Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow on Monday. At the summit, he discussed the ‘panchamrit’ or five essential aspects for dealing with climate change.
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India is the latest of the world’s major carbon emitters to set a net-zero objective. Other such countries have also set similar objectives- with China aiming for 2060 and the United States and the European Union aiming for 2050. PM Modi also stated that by 2070, the country will be carbon neutral.
‘Panchamrit’ Strategy for Climate Policy
The Indian Prime Minister presented his ‘Panchamrit’ policy during the climate summit. Following were the highlights of the strategy-
1. India’s non-fossil energy capacity will reach 500 GW by 2030.
2. By 2030, India will have met 50% of its energy needs with renewable energy.
3. Between now and 2030, India will lower overall estimated carbon emissions by one billion tons.
4. By 2030, India’s economy will have a carbon intensity of less than 45 percent.
5. India will reach net zero emissions by the year 2070.
To avert the worst effects of climate change, scientists say we need to cut global emissions in half by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050. PM Modi also called for a global campaign to urge people to live in more environment-friendly ways at the COP26 Summit. “Instead of mindless and destructive consumption, we need thoughtful and purposeful usage,” he said, citing consumer choices ranging from packaging to nutrition. “Billions of people’s decisions have the ability to help the fight against climate change,” he stated.
PM Modi was greeted by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres when he landed in Glasgow late Sunday night. The Prime Minister was then seen with his arms around the shoulders of Mr. Johnson and Mr. Guterres, talking animatedly with them. The three leaders also attended the recent G20 Summit in Italy. which was wrapped up on Sunday in Italy.
India Sets Net-Zero Objective by 2070
At the COP26 climate meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi surprised participants with a daring promise: India, the world’s third-largest carbon emitter, will achieve net-zero emissions by 2070.
The announcement breathed new energy into talks that had been stalled since the G20 gathering in Rome this weekend. India’s objective is two decades behind that of wealthy nations such as the USA and the United Kingdom. However, it is still consistent with what scientists say is required to avoid global warming.
India stood out among the top emitters at the summit, which included the United States and China. President Joe Biden, hampered by domestic politics, didn’t offer anything fresh to the table. Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping did not attend in person and did not announce any new plans to reduce emissions.
PM Modi also pledged to increase India’s 2030 carbon intensity reduction objective from 35 percent to 45 percent. Carbon intensity is measured by calculating carbon dioxide emissions per unit of Gross Domestic Product. The increased targets, according to Stern of the London School of Economics, might imply that India will reach peak emissions by 2030.
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