Aligning growth, politics and climate
3 years, 10 months ago

Aligning growth, politics and climate

Hindustan Times  

As Covid-19 vaccines roll out, the focus has shifted to economic recovery. From United States President Joe Biden’s climate leaders summit, the G-7 in the United Kingdom to the United Nations’ High-Level Dialogue on Energy, G-20 meetings, and Conference of the Parties-26 climate negotiations, India will face pressure this year to announce a target year for net-zero emissions. State-run distribution companies are locked into power purchase agreements that force them to buy from inefficient coal power plants, whereas investments in newer plants yield low returns, thanks to low-plant load factors. Further, India could save about ₹20,000 crore by shutting down inefficient plants, support their employees, create vastly more jobs, and level the field for a new power elite. Days after the Chamoli glacial burst, will a climate leader step up in India, build coalitions with an emerging green elite and make the welfare of the people and the planet an electorally winning issue?

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History of this topic

The global warming fight has a challenge for India
1 day, 1 hour ago

The global warming fight has a challenge for India

The Hindu  

The outcome of the climate conference in Azerbaijan has been disappointing. Developed countries have accepted 2050, China 2060, and India 2070 as the deadline for energy transition to net zero emissions by 2070. We need to rapidly ramp up electricity generation to establish our claim to an energy level that is sufficient to sustain future growth before we are constrained …

Echoes of nature: Frontline’s top 12 environment stories of 2024
6 days, 7 hours ago

Echoes of nature: Frontline’s top 12 environment stories of 2024

The Hindu  

Published : Dec 17, 2024 18:01 IST - 1 MIN READ Arguably one of the most disturbing headlines from the world of environment came when we rang in the New Year. In January 2024, from a pristine little island in the Indian Ocean, the Great Nicobar Island, author Pankaj Sekhsaria reported on the unimaginable havoc a proposed Rs.72,000 crore infrastructure …

2024 in review: India’s race for sustainable survival as climate crisis deepens
1 week, 1 day ago

2024 in review: India’s race for sustainable survival as climate crisis deepens

Live Mint  

The year is set to end as the hottest on record, marking the second consecutive year of unprecedented warming after 2023 claimed the same title. Data from the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service shows that that average global temperature in nine out of the first 11 months in 2024 was already 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The report said 2024 …

India drops two places but remains among top 10 climate performers: Report
1 month ago

India drops two places but remains among top 10 climate performers: Report

Deccan Chronicle  

Baku : India remained in the top 10 on a list of 63 countries assessed for efforts to combat climate change, despite dropping two spots compared to an year ago, thanks to its low per-capita emissions and rapid deployment of renewables, a report said on Wednesday. The Climate Change Performance Index -- published by think tanks Germanwatch, New Climate Institute, …

India drops 2 places, but remains in top 10 climate performers: Report
Trending News
1 month ago

India drops 2 places, but remains in top 10 climate performers: Report

India Today  

India remained in the top 10 on a list of 63 countries assessed for efforts to combat climate change, despite dropping two spots compared to a year ago, thanks to its low per-capita emissions and rapid deployment of renewables, a report said on Wednesday. The Climate Change Performance Index, published by think tanks Germanwatch, New Climate Institute and Climate Action …

India's renewable energy capacity nearly tripled since 2014: Minister at COP29
1 month ago

India's renewable energy capacity nearly tripled since 2014: Minister at COP29

India Today  

Union Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said at the COP29 in Azerbaijan's Baku on Tuesday that India's Renewable Energy Capacity has nearly tripled from its capacity in 2014, and it is on course to achieve the 500 gigawatts target by 2030. Delivering the national statement at the UN Climate Conference, Singh said, "We achieved our 2015 Nationally …

COP29 and reducing climate leadership: What India can do
1 month ago

COP29 and reducing climate leadership: What India can do

Hindustan Times  

The Conference of Parties 29 has seen a lacklustre attendance with heads of State from major emitters including China, United States, South Africa, Germany and Canada not in attendance. India must take a nuanced stance advocating for continued resource transfers from the North to bolster India’s domestic capacity to become a crucial partner in achieving global climate goals. India would …

