COP 26 RANDOM THOUGHTS

 UN Conference of parties on climate change was held at Glasgow United Kingdom. The objective of the summit was to secure global net zero by mid century and keep global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius within reach, adapt to protect communities and natural habitats, mobilise finance and work together by governments business and civil society to deliver. 

 To achieve global net zero by mid century and keep 1.5 degree Celsius countries were asked to take ambitious 2030 emissions reduction targets like- to accelerate the phase out of coal,curtail deforestation, speed up the switch to electric vehicles and encourage investment  in renewable energy. Measures should be adopted to protect natural habitats and communities.Countries will work together to protect and restore eco systems and build defenses ,warning systems and resilient infrastructure and agriculture to avoid loss of home, livelihoods and even lives.In order to mobilise finance developed countries must make good on their promise to at least mobilise 100 billion US dollars in climate finance per year. 

 India seeks $1 trillion over next decade from developed countries to adapt to and mitigate the challenges arising out of global warming, and kept this as a condition for delivering India's climate commitments comprising of five fold plan- 1.Non fossil energy capacity will reach 500 GW by 2030.2.Country will meet 50%of its electricity requirements with renewable energy by 2030.3.It will reduce its total projected carbon emissions by a billion tonnes by  2030.4.India will cut the carbon intensity of its economy to less than 45% and country will achieve net zero by 2070.

Although India is currently the third largest emitter of carbon emissions annually but the sixth largest when historical emissions are considered, while accounting for the size of population it is among the lowest per capita emitter .India along with UK have taken initiative to the project" One Sun, One World, One Grid for Seamless Energy". According to prime minister total energy humanity uses in a year roughly is equal to the energy that reaches to earth from the sun in a single hour.By utilising energy from Sun,wind and water across borders we can deliver more than enough clean energy to meet the needs of everyone on earth.It includes a group of governments called Green Grid Initiative (GGI).GGI is to help achieve the pace and scale of reforms to infrastructure and market structures needed to underpin global energy transition across continents and countries.ISRO had developed an application that could compute the potential for solar energy at any point on earth and also helps to decide whether suitable for solar energy installation.

India also launched another humanitarian initiative for developing the infrastructure of small island nations of most vulnerable countries facing the biggest threat from climate change namely -Infrastructure for Resilient Island State (IRIS). Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) launched by ndia and UK would focus on building capacity having pilot project especially in small island developing States.That  also involved setting up of norms and standards for resilient infrastructure against Infrastructure loss from cyclones land slide etc.

How ever India refused to join over 110 countries in the declaration to end deforestation by 2030 which are crucial to tree cover environment and livelihood of tribals and other forest dwellers.Similarly India did not join the Global Methane Pledge by over 100 nations to reduce emissions of short-lived methane but 80 times potent than carbon dioxide green house gas, by 30% by 2030 from 2020 levels.

  According to experts the number of emissions pledges  made by countries in the COP 26 summit is likely to make only marginal impact on global warming and climate change.The Emissions Gap Report 2021shows that new national climate pledges combined with other mitigation measures put the world on track for a global temperature rise of 2.7%c° by end of the century.To keep global warming below 1.5°c this century world need to halve annual gas emissions in next 8 years.If implemented effectively net zero emissions pledges could limit warming to 2.2°c closer to 2°c , the goal of Paris agreement.

   Among the COP 26 negotiations disagreements were most prominently on climate finance that have proved to be major stumbling block.Both China and India major green house gas emitters took strong positions on issues like climate equity and justice.Their argument is that climate crisis is largely due to the west because of their unmitigated carbon dioxide emissions over a century and so those countries must bear the lions share of reparations in the form of finance and access to clean technologies.Developing countries were collectively promised, nearly a decade ago$100 billion annually until 2020 and only a small fraction has been realised.Glasgow summit has not shown any breakthrough in the position.In any case a speedy transition to renewable energy sources may be made by enabling greater sharing of technology.Cost of electricity from renewable energy sources like solar,hydro and wind has been declining sharply over the last decade and less than fossil fuel based electricity generation.On reliability and variability such sources with technological progress seems to be changing for better.In short an effective multilateral framework is required for transfer of climate finance and green technologies between developed and developing economies without tariff and non tariff barriers.