Subhashis Mittra
As the curtain soon comes down on 2015, the Paris Climate Summit sent out a strong message on meeting commitments on greenhouse gas emissions. When international negotiators had met last time to draft a major climate change agreement, they had failed miserably. Expectations at the 2009 Copenhagen conference were so unrealistic they proved counterproductive.
Leaders seem to have learned a lesson after the latest report from the World Meteorological Organisation said that 2015 will be the hottest year on record and 2016 could be even hotter due to the El Niño weather pattern, warning that inaction on climate change could see global average temperatures rise by 6 ºC or more. Global average surface temperatures in 2015 are likely to reach what the WMO called the ‘symbolic and significant milestone’ of 1 ºC above the pre-industrial 1880-1899 era, and around 0.73 ºC above the 1961-1990 average. While discussions on climate change have been on for the last 20 years, it would not be wrong to say that it has not taken the public imagination by storm.
The Paris meet, involving 50,000 participants, is critical because for the first time in over 20 years, a climate meet will aim to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on climate to keep global warming below 2 ºC.
A 2°C limit has long been the goal of UN climate summits, and current pledges from all countries are estimated to lead to warming of 2.7 °C to 3°C, although the proposed deal has a provision for increased emissions cuts in future.
Countries like China and India have laid out plans for cuts or curbs to their emissions. These will form the centrepiece of any historic climate deal.
More than 180 countries have submitted their plans to reduce the harmful emissions that cause climate change.
The UN climate process concerns the use of fossil fuels, the backbone of the world’s energy supply — and that puts the interests of developing nations at stake. A deal in Paris would be crucial since the current commitments on greenhouse gas emissions run out in 2020 and scientists have warned that if emissions continue to rise, the threshold beyond which global warming becomes irreversible will be crossed.
India has called upon developed nations to leave carbon space for developing countries to accommodate their developmental needs.
Speaking during the launch of India mooted International Solar Alliance at the Paris Climate Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said New Delhi has set up an ambitious goal for cutting carbon fossil energy.
“We have set ambitious targets by 2030, we will reduce emissions by 33-35% per cent of 2005 levels, and produced 40 per cent of our power from nonfossil fuels. We will achieve it by expanding renewable energy – for, example, by adding 175 Gigawatts of renewable energy generation by 2022.
“We will enlarge our forest cover to absorb at least 2.5 billion tonnes worth of carbon dioxide.
We are reducing dependence on fossil fuel through levies and reduction in subsidies,” he said.
Calling for climate justice, Modi also stressed the need for better co-operations among the member countries by sharing best practices, regulatory processes and training.
“We also need a strong Agreement on Adaptation and Loss and Damage. Developed countries must fulfill their responsibility to make clean energy available, affordable and accessible to all the developing world.
This is in our collective interest. So, we look to the developed countries to mobilize 100 billion US Dollars annually by 2020 for mitigation and adaptation in the developing countries,” the Prime Minister said.
Modi and French President Francois Hollande launched the International Solar Alliance to globally promote clean energy. It is an Alliance of 121 countries situated near and in between Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn.
There is already a revolution in solar energy. Technology is evolving, costs are coming down and grid connectivity is improving. It is making the dream of universal access to clean energy become more real.
“India has a capacity of 4GW and we have set a target of adding 100 GW of solar power by 2022.
By the end of next year, we would have added another 12 GW,” Modi said.
Speaking on the occasion, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon made an emotional appeal to all the participating nations to come to an agreement on climate change. A declaration was also made on the occasion pledging support to India’s proposal to create a common platform for better ties among solar resource rich countries.
More than 70 countries including 33 at the Head of States and Head of Governments level attended the International Solar Alliance launch ceremony. The event was also attended by around 500 high level representatives from industry, governments and international organisations.
Even though everyone agrees that the world needs a roadmap to tackle climate change, several sticking points remain.
The developing world, including India, will stick to the principle of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities, and its right to develop. It will also insist on transfer of clean technology and climate finance.
The most difficult issues include working out how to share the burden of taking action between rich and poor nations, how to finance the cost of adapting to global warming and the legal format of any final text.
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar hit out at US secretary of state John Kerry’s statement that India was being over-cautious towards the new global climate regime that was expected in Paris.
The US has been trying hard to break the ‘firewall’ between the obligations of developed and developing countries as it presently exists in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, under which the Paris agreement is to be signed.
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