Global South faces climate burden: India highlights challenges at COP29
1 month ago

Global South faces climate burden: India highlights challenges at COP29

India Today  

At the ongoing COP29 summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, India's Minister of State for Environment, Kirti Vardhan Singh, highlighted the critical juncture at which the global community stands in its collective fight against climate change. Speaking on behalf of the Global South, Singh pointed the disproportionate burden faced by developing nations due to climate change. Kirti Vardhan Singh also reiterated that …

India Needs a Green New Deal: A Holistic Approach to Sustainable Development
2 months ago

India Needs a Green New Deal: A Holistic Approach to Sustainable Development

Hindustan Times  

India needs an own Green New Deal to address the climate crisis and other pressing issues. The Green New Deal should focus on sustainable development, prioritize equity, and involve all stakeholders in the decision-making process. It should also address unique Indian characteristics and priorities, such as the need for a decentralized approach and a focus on value creation over cost-cutting.

Embracing Nature's Positivity: A Call to Action for a Sustainable Future
2 months ago

Embracing Nature's Positivity: A Call to Action for a Sustainable Future

Times of India  

The article emphasizes the urgency of embracing nature positivity alongside net-zero goals. It highlights the interconnectedness of biodiversity and climate action, emphasizing the need to address both issues together. The article outlines the outcomes of the COP15 summit, including the 23 targets for biodiversity conservation by 2030, which are a vision for a world where nature and humanity coexist harmoniously. …

India should not be seen as 3rd or 4th-largest GHG emitter due to low per capita emissions: Minister
3 months ago

India should not be seen as 3rd or 4th-largest GHG emitter due to low per capita emissions: Minister

The Hindu  

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Wednesday said India should not be viewed as the world's third or fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases and its low per capita emission should be considered instead. Addressing a session at the Global Renewable Energy Investors Meet and Expo in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, he said India is home to 17% of the world's population, but …

A climate crisis agenda remains urgent
3 months ago

A climate crisis agenda remains urgent

The Hindu  

The next five years are critical for India’s climate action efforts, given its ambitious 2030 targets. Key environmental issues that need urgent attention include reducing heat stress, improving air quality, managing waste, and enhancing energy efficiency. Encouraging businesses to view climate action as an opportunity rather than a challenge is essential, and acting swiftly on India’s carbon market is a …

Consumption patterns need to change to bolster both economic and ecological growth in India: Minister Bhupendra Yadav
3 months ago

Consumption patterns need to change to bolster both economic and ecological growth in India: Minister Bhupendra Yadav

Live Mint  

Consumption patterns need to change in India so that the economy can grow without disrupting the environment, said union climate change minister Bhupendra Yadav on Tuesday. To change consumption pattern, seven things are required to be done—save food, water and energy; conversion of waste to energy; management of e-waste; healthy lifestyle; and complete ban of single use plastic. “To change …

Karnataka to be a key driver of India’s transition to clean energy: Study
3 months, 1 week ago

Karnataka to be a key driver of India’s transition to clean energy: Study

New Indian Express  

BENGALURU: Karnataka is set to be a major driver in India’s low-cost clean energy transformation, while ranking second in green hydrogen production and with the highest wind energy potential in the country. A study published on Tuesday by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water one of Asia’s leading research institutions and climate think-tanks states that with a green hydrogen …

Establishing a carbon market
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Establishing a carbon market

The Hindu  

In her Budget speech, the Finance Minister signalled that polluting industries, such as iron, steel, and aluminium, will have to conform to emission targets. PAT versus emissions trading The Bureau of Energy Efficiency defines PAT as a “regulatory instrument to reduce specific energy consumption in energy-intensive industries, with an associated market based-mechanism to enhance the cost effectiveness through certification of …

