ORF: Path to a Green India Starts with Carbon Neutrality

The path to a green India starts with carbon neutrality

Observer Research Foundation, Manash Kalita Neog and Rupali Handa, 26 January 2021

(Image courtesy of Observer Research Foundation)

If complacency does not kill the climate cat, distractions certainly will. As the world struggles with COVID-19, commitments to counter climate change risk are slipping in priority for policymakers. To be fair, the pandemic with its impact on economic growth and energy use, has slowed emissions the world over. In India, for example, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions likely fell by 6–10 percent in 2020 from 2019, according to Climate Action Tracker (CAT). It would be wise, however, for India not to lose sight of its climate pledges. And wiser still to make a few commitments more.

As the world’s third-largest emitter, accounting for 7.1 percent of global GHG emissions, India has its own set of challenges. Economic development is crucial to alleviate poverty and usher in sustainable income growth. Yet, environmental degradation—India hosts 21 of the world’s 30 most-polluted cities—and the threat of adverse events due to climate change are major risks for public health and long-term economic growth. Climate, therefore, cannot be an afterthought; rather, it should be a pillar of India’s development strategy.

?