India. A scheme for development of 25 Solar Parks, Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects, canal top solar projects and one hundred thousand solar pumps for farmers is at different stages of implementation. The Government’s goal of ‘Electricity for All’ is sought to be achieved by the above programs that would require huge investments, infusion of new technology, availability of nuclear fuel and international support.

The energy efficiency of thermal power plants will be systematically and statutorily improved. Over one million medium and small enterprises will be involved in the Zero Defect Zero Effect Scheme to improve their quality, energy efficiency, enhance resource efficiency, pollution control, waste management and use of renewable energy.

Urban transport policy will encourage moving people rather than vehicles with a major focus on Mass Rapid Transit Systems. In addition to 236 km of metro rail in place, about 1150 km metro projects for cities including Pune, Ahmedabad and Lucknow are being planned. Delhi Metro, which has become India’s first MRTS project to earn carbon credits, has the potential to reduce about 0.57 million tonnes of CO₂ e annually. The switch from Bharat Stage IV (BS IV) to Bharat Stage V (BS V) and Bharat Stage VI (BS VI) to improve fuel standards across the country is also planned for the near future.

Renewable energy sources are a strategic national resource. Harnessing these sources will put India on the path to a cleaner environment, energy independence and, a stronger economy. The renewable energy technologies contribute to better air quality, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, curb global warming, add jobs to the economy and, protect environmental values such as habitat and water quality. Over the years India has successfully created a positive outlook necessary to promote investment in, demand for, and supply of, renewable energy. India’s strategy on renewable energy is driven by the objectives of energy security, energy access and also reducing the carbon footprints of the national energy systems. It has evolved over the years through increasingly stronger commitment at federal level.

The institutional arrangement for offtake of renewable energy power will be further strengthened by Renewable Purchase Obligations and Renewable Generation Obligations. India’s share of non-fossil fuel in the total installed capacity is projected to change from 30% in 2015 to about 40 % by 2030. India is running one of the largest renewable capacity expansion programmes in the world. Between 2002 and 2015, the share of renewable grid capacity has increased over 6 times, from 2% (3.9 GW) to around 13% (36 GW) from a mix of sources including Wind Power, Small Hydro Power, Biomass Power / Cogeneration, Waste to Power and Solar Power. On normative terms the CO₂ emission abatement achieved from the renewable power installed capacity was 84.92 million tons CO₂ eq. /year as of 30 June 2015.

To accelerate development and deployment of renewable energy in the country, the Government is taking a number of initiatives like up-scaling of targets for renewable energy capacity addition from 30GW by 2016-17 to 175 GW by 2021-22.The renewable power target of 175 GW by 2022 will result in abatement of 326.22 million tons of CO₂ eq. /year. The ambitious solar expansion programme seeks to enhance the capacity to 100 GW by 2022, which is expected to be scaled up further thereafter. Efforts will include scaling up efforts to increase the share of non-fossil fuel based energy resources in total electricity mix including wind power, solar, hydropower, biomass, waste to energy and nuclear power.

The range of ecosystem goods and services provided by forests include carbon sequestration and storage. Despite the significant opportunity costs, India is one of the few countries where forest and tree cover has increased in recent years and the total forest and tree cover amounts to 24% percent of the geographical area of the country. Over the past two decades progressive national forestry legislations and policies of India have transformed India’s forests into a net sink of CO2. With its focus on sustainable forest management, afforestation and regulating diversion of forest land for non-forest purpose, India plans to increase its carbon stock. Government of India’s long term goal is to increase its forest cover through a planned afforestation drive which includes number of programmes and initiatives like Green India Mission, green highways policy, financial incentive for forests, plantation along rivers, REDD-Plus & Other Policies and Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority

For the first time devolution of funds to states from the federal pool will be based on a formula that attaches 7.5 % weight to the area under forest. It takes into account the changing realities in order to rebalance the fiscal system of the country in a way that will incentivize greener distribution of resources. This initiative will give afforestation a massive boost by conditioning about USD 6.9 billion of transfers to the states based on their forest cover, which is projected to increase up to USD 12 billion by 2019-20.

For India, adaptation is inevitable and an imperative for the development process. India is facing climate change as a real issue, which is impacting some of its key sectors like agriculture and water. The adverse impacts of climate change on the developmental prospects of the country are further amplified enormously by the existence of widespread poverty and dependence of a large proportion of the population on climate sensitive sectors for livelihood. It is of immediate importance and requires action now.

In the INDCs, the country has focused on adaptation efforts, including: a) developing sustainable habitats; b) optimizing water use efficiency; c) creating ecologically sustainable climate resilient agricultural production systems; d) safeguarding the Himalayan glaciers and mountain ecosystem; and, e) enhancing carbon sinks in sustainably managed forests and implementing adaptation measures for vulnerable species, forest-dependent communities and ecosystems. India has also set up a National Adaptation Fund with an initial allocation of INR 3,500 million (USD 55.6 million) to combat the adaptation needs in key sectors. This fund will assist national and state level activities to meet the cost of adaptation measures in areas that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.

India’s climate actions have so far been largely financed from domestic resources. India already has ambitious climate action plans in place. Preliminary domestic requirements to implement national climate plans add upto more than USD 2.5 trillion between 2015 and 2030.Substantial scaling up these plans would require greater resources. Developing countries like India are resource constrained and are already spending enormous amounts on climate change, . Implementing climate change mitigation and adaptation actions would require domestic and new & additional funds from developed countries in view of the resource required and the resource gap.

Urgent efforts to reduce GHG emissions need to take place against the backdrop of a growing energy demand and urbanisation in India. With the responsibility of lifting around 360 million people out of poverty and raising the standard of living of an even greater number of people, technology is the only powerful solution for countries like India that can simultaneously address climate change and development needs. Technology development and transfer and capacity-building are key to ensuring adequate development and deployment of clean-technologies. The technology gap between rich and poor countries remains enormous and the capacity of developing economies to adopt new technology needs to be enhanced. Enhanced action on technology development and transfer will be central in enabling the full and effective implementation of India’s INDCs. Developed countries should be supportive and help in transfer of technology, remove barriers, create facilitative IPR regime, provide finance, capacity building support and create a global framework for Research & Development on clean coal and other technologies.”