Lok Sabha Question No. 3074 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-06
Subject: Climate Emergency
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Dibyendu Adhikari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3074

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.12.2019

## Climate Emergency

## 3074.  SHRI DIBYENDU ADHIKARI:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether recently 11000 scientists from 153 countries including several scientists of India have warned about the Climate Emergency;
- (b) if so, the details of the report thereof; and
- (c) the steps taken by the Government to address the said crisis?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

(a) & (b)

Reports  from  various  sources  including  Intergovernmental  Panel  Climate  Change namely Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 o C, Special Report on Climate Change and Land, and Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, highlight the challenges faced due  to climate change  arising mainly  from  historical emissions  of greenhouse  gases  by  developed  countries.  A  recent  report  entitled  'World  Scientists' Warning of a Climate Emergency' published in journal Bioscience' (https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biz088) with many authors from a broad range of disciplines informs that the planet clearly and unequivocally faces a climate emergency, and provides six broad policy goals in the area of energy, short-lived climate pollutants, nature conservation and  ecosystem  restoration,  food,  sustainable  economic  growth  and  population  stabilisation that must be met to address it.

(c) Climate change is a global phenomenon and requires the cooperation of all nations based  on  the  principles  of  'Equity'  and  'Common  but  Differentiated  Responsibilities  and Respective Capabilities'. India is a Party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate  Change (UNFCCC), its  Kyoto  Protocol  (KP)  and  the  Paris  Agreement  (PA).  The ambitious  Paris  Agreement  has  mechanisms  like global  stocktake  and  ratcheting  up  action every 5 years to address climate change and avoid adverse consequences. For addressing the challenge of climate change, India adheres to the paramountcy of the UNFCCC processes. It has proactively contributed to multilateral efforts to combat climate change and continues to do so while undertaking its own independent, enhanced initiatives in climate mitigation and adaptation  besides  meeting  all  its  commitments  under  the  UNFCCC,  its  KP  and  PA. Independent  studies  rate  India's  efforts  highly  and  compliant  with  the  requirements  under PA.

The Government is implementing National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) which comprises eight missions in specific areas of solar energy, energy efficiency, water, agriculture, Himalayan ecosystem, sustainable habitat, green India and strategic knowledge on climate change. NAPCC provides an overarching framework for all climate actions. Thirty three  States/Union  Territories  (UTs)  have  prepared  their  State  Action  Plan  on  Climate Change  in  line  with  NAPCC  taking  into  account  State's/UT's  specific  issues  relating  to climate  change.  Under  the  Paris  Agreement,  India  has  submitted  Nationally  Determined Contributions  (NDC)  with  target  to  reduce  the  emissions  intensity  of  its  Gross  Domestic Product (GDP) by 33 to 35 % by 2030 from 2005 level, to achieve about 40% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel based energy resources by 2030, and to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tones of CO2eq through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.

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