Lok Sabha Question No. 2859 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-07
Subject: Net Zero Emission
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2859

TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.08.2023

## Net Zero Emissions

## 2859. SHRI SAPTAGIRI SANKAR ULAKA:

Will the MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has launched anytime bound National Decarbonization Plan to ensure Net Zero Emission by 2070 and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (b) whether the Government is aware that the Climate Action Tracker rated India's overall climate action as highly insufficient;
- (c) if so, the action taken in this regard and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d) the specific measures proposed by the Government to reduce pollution and to address the rapidly growing environmental problems in the country; and
- (e) whether the Government proposes to launch a country-wide plantation drive to maintain balance in the environment and to check pollution and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) to (e) India is an emerging economy where Greenhouse Gas emissions are set to increase, albeit from a low base, in pursuit of its development and poverty eradication goals. It is to be noted  that  India's  historical  cumulative  emissions  from  1850  to  2019  amount  to  less  than  4 percent of cumulative carbon dioxide emissions of the world from the pre-industrial era, despite being home to 17 per cent of the world's population. Hence, India's responsibility for global warming thus  far  has  been  minimal  and  even  today  its  annual  per  capita  emissions  are  only about one-third of the global average.

India,  at  the  26 th session  of  the  United  Nations  Framework  Convention  on  Climate  Change (UNFCCC) (COP 26) in November, 2021, announced its target to achieve net zero by 2070. In recognition of the Para 19 of Article 4 of the Paris Agreement, India's Long-Term Low-Carbon Development Strategy  (LT-LEDS), has been submitted to the UNFCCC, and it reaffirms the goal of reaching net-zero by 2070. India's LT-LEDS is based on the principles of equity and climate justice and the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities.

India's  LT-LEDS  rests  on  seven  key  transitions  to  low-carbon  development  pathways.  These include  i)  low-carbon  development  of  electricity  systems  consistent  with  development,  ii) develop an integrated, efficient and inclusive transport system, iii) promote adaptation in urban design, energy and material efficiency in buildings, and sustainable urbanisation, iv) promoting economy-wide  decoupling  of  growth  from  emissions  and  development  of  an  efficient, innovative  low  emission  industrial  system,  v)  development  of  carbon  dioxide  removal  and related  engineering  solutions,  vi)  enhancing  forest  and  vegetation  cover  consistent  with socioeconomic  and  ecological  considerations  and  vii)  economic  and  financial  needs  of  lowcarbon development. With respect to each of these transitions, India's low-carbon development strategy document has elaborated the international and national context as relevant, the current policies  and  programmes  already  being  implemented  as  well  as  the  key  elements  for  each transition, potential benefits and challenges.

There are several indices which rank countries on their performance to combat the challenge of climate  change.  However,  there  are  many  differences  and  disagreements  with  respect  to  the methodology, the conceptual framework as well as outcome of these indices both for India and the World.

The  Government  has  taken  several  actions  to  address  the  rapidly  growing  environmental problems in the country. Some of the noteworthy actions are listed below:

-  The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in January, 2019 with an aim to improve air quality in 131 cities (non-attainment cities and Million Plus Cities) in 24 States/UTs by engaging all stakeholders. The programme envisages to achieve reductions up to 40% or achievement  of  National  Ambient  Air  Quality  Standards  (NAAQS)  for  Particulate Matter  10  (PM10)  concentrations  by  2025-26.  95  cities  showed  improvement  in  PM concentration in FY 2021-22 in reference to 2017-18 & 20 cities are within the NAAQS in FY 2021-22. To monitor air quality, till now 1,366 Monitoring Stations (910 Manual stations  in  389  cities,  28  states  &  7  UTs  and  456  Continuous  Ambient  Air  Quality Monitoring Stations in 227 cities, 27 states & 4 UTs) have been installed.
-  Portal for Regulation of Air-pollution in Non-Attainment cities (PRANA)  for monitoring implementation of NCAP  has been launched. Under Swach Vayu Survekshan  (SVS)  2022,  which  is  the  evaluation  of  self-assessment  report  of  NCAP cities, top 9 best performing cities have been awarded.
-  The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has come out with a policy to curb air pollution in NCR and adjoining areas, along with a standard list of approved fuels for NCR for industrial and other applications.
-  Levels of PM2.5 and PM10 in Delhi had registered a dip of almost 30% since 2016 while the number of clean air days had increased by almost 50% during the same period.
-  Country  has  leapfrogged  from  BS-IV  to  BS-VI  norms  for  fuel  and  vehicles  from 1 st April, 2020.
-  Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) has been launched as an initiative to set up Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) production plant and make CBG available in the market for use in automotive fuels.
-  Installation of Vapour Recovery System (VRS) in new and existing petrol pumps selling gasoline >100kl per month in million plus cities and those selling >300kl per month in

cities with population between 1 lakh to 1 million. Subsidy on E-vehicles under Faster Adoption and manufacture of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India.

-  For conservation of rivers, Ministry of Jal Shakti supplements efforts of the States/UTs by providing financial and technical assistance for abatement of pollution in identified stretches of rivers in the country through the Central Sector Scheme of Namami Gange for  rivers  in  Ganga  basin  and  the  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  of  National  River Conservation Plan (NRCP) for other rivers.
-  India added ten wetlands to the List of Wetlands of International Importance (also called Ramsar Sites) within the framework of the Ramsar Convention, taking the total number of Ramsar Sites in India to an incredible 75, the highest in Asia by August 2022.
-  The government has taken  a defining step  to  eliminate  single  use plastics.  A  ban  has been imposed on identified single use plastic items from 1st July 2022.
-  Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India, published by Space Applications Centre (SAC) Indian Space Research Organisation, Ahmedabad, provides the extent of land  degradation  and  desertification  in  India,  states  that  the  land  degradation  and desertification in the country has been estimated to be 97.84 million hectares in 2018-19. It provides state-wise area of degraded  land  which  is helpful in planning  and implementation of schemes aimed at restoration of land by providing important data and technical inputs.
-  The Ministry has initiated work on Circular Economy. Eleven committees, constituted for  development  of  circular  economy  action  plans  for  different  categories  of  wastes, have  finalized  plans  for  ten  waste  categories.  Extended  Producer  Responsibility  rules have been notified for 4 categories of waste a) Plastic waste, b) Waste tyre, c) Batteries, and E-Waste.

In  consonance with National Forest Policy (NFP), 1988 which envisages the national goal to have a minimum of one- third of the total land area under forest or tree cover and two-third of the  area  under  such  cover  in  the  hill  and  mountainous  regions  of  the  country,  various afforestation  related  schemes  implemented  by  MoEF&CC  and  other  ministries  aim at promoting  tree  plantations.  MoEF&CC  supports  the  States/Union  Territories  for  carrying  out various afforestation/tree plantation activities under Centrally Sponsored Schemes like National Mission  for  a  Green  India  (GIM),  Nagar  van  Yojana,  compensatory  afforestation  under Compensatory Afforestation Fund  Management  and  Planning Authority  (CAMPA)  etc. State/UTs also implement various schemes promoting tree plantation activities under State/UT Plan, MGNREGA etc.

*****