Mint Sustainability Summit to deliberate on climate change and the green imperative
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Mint Sustainability Summit to deliberate on climate change and the green imperative

Live Mint  

Union minister Pralhad Joshi will deliver the keynote address at the Mint Sustainability Summit 2024 on Tuesday, amidst a full day of intense deliberations, debates and conversations around one of the most pressing themes of the day—climate change and the green imperative. Giving them company will be a galaxy of experts from PSUs and the private sector, who will deliberate …

Climate debate: Criticism of the Economic Survey misses the forest for the trees
4 months, 1 week ago

Climate debate: Criticism of the Economic Survey misses the forest for the trees

Live Mint  

Edward Said recounted how, when he critiqued Western scholars for biased depictions of the East, a prominent scholar dismissed his arguments by attacking his credibility rather than engaging with their substance. On 6 August, an oped in Mint argued that India’s Economic Survey “has wide gaps and odd arguments" on climate change. First, the charge that the survey adopts a …

Earth Overshoot Day to focus on sustainable life
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Earth Overshoot Day to focus on sustainable life

Deccan Chronicle  

India, with over 1.4 billion people, faces significant challenges due to population growth and increased consumption. The Global Footprint Network reports that India’s ecological footprint has grown exponentially. “Currently, India needs 2.6 times its resources to sustain its population, leading to depleted forests, reduced biodiversity, and climate change. A NITI Aayog report warns that by 2030, India’s water demand could …

Economic Survey 2023-24: Balancing growth and green goals a tightrope walk for India
5 months ago

Economic Survey 2023-24: Balancing growth and green goals a tightrope walk for India

The Hindu  

India's path to sustainable development is fraught with challenges, as the country grapples with the twin imperatives of meeting burgeoning energy demands and reducing carbon emissions, the Economic Survey 2023-24 revealed on July 22. Tabled in the Parliament, the Survey underscores the complexities of India's green transition, emphasizing the need for a diversified energy portfolio to achieve ambitious growth targets …

Unheeded priorities of climate action
5 months, 1 week ago

Unheeded priorities of climate action

New Indian Express  

The rising accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is threatening a potentially catastrophic change in the living and working conditions of humanity. Controlling the addition of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases into the layer requires cooperation at the global level and a fair distribution of mitigation actions. At present, what we have is the Paris agreement in …

The shape of a five-year climate agenda for India
5 months, 2 weeks ago

The shape of a five-year climate agenda for India

The Hindu  

As the new government settles in, what it does to scale up climate action will affect every Ministry, new and old, and every sector, big and small. Some of its choices would be pivotal to how India structures its economic path in a sustainable way, positions itself as the voice of the Global South at the right tables, and fights …

World is shifting – India will need a green vision
6 months, 1 week ago

World is shifting – India will need a green vision

Hindustan Times  

As India’s new government settles down to work, there is a buzz around the agenda for the first 100 days. While growth rates might fluctuate, given the scale of the economy, India’s growth now structurally impacts resource demand, investment flows, and global trade and supply chains. These power markets can also help India integrate with regional economies by leveraging the …

Climate change impacts millions in India. But as the country votes, some politicians skirt the issue
7 months ago

Climate change impacts millions in India. But as the country votes, some politicians skirt the issue

Associated Press  

BEED, India — Almost 970 million Indians are voting in general elections amid sweltering heat and unpredictable weather extremes exacerbated by human-caused climate change, leading to loss of livelihood, forced migration and increasingly difficult living conditions for millions across the country. Issues related to religion, caste and employment still determine most Indians’ political preferences, but Koll said that at local …

Climate change a top priority for India's Gen Z voters. Are parties listening?
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Climate change a top priority for India's Gen Z voters. Are parties listening?

