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India's climate goals and why it will take India much longer to achieve them?A net-zero energy transition will require innovation and scaling up new and improved technologies, John Kerry said in a speech
DH Web Desk
Last Updated IST
A net-zero goal is a part of the commitment made in Paris. Credit: iStockPhoto
A net-zero goal is a part of the commitment made in Paris. Credit: iStockPhoto

India is the world's third-biggest emitter of carbon dioxide and relies heavily on fossil fuels to generate around two-thirds of its electricity. Thus, its role in tackling global warming is seen as vital.

US climate envoy John Kerry in New Delhi, before a virtual climate summit on April 22 and 23 organised by US President Joe Biden, lauded India's "remarkable transformation" into a "world leader in the deployment of renewable energy".

Without mentioning India directly, Kerry said that in order to keep global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius, coal needs to be phased out "five times faster" than the current pace.

Quoting sources, Bloomberg reported that officials close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi are working with senior bureaucrats and foreign advisers to consider ways to meet the 2050 deadline to meet the net-zero emissions goal.

Net-zero emissions, also known as carbon neutrality, does not mean that a country will stop emitting carbon but when a country's emissions are absorbed by carbon sinks such as forests. Removal of such gases requires highly advanced technology such as carbon capture and storage.

A net-zero energy transition will require innovation and scaling up new and improved technologies, Kerry noted in a speech. However, India's emissions are only set to increase as its economy develops and compensating for such an increase would not be possible even with massive afforestation and reforestation drives. Most technologies to remove carbon emissions at the moment are expensive.

India set its own climate goals in the 2015 Paris Agreement and a net-zero goal is a part of the commitment made in Paris. India, however, has batted to discuss net-zero emissions outside the framework of the Paris accord. India seems to be well on the path to achieve its goals, in fact, surpass the three committed targets.

Several major economies have promised to achieve carbon neutrality by around 2050. However, India has argued that the target might meet the same fate as that of the Kyoto Protocol, which many countries exited without achieving their goals.

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(Published 08 April 2021, 16:48 IST)