Lok Sabha Question No. 30 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-18
Subject: COP 26
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Dr. T. Sumathy (a) Thamizhachi Thangapandian, Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 30

TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.07.2022

## COP 26

## 30. DR. T. SUMATHY(a) THAMIZHACHI THANGAPANDIAN: SHRI T.R.BAALU:

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

- (a) whether the Government has submitted any agenda and research papers in the recent UN Climate Change Conference, COP26 held at Glasgow and if so, the details thereof and the major decision taken therein and its impact on India;
- (b) whether  India  being  one  of  the  largest  emitter  of  carbon  dioxide  and  green  house gases was directed by UN COP26 to adhere certain major changes in their Transport Vehicle Policy and Energy Sector and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the effective measures taken by the Government to curb the prevailing environmental issues and problems;
- (d) the total estimated expenditure and the funds to be allocated in the next five years to combat major environmental issues in the country;
- (e) whether the Government has sought US Dollar one trillion as 'Climate Finance' in the next  ten  years  from  the  developed  nations  to  fulfil  India's  committed  targets  in COP26  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  response  of  the  developed  countries thereto; and
- (f) the details of five-fold plan of Green Assurance pledge by Prime Minister at COP26?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a)  The  Government  of  India  has  articulated  and  put  across  the  concerns  of  developing countries at the 26 th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Glasgow, United Kingdom. As a part of its overall approach, India emphasized the foundational principles of equity, and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. It also highlighted that all  countries  should  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 all  countries  must  stay  within  their  fair  share  of  this  global  carbon  budget  while  using  it responsibly.  India  also  called  on  the  developed  countries  for  climate  justice,  and  for undertaking rapid reductions in emissions during the current decade so as to reach net-zero much earlier than their announced dates, as they have used more than their fair share of the depleting global carbon budget.

India also highlighted that the transfer of climate finance and low-cost climate technologies have  become  more  important  for  the  implementation  of  climate  actions  by  developing countries. The ambitions on climate finance by developed countries cannot remain the same as they were at the time of the Paris Agreement 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 the suffering of all other developing countries, shares them, and hence raises the voice of developing countries.

(b)  India's  historical  cumulative  emissions  and  per  capita  emissions  are  very  low  despite being home to more than 17% of the global population.  India has contributed only about 4% of the global cumulative greenhouse gas emissions between 1850 and 2019.

All decisions at the annual Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC are arrived at by consensus and hence the question of India being directed to undertake any action by such decisions does not arise.

Even though we are not part of the problem, India is committed to being part of the solution and has done far more than its fair share. India's commitment to emission intensity reduction of the economy is an economy-wide target and not specific to any sectors including transport and energy sectors.

(c)    The  Government  of  India  stands  committed  to  combating  climate  change  through  its several  programmes  and  schemes  including  the  National  Action  Plan  on  Climate  Change (NAPCC)  which  comprises  missions  in  specific  areas  of  solar  energy,  energy  efficiency, water,  sustainable  agriculture,  Himalayan  ecosystem,  sustainable  habitat,  green  India,  and strategic knowledge for climate change. The NAPCC provides an overarching framework for all  climate  actions.  Thirty-three  States  /Union  Territories  (UTs)  have  prepared  their  State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) in line with NAPCC taking into account the State specific  issues.  These  SAPCCs  outline  sector-specific  and  cross-sectoral  priority  actions, including  adaptation.  The  government  seeks  to  address  the  environmental  issues  and problems like air pollution, management of waste, degradation of forests, biodiversity loss, and land/soil degradation through promotional and legal measures. The  promotional measures  are  undertaken  by  various  ministries/departments  through  various  programs, schemes and activities in close cooperation, with state governments and all other stakeholders,  to  preventing  air  pollution,  management  of  waste,  enhancing  forest  and biodiversity  and  preventing  land/soil  degradation.  Further,  the  regulatory  measures  are implemented  through  Air  (Prevention  and  Control  of  Pollution)  Act,  1981,  Environment (Protection)  Act,  1986;  Forest  (Conservation)  Act,  1980;  The  Wild  Life  (Protection)  Act, 1972;  The  Indian  Forest  Act,  1927;  The  Biological  Diversity  Act,  2002;  Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016; and rules and Notifications under these Acts, as amended from time  to  time.  A  number  of  actions  have  been  taken  by  the  Government  to  combat  air pollution,  waste,  degradation  of  forests,  biodiversity  loss,  and  land/soil  degradation,  which inter alia, includes the following:

- i. The Ministry has launched National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in January 2019 to  tackle  the  problem  of  air  pollution  in  a  comprehensive  manner  with  targets  to achieve 20 to 30 per cent reduction in PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations by 2024. City Specific Clean Air Action Plans have been prepared and rolled out for implementation in132 non-attainment and million plus cities.
- ii. As  per  Solid  Waste  Management  Rules,  2016,  local  bodies  and  village  panchayats shall  facilitate  construction,  operation  and  maintenance  of  solid  waste  processing facilities and associated infrastructure on their own or with private sector participation or through any agency for optimum utilization of various components of solid waste adopting suitable technology including the technologies and guidelines issued by the
3. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs from time to time and standards prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board.
- iii. The Government has launched several schemes/programmes which include inter - alia the  National  Afforestation  Program,  Green  India  Mission,  Watershed  Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojna (PMKSY) which contribute to the target of restoration of 26 million hectares of degraded land and achievement of land degradation neutrality with focus on sustainable and optimum utilization of land resources. This will help in preserving forests and biodiversity, facilitating conservation of natural resources and improving carbon sinks.
- iv. The  Biological  Diversity  Act,  2002  enacted  in  pursuance  to  the  Convention  on Biological Diversity to which  India is a Party, is aimed  at conservation of biodiversity,  sustainable  use  of  its  components,  and  fair  and  equitable  sharing  of benefits  arising  from  the  use  of  these  resources,  also  known  as  access  and  benefit sharing (ABS). The Act is implemented through a three-tiered institutional mechanism,  namely  National  Biodiversity  Authority  (NBA)  at  the  national  level, State Biodiversity Boards at the State level, and Biodiversity Management Committees at the local body level.
6. (d) The total expenditure required for various schemes and programs relevant to environmental issues as well as the allocation thereof are determined annually according to the  extant  norms  and  procedures  followed  by  the  Government  for  annual  budgeting  and financial allocation process.
7. (e)  Providing  new  and  additional  financial  resources  as  well  as  transfer  of  technology  to address the global climate change challenge are among the commitments and responsibilities of  the  developed  countries  under  the  United  Nations  Framework  Convention  on  Climate Change  (UNFCCC)  and  its  Paris  Agreement.  India  also  require  its  due  share  from  such international  financial  resources  and  technological  support.  The  overarching  decision  titled Glasgow  Climate  Pact,  adopted  by  all  countries,  noted  with  deep  regret  that  the  goal  of developed country Parties to mobilize jointly USD 100 billion per year by 2020 in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation has not yet been met. In the same context, on behalf of developing countries, India put forth strongly that the global call towards increased ambition in climate mitigation should be correspondingly matched by adequate  additional  means  of  implementation  encompassing  new  and  additional  financial support  and  technology  transfer  to  the  developing  countries.  It  was  stated  that  while  India resolved to move forward with new commitments and in such times, the transfer of climate finance and low cost climate technologies becomes more important. India expects developed countries to provide climate finance of US $1 trillion per year to the developing countries.

(f)India at COP 26 has expressed to intensify its efforts to address the challenge of climate change by presenting to the world following five nectar elements (Panchamrit) of its climate action:

- i. Reach 500GW non-fossil energy capacity by 2030.
- ii. 50 per cent of its energy requirements from renewable energy by 2030.
- iii. Reduction of total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes from now to 2030.
- iv. Reduction of the carbon intensity  of the  economy  by  45  per  cent  by  2030,  over 2005 levels.
- v. Achieving the target of net zero emissions by 2070.