India Today  

The ongoing general election in India has a distinct dimension to it: hotter weather. India Today has analysed the election manifestos of two major national parties – the Bhartiya Janata Party and Congress – to assess their policies concerning climate change. The word “climate” in the context of environmental degradation features 10 times in the Congress manifesto while it appears …

Climate litigation gets shot in the arm, climate justice is not far behind in India
8 months, 1 week ago

Climate litigation gets shot in the arm, climate justice is not far behind in India

Hindustan Times  

The seeds of climate justice that were sown a few years ago in several milestone judgments by the apex court, have now perhaps given rise to its first significant shoot in the form of the judgment delivered earlier this week in the now famous Great Indian Bustard case. While the apex court has to be lauded for fortifying and expanding …

From crisis to opportunity: India's role in global renewable energy discourses
8 months, 2 weeks ago

From crisis to opportunity: India's role in global renewable energy discourses

Firstpost  

The existing crisis in the international energy market is also providing an opportunity for the renewable energy sector The two recent wars — the Russia-Ukraine War as well as the Israel-Hamas War — as well as sanctions on Iran and Russia have had much impact on global energy geopolitics. Three important issues need to be addressed while discussing India’s role …

Right against climate change a distinct fundamental and human right, SC judgment
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Right against climate change a distinct fundamental and human right, SC judgment

The Hindu  

April 08, 2024 09:19 am | Updated 04:49 pm IST - NEW DELHI The Supreme Court has recognised a much-felt, but less articulated right against the adverse effects of climate change as a distinct fundamental right in the Constitution. The court also highlighted the interconnection between climate change and various human rights, including the right to health, indigenous rights, gender …

Climate crisis impacts citizens’ right to life: Supreme Court
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Climate crisis impacts citizens’ right to life: Supreme Court

Hindustan Times  

Climate change impacts the constitutional guarantee of right to life, the Supreme Court said in a recent judgment, emphasising that India must prioritise clean energy initiatives such as solar power as citizens have a right to be free from the adverse effects of the climate emergency. “Beyond mere adherence to international agreements, India’s pursuit of sustainable development reflects the complex …

Environmental federalism crucial for climate action
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Environmental federalism crucial for climate action

New Indian Express  

Climate change issues manifest more prominently at regional level compared to their aggregate impact nationally. The 2020 draft notification of the Environmental Impact Assessment authorised the Centre to appoint members of the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority, relegating the state governments to a mere recommending role. Some State Action Plans for Climate Change, developed in alignment with national strategies, are …

Rethinking Global Clean Energy Transition: Empowering Grassroots for A Sustainable Future - News18
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Rethinking Global Clean Energy Transition: Empowering Grassroots for A Sustainable Future - News18

News 18  

As the urgency of addressing climate change grows, it is increasingly apparent that we are not headed in the right direction. Need to Empower Grassroots and Women If 47% of the global population live below the poverty line of $6.85 per day, and nearly half of this demographic being females, it is clear that achieving Net Zero without an inclusive …

Why climate justice should be the core of global policies | Explained
9 months, 1 week ago

Why climate justice should be the core of global policies | Explained

India Today  

It is 4 pm, and Amudha Akka is sitting on the pavement next to the communal tap-a lifeline available for just four hours daily. A 2022 United Nations report predicts developing countries will need $300 billion annually by 2030 to tackle climate change. BEYOND FIGURES: NAVIGATING CLIMATE JUSTICE PARADIGM Amruta S N, Climate campaigner with Greenpeace India agreed that what …

India’s clean energy boom slows as new solar projects get delayed. Experts say it can pick back up
10 months, 2 weeks ago

India’s clean energy boom slows as new solar projects get delayed. Experts say it can pick back up

Associated Press  

BENGALURU, India — For years, renewable projects in India have been growing steadily, from small-town rooftop solar installations to large-scale projects across the desert and long stretches of wind turbines and solar panels on farmland all contributing to the country’s climate goal of transitioning to clean energy. It takes up to two years for solar projects to come online after …

Near-term agenda needed to phase out dirty fossil fuels
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Near-term agenda needed to phase out dirty fossil fuels

