Lok Sabha Question No. 306 (STARRED), answered on 2021-12-20
Subject: Conservation of Forests
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Rakesh Singh

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

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. 306

TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.12.2021

## Conservation of Forests

## *306.  SHRI RAKESH SINGH:

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

- (a) whether any steps have been taken to reduce dependency on conventional sources of energy for environmental protection in the country;
- (b) whether any targets have been fixed in this regard;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether there is any scheme/plan for the conservation and expansion of forest areas in the country; and
- (e) whether any positive outcome thereof has been noticed and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI. BHUPENDER YADAV)

- (a) to (e) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  306TO  BE  ANSWERED  ON  MONDAY,  20.12.2021 REGARDING  'CONSERVATION  OF  FORESTS'  RAISED  BY  SHRI  RAKESH SINGH.

(a)  to  (c): Yes,  Sir.  Several  steps  have  been  taken  to  reduce  dependency  on  conventional sources of energy for environmental protection as well combating the climate change in the country.

India  as  a  party  to  the  Paris  Agreement  submitted  its  ambitious  Nationally  Determined Contribution (NDC) for combating climate change. India's NDC is a significant contribution towards  achievement  of  goals  under  the  Paris  Agreement  and inter-alia includes  the contributions,  namely;    to  reduce  the  emissions  intensity  of  its  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.

India's  emission  intensity  of  Gross  Domestic  Product  (GDP)  has  reduced  by  24  per  cent between 2005 and 2016. Installed capacity of solar energy in  India has increased by more than 18 times from 2.63 GW in March 2014 to 48.56 GW in November 2021. India's current share  of  non-fossil  sources  based  installed  capacity  of  electricity  generation  is  more  than 40%.

The Hon'ble Prime Minister of India,recently at 26 th session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-26), announced India's vision to address challenge of climate change by presenting to the world the following five nectar elements (Panchamrit) of climate action by India. The vision provides for the pathway to further reduce dependency on conventional sources of energy.

The  National  Action  Plan  on  Climate  Change  (NAPCC),  which  provides  an  overarching framework for all climate actions in the country, comprises of missions in specific areas of solar energy and energy efficiency. Thirty-three States and Union Territories have prepared their State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) in line with NAPCC. These SAPCCs outline sector-specific and cross- sectoral priority actions.

The  Government  has  set  a  target  for  installing  175  GW  of  Renewable  Energy  capacity (excluding large hydro) by the year 2022 which includes 100 GW from solar, 60 GW from wind,  10  GW  from  Biomass  and  5  GW  from  Small  Hydro  by  the  year  2022.  As  on 30.11.2021, India's renewable energy capacity, including large hydro, is about 150.54 GW. For the world, India has created and continued to nurture International Solar Alliance (ISA). So far, 101 countries have signed the Framework Agreement of ISA with 80 of them ratifying it.

To make available the clean cooking fuel such as Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) to the rural and  deprived  households  which  were  otherwise  using  traditional  cooking  fuels  such  as firewood,  coal,  cow-dung  cakes  etc.  the  Government  is  implementing    Pradhan  Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY). Substitution of traditional cooking fuels under the PMUY mitigates impacts on the health of rural women as well as on the environment. Ason 15.12.2021, total 89,186,076 LPG connections have been provided.

India's Transformative Mobility paradigm is shifting towards; shared, connected and electric, to have positive effects on environment and reduce high import dependency on oil. To give an impetus to manufacturing and adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs) in India, Government of India is supporting the ecosystem through following national flagship schemes:

- i. Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India II ( FAME India II ) scheme  with  an  outlay  of  Rs.10,000  crore  to  incentivize  demand  for  EVs  in  different segments by providing upfront subsidies and creating EV charging infrastructure. As on 15.12.2021, total 1,83,780vehicles sold under FAME India II.
- ii. National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell ( ACC ) with an outlay of Rs.18,100 crore to incentivize setting up of giga scale manufacturing facilities in the country for 50 Giga Watt Hour of ACC.
- iii. Productivity  Linked  Incentive ( PLI )  scheme  for  Automobile  and  Auto  Components with  an  outlay  of  Rs.25,938  crore  to  incentivise  manufacturing  of  high  technology automobiles and automotive components with a focus on electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Indian  Railways,  the  third  largest  rail  network  globally,  has  voluntarily  taken  targets  to become carbon neutral by 2030. The Net Zero target by 2030 by India Railways alone will lead to a reduction of emissions by 60 million tonnes annually.

More than 367 million LED bulbs have been distributed under 'Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LED for All (UJALA)' scheme, which has led to energy saving of more than 47 billion units of electricity per year and reduction of 38.6 million tonnes of CO2 per year.

The ambitious target, which brings forward the 20% blending target from 2030 to 2025, is a key  element  of  the  economy-wide  energy  transformation.    It  will  also  help, inter-alia, in lowering carbon emissions, improving air quality, promoting productive use of damaged food grains and waste, etc.As of September 2021, the country has already reached 8.5% of ethanol blending and is on track to achieve the 20% target by 2025.

## (d) and (e):

For  protecting,  restoring  and  enhancing  India's  forest  cover  and  responding  to  Climate Change by means of plantation activities in the forest and non-forest areas, afforestation and tree plantation activities are undertaken by States and Union Territories Governments under various State schemes.

The  Ministry  provides  financial  assistance  to  States  and  Union  Territories  Governments under  various  schemes  and  programmes  including, inter alia , National Afforestation Programme, Green India Mission to support and supplement the efforts of States and Union Territories.

Afforestation  activities  are  also  taken  up  under  various  programmes/schemes  such  as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Compensatory Afforestation  Funds  under  Compensatory  Afforestation  Fund  Management  and  Planning Authority (CAMPA).  These initiatives also help in conservation of very dense forests and moderately dense forests as well as to increase forest and tree cover.

The National Mission for a Green India (GIM) under NAPCC aims at protecting, restoring, and enhancing India's forest cover by means of plantation activities in the forest and nonforest areas. So far, a sum of Rs. 492.20 crores have been released to fifteen States namely Andhra  Pradesh,  Arunachal  Pradesh,  Chhattisgarh,  Himachal  Pradesh,  Karnataka,  Kerala, Manipur,  Mizoram,  Odisha,  Punjab,  Uttarakhand,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Maharashtra,  Sikkim, West Bengal, and one Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir for undertaking the afforestation activities over 1,84,161 ha of forest and non-forest area.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is implementing the National Agroforestry Policy (NAP) since 2014.

Further, the 15th Finance Commission has assigned 10% weight to forest and ecology in its criterion for devolution.

The multi-departmental efforts have yielded good results in conserving and developing forest and tree cover as evident from the fact that Forest and tree cover has increased by 1.3 million ha between the 2015 and 2019 as per assessments of the Forest Survey of India. India's Land use, land-use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sink (CO2 removal) is on the rise by 3.4 per cent between 2014 and 2016 and by approximately 40 per cent between 2000 and 2016.

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