India has reaffirmed promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Glasgow last November to accelerate India’s reliance on renewable energy to power the economy and become effectively fossil fuel-free. 2070. until, The accepted pledges, however, fell short of the commitments made by Mr. Modi.
The Union Cabinet chaired by Mr Modi on Wednesday approved an update to India’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), a formal communication to the United Nations, spelling out the steps to be taken. taken by country To prevent the global temperature rise beyond 2°C by the end of the century.
Mr. Modi had made five commitments, or ‘ Panchamrit’, as the government refers to it, namely: India will increase its non-fossil energy capacity to 500 GW (Gigawatt) by 2030, India will meet 50% of its energy needs “Renewable Energy” by 2030This will reduce the total estimated carbon emissions by one billion tonnes from now till 2030, India will reduce the carbon intensity of its economy by more than 45% and by the year 2070, India will achieve the target of “Net Zero”, i.e., That there will be no net carbon dioxide emitted from energy sources.
These were part of his address at the United Nations summit.
only two are mentioned
However, a press statement after the cabinet approval mentions only two of these promises, namely India Committed to reducing emissions intensity To achieve 45% of its GDP by 2030 from 2005 levels and 50% of its cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030. The press note stated that these commitments were “… a step towards achieving India’s long-term goal of reaching net-zero by 2070.
India’s final NDC was specified on October 2, 2015, to reduce emissions intensity of GDP by 33–35% (in 2005 levels) by 2030, achieve 40% of its installed electricity capacity from renewable energy and Includes making an addition. Carbon sink equivalent to 2-3 billion tonnes of CO2 through forest and tree cover by 2030.
Wednesday’s press note said India’s NDC did not “bind” it to any sector-specific mitigation obligations or actions and that India’s goal was to reduce overall emissions intensity and improve energy efficiency.
The document specifying India’s NDC was not made public and was requested by Hindu Environment ministry officials were not immediately acknowledged for clarity.
Senior ministers of the government have said many times that India will achieve its target ahead of schedule. Energy Minister RK Singh said at the Sydney Energy Forum in Sydney, Australia on July 13 that India has installed 162 GW of renewable energy capacity, which is 41% of 402 GW of electricity.
energy transition
“We reached this target on November 2021 and what our Prime Minister did was ask us to increase our ambition and therefore our Prime Minister in Glasgow (at UN COP-21) to install 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030 Committed, which will then be 50 percent of installed capacity. Despite having the lowest per capita emissions in the world, we have invested in this energy transition because our traditions teach us to respect and care for our environment. Not doing so,” Mr Singh said.
India’s obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change oblige India to update its NDCs ahead of the upcoming Conference of the Parties to be held in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt, this November.
Independent experts said that while the NDC reflects India’s commitment to sustainable development, it rises above the ambition expressed by India in Glasgow.
“India’s updated NDC does not cover all Panchamrit The promises made at COP26 in Glasgow,” Vibhuti Garg, energy economist and India lead, Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, said in a statement. “While the government’s revised NDC includes a 45% reduction in emissions intensity … and has also emphasized the various plans through which these targets can be achieved, it falls short of some actionable targets.”
Madhura Joshi, Senior Associate, India Energy Transition Lead, E3G, said: “India’s updated NDC targets are a welcome step… Panchamrit, are actionable. The focus on renewable energy would have given a new impetus to the renewable energy sector. But it is expected that the updated NDC will pave the way for achieving and surpassing Prime Minister Modi’s vision.