New Indian Express  

The second edition of the India Energy Week, which kicked off on Tuesday, is bringing together 17 energy ministers from oil producing countries as well as OPEC functionaries and executives from oil and gas companies. Sustainable energy received a major boost when, after much haggling, the UN summit adopted a resolution to ‘transition away from fossil fuels’ for the first …

Water resource inadequacy is a challenge India must take head on
11 months ago

Water resource inadequacy is a challenge India must take head on

Live Mint  

The notion of a ‘triple planetary’ crisis encompassing climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss has become outdated in the face of complexities captured by the relatively new term ‘polycrisis.’ This modern challenge involves the intertwining of climate change, environmental disruptions, widening social inequalities, pandemic effects and geopolitical polarization. India can tap the climate-development nexus by conserving and using its water …

Review of Johannes Urpelainen’s Energy and Environment in India: Fossil-free future
1 year ago

Review of Johannes Urpelainen’s Energy and Environment in India: Fossil-free future

The Hindu  

India’s environmental crisis remains unaddressed partly because the expanding middle class settles for private solutions that come at a cost to the environment, and the poor, argues Johaness Urpelainen in his new book, Energy and Environment in India. For a majority of consumers, diesel generators provide reliable source of energy; groundwater pumps ensure water supply; air purifiers counter air pollution, …

Should India set a higher bar to address climate change? | The Hindu Parley podcast
1 year ago

Should India set a higher bar to address climate change? | The Hindu Parley podcast

The Hindu  

In a historic first, all 198 signatories to the 28th United Nations’ Conference of the Parties adopted to “transition away” from “all fossil fuels” as opposed to only coal, as was agreed upon at COP26, in Glasgow. Unsurprisingly, it supported the incumbent COP President Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber of the UAE when he proposed to “transition away” from oil and gas, …

COP28: India’s urban population is exploding. That could have huge consequences for the planet
1 year ago

COP28: India’s urban population is exploding. That could have huge consequences for the planet

CNN  

New Delhi CNN — Over half a century ago, India’s then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi talked about the staggering challenge for developing nations: to industrialize without harming the environment. Addressing the opening session of the COP28 climate talks in Dubai on Friday, India’s current prime minister, Narendra Modi, said all developing countries must be given “a fair share in the …

DC Edit | India can still be part of climate deal
1 year ago

DC Edit | India can still be part of climate deal

Deccan Chronicle  

It is surprising that India was not among the 118 nations that signed the Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge at the climate summit in Dubai to triple the installed renewable energy capacity by the turn of the decade. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi pointed out in his address to the summit during his flying visit, India may be the …

Climate diplomacy must begin at home
1 year, 1 month ago

Climate diplomacy must begin at home

Hindustan Times  

Long gone are the days when India’s climate postures were ostensibly defensive. In its quest to achieve its 2030 transition and 2070 net zero targets at home, India’s climate diplomacy has been forward looking. In its rush to join or create new international platforms, India must not forget to build domestic strategic capacity that can better define, articulate, and implement …

India’s Energy Endgame in an Era of Peak Fossil Fuels
1 year, 1 month ago

India’s Energy Endgame in an Era of Peak Fossil Fuels

The Quint  

Here, we would need to be time-wise granular, differentiating between short to medium and long terms, In the first phase, the global consumption of fossil energy sources may keep growing, albeit, at a slowing velocity and geopolitical risks may disrupt. In a decade, hopefully, these trends will settle down and fossil energy consumption may peak and start declining concomitantly bringing …

The shape of climate justice in a warming India
1 year, 2 months ago

The shape of climate justice in a warming India

The Hindu  

The G-20 summit that was held in Delhi agreed on tripling renewable energy capacity and a voluntary doubling of the rate of energy efficiency improvement by 2030. Such an approach evades concerns of climate justice within India, particularly its effect on inequality across levels class, caste and region. Inequality matrix It is now well documented across the world that climate …

