Lok Sabha Question No. 715 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-07
Subject: Zero Carbon Emissions
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Keshari Devi Patel, Kanakmal Katara, Locket Chatterjee

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 715

TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.02.2022

## Zero Carbon Emissions

## 715. SHRIMATI KESHARI DEVI PATEL: SHRI KANAKMAL KATARA: MS. LOCKET CHATTERJEE:

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

- (a) the details of the steps taken to reduce carbon emissions and the target set for the next five years to reduce emissions;
- (c) the details of changes proposed by the Government to achieve zero carbon emissions and whether any time frame has been set to achieve the target and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the details of the proposals and plans for zero carbon emissions in climate talks?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a)  As  per  the  extant  provisions  under  the  United  Nations  Framework  Convention  on  Climate Change (UNFCCC), its Kyoto protocol and the Paris Agreement (PA), India is not obliged to reduce carbon emissions or to set any target for the next five years to reduce emissions. Under the Paris  Agreement, parties are required to communicate  their Nationally  Determined Contributions (NDCs) to combat climate change. These NDCs involve, inter-alia activities for reduction  of  greenhouse  gases  and  also  for  building  resilience  to  impacts  of  climate  change. India has communicated its NDCs in 2015. These include, interalia, quantified targets to reduce the  emissions  intensity  of  Gross  Domestic  Product  (GDP)  by  33  to  35  percent  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 tonnes of CO2eq through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.

(c) In the National Statement delivered at 26 th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) held in Glasgow, United Kingdom, India has declared its goal to achieve net zero by 2070. This goal  is  to  be  achieved  through  periodic  enhancement  of  NDCs  and  corresponding  domestic climate  actions  towards  low  carbon  transition,  supported  by  climate  finance  and  technology transfer under the UNFCCC and PA.

(d) At COP26, as part of its overall approach, India emphasized the foundational principles of equity,  and  common  but  differentiated  responsibilities  and  respective  capabilities.  It  also highlighted  the  need  for  all  countries  to  have  equitable  access  to  the  global  carbon  budget,  a finite  global  resource,  for  keeping  temperature  increase  within  the  limits  set  by  the  Paris Agreement and that all countries must stay within their fair share of this global carbon budget while using it responsibly. India also called for climate justice in global climate action, and for the developed countries to undertake rapid reductions in emissions during the current decade, to reach net-zero much earlier than their announced dates, as they have used more than their fair share of the global carbon budget.

India  emphasized  that  climate  finance  and  the  transfer  of  relevant  technologies  have become even more important for the implementation of climate action by developing countries. The ambition on climate finance by developed countries cannot remain at the level it was at the time the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015. It was emphasized that just as the UNFCCC tracks the  progress  made  in  climate  mitigation,  it  should  also  track  climate  finance.  Further,  it  was conveyed to the developed countries that India understands and shares the difficulties of all other developing countries, and hence raises its voice in solidarity with their cause.

India  also  reaffirmed  that  developing  countries  need  those  fossil  fuel  resources  as  are relevant  to  their  national  circumstances  even  while  accelerating  clean  energytransition.  At  the same time, India reminded developed countries that to stay within the global carbon budget for the Paris Agreement temperature targets, they must work for the phaseout of all fossil fuels and not just single out coal.

Apart  from  resolutely  addressing  climate  change  domestically,India  has  created  and continues to nurture international initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).

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