Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge and Declaration on Climate and Health: India has not signed both

Source: The post is based on the article “Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge and Declaration on Climate and Health: India has not signed both” published in “The Hindu” on 3rd December 2023

Why in the News?

During the ongoing COP28 climate summit in Dubai, India has not signed the Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge nor the Declaration on Climate and Health.

However, both these pledges are still in the draft stage and are far from having legal sanctity.

What is the Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge?

1) The Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge has committed to tripling worldwide installed renewable energy generation capacity by 2030.

2) Signed by: 118 countries. India has not signed the pledge.

3) Reason for India not signing the pledge: The pledge states that renewables deployment must be accompanied by phase down of unabated coal power.
– This is contrary to India’s longstanding position that it needs to rely on coal to rapidly improve living standards for its people.
– India also claims that it has the right to use coal because its historical carbon emissions per person have been negligible.

What is the Declaration on Climate and Health?

1) The declaration encourages governments to protect communities and prepare healthcare systems to handle health issues caused by climate-related impacts like extreme heat, air pollution, and infectious diseases.

2) Signed by: The declaration has been signed by 123 countries. India is not the one among these countries. 

3) Reason for India not signing the declaration: India has not signed the declaration as the draft talks about going beyond health sector and ensuring de-carbonisation to reduce emissions. This links certain aspects of our healthcare system such as cold storage for vaccines to carbon emissions, which India opposes.

UPSC Syllabus: Environment