Last month, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released the second part of its Sixth Assessment Report. The implications for India are dire. While the risks for coastal cities such as Chennai and Mumbai are well known, the report also highlights the risks facing cities such as Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Patna, and the amount of potential economic damage from sea level rise and intense heat waves. determines.
It serves as another reminder of the importance of collective action not only at the national level but also by the states to combat the worst consequences of climate change. Large differences exist in Indian states in their climate change mitigation (shifting to clean fuels) and adaptation (disaster preparedness), several data points show.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels are the major cause of human-induced climate change. In 2015, the Paris climate agreement called for a global peak in greenhouse gas emissions, including CO2. Concurrently, a framework of 17 interlinked Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by 2030 were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly to meet climate-resilient development.
India is well on track to achieve SDG target 13, which considers reduction in per capita greenhouse gas emissions. Per capita CO2 emissions peaked in India in 2019, and are on a downward trend, even though global emissions are still rising. But there is still room to do more. India is not doing well in other dimensions of the SDGs, which range from poverty reduction and education to sustainable cities and conservation of biodiversity.
state portrait
Beyond countries, local and regional governments have a major role to play in achieving the SDGs. The United Nations has advocated for the localization of the SDGs as well as the gathering of data at the sub-national level to capture regional disparities in climate action. For India, the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (MoSPI) in collaboration with the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in India (UNRCO) has compiled a unified data repository on SDG indicators across states.
SDG 13 on climate action includes metrics such as installed renewable energy capacity, CO2 reduction due to LED bulbs, disaster preparedness, loss of human life due to extreme weather events, and disability-adjusted life years (DALY) due to pollution . Based on the above parameters, a consolidated score on climate action is calculated for individual states. Odisha, Kerala and Gujarat rank highest among large states, mostly because of their high disaster preparedness scores, while Bihar and Jharkhand rank at the bottom.
renewable transition
Renewable energy is the key to reducing the long-term dependence on burning fossil fuels. As of January 2022, in the 10 states with the largest installed power capacity, the share of renewable energy ranged from 12% to 52%. Data from the Central Electricity Authority shows that the renewable component was more than 25% in six states.
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan lead the way, with over 40% of their installed capacity coming from renewable sources. While Karnataka and Rajasthan have significant solar power generation, Tamil Nadu is a leader in wind power. However, there remains immense untapped potential for renewable energy in many other states including Jammu and Kashmir.
The analysis is based on renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind, biomass and small hydro power. Large hydro projects are included in the MoSPI index but excluded from this analysis as they have a massive adverse impact on lives and livelihoods.
disproportionate impact
There are also large disparities between states in fossil fuel consumption. Only Tripura and Bihar meet NITI Aayog’s per capita target of 64.1 kg of fossil fuel consumption. The all-India average is 157.3 kg, but about two-thirds of the states consume more. Among the larger states, Haryana (415 kg), Gujarat (351 kg) and Punjab (255 kg) consume significantly more.
However, it is the less-industrialized states like Bihar and Odisha that bear the brunt of adverse impacts due to climate change like floods and cyclones. The way forward would be to introduce ‘carbon pricing’, effectively penalizing large fossil fuel consumers. While India does not have an explicit carbon price, excise duties act as an implicit form of carbon pricing. Carbon pricing will account for negative externalities from fossil fuel consumption and enable the redistribution of resources to strengthen adaptation options in states most vulnerable to climate change.
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