Net Zero is Net Gain

Context: Though India is a victim of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions (per-capita greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are about 10% of the US), India should still strive to build a Net Zero Bharat by 2050.

Significance of India targeting for a Net Zero Bharat 

• Enhance India’s capability in dealing with big shocks: by making India hypercompetitive, environmentally sustainable and highly resilient.
  • Rapid glacial melting in Uttarakhand, massive floods in Kerala, drought in Bundelkhand, devastating cyclones in West Bengal — India is experiencing a series of extreme weather events triggered by global warming.
• Economic benefits:  Drive a massive investment boom, create high-quality jobs and drive sustainable prosperity.
• Reduce India’s pie in annual global emissions: According to the United Nations, India emits 3.5 billion tonnes out of 52 billion tonnes of annual global emissions.
• Reduce global emissions: Already, 110 countries, including Japan, South Korea and Britain, have committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
  • According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), limiting temperature rise to 1.5° C will require bringing annual global emissions down to 4-10 billion tonnes by 2050.
  • The 2° C scenario requires emissions to be brought down to 18-22 billion tonnes.
  • A 50% reduction of carbon intensity by 2050 (India’s Paris agreement commitment is a reduction of 33-35%) from 2005 levels will result in India emitting about 14 billion tonnes annually.

Way Forward: Create a Climate Change (Net Zero Carbon) law for achieving Net Zero by 2050 that should-

• Constitute a Climate Change Commission (CCC): To provide independent advice to Government on mitigating climate change and review its progress towards these goals.
• Set emissions budgets: that needs to be met domestically.
• Undertake national climate change risk assessments.
• Ensure the preparation of a National Adaptation Plan: To outline the Government’s policy responses to climate change.
• Rock-solid mechanisms for keeping track of its emissions savings, both at the micro level and for the entire country.