On the Challenges of Reducing Emissions – Why climate efforts fail to cut emissions

Source: This post on the Challenges of Reducing Emissions has been created based on the article “Why climate efforts fail to cut emissions” published in “Business Standard” on 12^th December 2023.

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 3 Environment – Conservation, Environmental pollution and degradation.

News: The article discusses the challenges in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It also highlights the steps that India should take to fulfill its climate change commitments.

What is the current status of global climate change?

Rising Temperatures: Global temperatures have already increased by 1.4 degrees Celsius and might rise to 3 degrees Celsius by 2100.

Rising Emissions: Greenhouse gas emissions have been continuously increasing, requiring a 42% decrease in emissions by 2030 to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Timeline of Climate Negotiations:

Source: Clim’Blog.

Read more about the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Climate Accord here.

What are the challenges in reducing greenhouse gas emissions?

Rising Energy Demand: More renewable energy is being generated, but overall energy demand has risen too, leading to more fossil fuel usage.

Environmental Issues of Renewable Sources: A key renewable source – Hydroelectric power may lead to wildlife disruption, impact on the watershed, etc.

Technology challenges in transitioning to solar and wind: We don’t have the technology yet to run a power grid solely on solar or wind energy. This is due to:
a. Intermittent Nature: Solar and wind power’s inconsistency (as their generation depends on weather conditions) demands substantial energy storage solutions to handle their fluctuations.
b. High Investments Required: Significant upgrades to current grid infrastructure and substantial investment in new technologies and grid modernization will be required.
c. Unsuited for energy-dense applications: Like the production of steel or heavy trucking.

Costlier than Conventional Sources: For instance, Renewable energy sources such as Green Hydrogen are expensive.

High Import Bill: A high import bill is a concern as most inputs for setting up solar capacities come from China.

Non-Binding Nature of Climate Resolutions: The voluntary nature of NDCs raised doubts about their adequacy in achieving the ambitious temperature targets.

Continued financial support for fossil fuels by developed countries: Advanced countries (which have caused 89% of historical emissions) provided $1.8 trillion in subsidies to the fossil fuel industry in 2020.

What are India’s climate goals?

India has committed to the various climate goals under the Paris Agreement. These include generating 50% of its electricity from non-fossil fuels by 2030, reducing its emissions intensity by 45% from 2005, and aiming for net-zero emissions by 2070.

What should India do to deepen its climate efforts?

1. Maintain Green Transition without taking on new commitments: This is because India needs cheap energy to progress to a middle-income country. It already has low per capita emissions (2.4 tCO2e) compared to the US (17.6 tCO2e) and China (8.6 tCO2e).
2. Broaden the scope of climate action: India should also address issues like habitat loss, biodiversity decline, and water scarcity, apart from Net Zero.
3. Invest in high-quality climate research: There is a need to move beyond dominant Western narratives to find the real truth regarding climate change.
4. Employ tech-savvy experts: Experts should develop and lead practical climate strategies, focusing on realistic transitions, since generalists may not understand technological gaps

Question for practice:

What are the challenges in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in general, and for India in particular? Highlight the steps that should be undertaken to tackle these challenges.