World not on track to achieve most SDGs by 2030
1 year, 2 months ago

World not on track to achieve most SDGs by 2030

The Hindu  

Lamenting the lack of progress on various Sustainable Development Goals, including biodiversity protection and greenhouse gas emissions, world leaders at the SDG Summit in New York on September 18 and 19, 2023, once again reaffirmed their shared commitment to eradicate poverty and end hunger. They also recognised that the world was on track to meet only 15% of its 169 …

India hopes to lead on climate, but coal still powers its economic growth
1 year, 3 months ago

India hopes to lead on climate, but coal still powers its economic growth

LA Times  

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Biden stand on the South Lawn of the White House on June 22 during a ceremony marking Modi’s visit. Modi, who has overseen a rapid expansion of India’s renewable energy industry, has set bold targets to power more of the country with solar, hydrogen and biofuels over the next decade. The contradiction is …

High hopes for climate and energy outcomes at summit as India takes lead
1 year, 3 months ago

High hopes for climate and energy outcomes at summit as India takes lead

The Hindu  

As leaders gather for G-20 Summit in New Delhi, experts on Thursday said securing consensus on multilateral development bank reforms and adopting rigorous language regarding the phasing down of unabated fossil fuels could enhance India’s leadership role. The G-20 countries — responsible for 85% of the world’s GDP and 80% of the emissions — failed to reach consensus at the …

How India’s climate leadership is building a better future for all
1 year, 3 months ago

How India’s climate leadership is building a better future for all

Hindustan Times  

India is poised to be a global leader when it comes to economy, technology and trade. This is why both India’s commitment to climate action and its current role as a global convener in its capacity as the president of the G20 are so vital for moving climate action forward. Indeed, India’s theme for this year’s G20, “One Earth, One …

India's vision for climate justice: COP28 and beyond
1 year, 3 months ago

India's vision for climate justice: COP28 and beyond

Hindustan Times  

As the world confronts the pressing reality of the climate crisis, the need for robust climate financing has never been more urgent. Notably, the establishment of the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change and the National Clean Energy Fund serve as shining examples of India's commitment to promoting clean energy and supporting climate-resilient infrastructure. The Climate Finance Working Group's estimation …

India succeeds in reducing greenhouse emissions rate by 33% over 14 years: Report
1 year, 4 months ago

India succeeds in reducing greenhouse emissions rate by 33% over 14 years: Report

Hindustan Times  

India's greenhouse emissions rate dropped by a faster-than-expected 33% in 14 years as renewable energy generation rose and forest cover increased, according to two officials privy to latest assessment made for submission to the United Nations. The report's findings showed India well on the way to meeting a commitment to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change, to reduce emissions …

India Today Roundtable discusses India's efforts to reduce carbon footprint
1 year, 5 months ago

India Today Roundtable discusses India's efforts to reduce carbon footprint

India Today  

The India Today Roundtable discussed India's efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and meet its commitments to cut carbon emissions by 2030. They highlighted that while India's per capita emissions are low, the country is the third largest emitter of carbon dioxide after China and the US. India has made several major commitments to address this issue, including increasing renewable …

India’s climate crisis susceptibility and the way forward
1 year, 6 months ago

India’s climate crisis susceptibility and the way forward

Hindustan Times  

The climate crisis poses an increasingly complex challenge worldwide, with profound implications for ecosystems, economies, and societies. India's vulnerability to climate crisis necessitates a long-term approach to build resilience and adapt to the changing climate. By adopting measures that enhance resilience in sectors such as agriculture, water management, and infrastructure, India can mitigate the adverse impacts of the climate crisis …

Seeing India’s energy transition through its States
1 year, 6 months ago

Seeing India’s energy transition through its States

The Hindu  

In the upcoming G20 forum, India is planning to propose a multiple energy pathways approach to accommodate the diverse contexts and development trajectories of countries. The diversity of India’s States, which necessitates multiple pathways, will determine its own domestic energy transition. States are critical actors in India’s energy transition as there is a multi-tier governance of energy production and usage. …

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