Applied Science and Engineering Journal for Advanced Research

Introduction

Climate change is the phrase used to describe long-term changes in temperature and weather patterns. Although they can happen for natural reasons, since the start of the industrial revolution in the 19th century, these changes have been mostly brought on by human activity. The sun's heat is trapped by GHG emissions because they linger in the atmosphere for tens to hundreds of years.

The increased emissions have caused temperatures to rise, which could cause the sea level to rise, change the way the monsoons work, and change the way land systems work, even though the temperatures are still within the range that makes our planet more habitable and gives us nice weather.

The greatest danger to humanity and an unavoidable reality that the world must face are GHG emissions. The world has already begun to feel the effects of climate change, so urgent action is needed to cut carbon emissions and adapt to them.

For instance, it's predicted that by 2030, over 700 million people will be at risk of being displaced due to drought worldwide (U.N. SDG Portal). Climate change and global warming are therefore actual phenomena. Despite the fact that climate change has happened in the past even when Earth was sparsely populated, there is little doubt that human activity is the primary cause this time.

Notwithstanding agreement on the aforementioned, there can still be significant disagreement on what should be done in response to climate change. The release of GHGs, specifically carbon, is the source of much of the world's anxiety related to climate change.

The longer GHGs are held in the atmosphere, the faster global warming becomes. Hence, the argument goes, global warming must be stopped, slowed down, and, if feasible, reversed if some of the disastrous consequences are to be averted. Reducing GHG emissions, particularly carbon emissions, is one approach to work towards it. By 2050, many countries promise to have zero net emissions. Some want to accomplish it by 2060 or 2070.

Figure 1: Shows the nations' pledges to achieve net zero emissions by the year 2060

For instance, China has stated that before abandoning current energy sources, future energy supplies, including alternative ones, must first be guaranteed. Countries may find themselves in the situation of not retiring coal-fired power plants and the alternatives may be hampered by a lack of technology, money, skilled labour, or a combination of all three. Governments have also discovered that, compared to traditional industries, the employment that will likely be produced in the so-called "green economy" are more skill- and technology-intensive. Another counterargument is that it might be simpler to talk about retraining and relocation than to really carry it out.

Thomas Schelling, a Nobel Prize winner, suggested in 2005 that allowing countries to expand first would be the best way to address climate change:

"Vulnerability to climate change should decrease and resources for adaptation should increase if per capita income growth in the next 40 years is comparable to the 40 years just gone.

I don't say this to downplay concern about climate change, but rather to consider if emerging nations should sacrifice some of their progress in order to reduce the emissions of gases that could negatively affect their economies. Their own ongoing evolution may be their best line of defence against climate change.

Students of corporate finance won't be surprised to learn that economic expansion would make it possible to generate resources. Businesses make money and have internal resources, which they use to finance investments. Before turning to markets, a company's own resources represent the single largest source of funding for capital investments. That would also apply to countries.

It is a feasible idea for another reason: it is challenging to obtain funds from rich countries or multilateral organisations. The public sector in affluent nations is overstretched and doesn't appear to be motivated to mobilise sufficient funding for climate action in developing nations.

In order for international institutions to be able to lend more money or mobilise more resources, they also lack the appetite to do so. But it's not clear that the private sector wants to take on long-term projects or that it has the right incentives to do so.

Last but not least, when one considers that developed countries ignored their obsession with climate change and global warming to burn more coal to produce electricity this year, it does not seem so strange or irresponsible that developing countries must put their own growth and development aspirations ahead of their global climate obligations.

For logical reasons, advocacy has far too frequently trumped analysis. Nevertheless, at this point in the conversation, complacent scenarios are no longer helpful. Methodical, peer-reviewed analyses of the possible costs and advantages of alternative action plans are currently needed in the policy discussion. Nonetheless, whether we like it or not, the problem of climate change will become more pertinent and dominate the media and the focus of decision-makers. Governments must take steps to build the resilience and adaptability of their populations to climate change, even if they wait for the financial, technological, and human resources for emissions abatement. As a result, additional steps are required, such as resource estimation, lifestyle modifications, etc.
One of the best examples of this is India, which is regarded as one of the most vulnerable nations due to its extensive coastline, reliance on the monsoon, and substantial agrarian economy. Its total contribution to global emissions (up until 2019) is less than 4%, and its emissions per person are much lower than the average for the whole world.

The pledges in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Paris Agreement are based on the widely acknowledged concept that climate change is a global phenomena and necessitates joint measures. They call for a collective action based on the principles of equity and Common But Differentiated Responsibility and Respective Capabilities, acknowledging the differentiated responsibility of countries (in light of their role in GHG emissions) and the higher developmental needs of the developing countries (CBDR-RC). The result of the group work is the NDCs, which are pledges from each country to work towards a common goal of keeping temperature rise to less than 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

India has worked hard to achieve the objective of sustainable development. By its NDCs, which include a comprehensive plan for global renewable energy transitions, it leads one of the strongest climate efforts. Despite the negative effects of Covid-19 on the economy, the nation has significantly increased its climate ambition and begun a long-term strategy towards a development based on low GHG emissions.

After establishing the background, this chapter provides an updated analysis of the climate change problem from India's perspective. Topics covered include forests and their role in reducing carbon emissions, a strategy for switching to renewable energy sources, and the recently submitted low emissions development strategy. The chapter also discusses the conclusions of the 27th Conference of Parties (COP 27) session, advancements made in enabling funding for sustainable development, and India's participation in international efforts to combat climate change.

Climate justice and living in a way that is good for the environment are mentioned in the vision as ways to protect the weak and poor from the bad effects of climate change. In line with this goal, the amount of power that doesn't come from fossil fuels has grown quickly over time. Non-fossil sources, such as large hydro, are expected to make up about 40.4% of the total installed electrical capacity on September 30, 2022. This is up from 27.3% in 2014–15. The percentage of installed electricity capacity made up of solar and wind energy has significantly increased during this time, rising from 8.9% in 2014–15 to 25.1% in 2022–23 (April–Sept).

FOREST AND TREE COVER CONDITIONS

The addition of 2.5 billion to 3.0 billion metric tonnes of carbon sinks through increased forest and tree cover by 2030 is one of India's NDC's three quantifiable targets. For the past 15 years, India's forest and tree cover have steadily and gradually increased.

The country is third in the world in terms of the average net gain in forest area each year between 2010 and 2020. Most of this change is because the federal and state governments have strong structures and policies that have helped and protected forests. The most significant programmes include the Green India Mission (GIM), Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), National Afforestation Programme (NAP), Green Highway Policy 2015, Policy for Enhancing Urban Greens, National Agro-forestry Policy, and Sub-Mission on Agro-forestry (SMAF), among others.

ECOSYSTEM PRESERVATION ADAPTATION STRATEGY

Ecosystems do a lot more than just provide services like cultural, spiritual, or tourist attractions. They also store carbon, protect coastal zones, and improve water quality.Wetlands act as natural barriers to drought, floods, and tropical cyclones. Wetlands can act as sponges, holding onto peak rainfall and slowly releasing it during the dry season.

Floods in Chennai, India, in December 2015 and the Kashmir Valley, India, in September 2014 serve as reminders of how wetland devastation can put lives in danger. One of the earliest intergovernmental agreements signed by signatory nations to protect the ecological integrity of their globally significant wetlands is the Ramsar Convention, which was established on February 2, 1971.

Declared wetlands are protected as Ramsar areas. 13.3 lakh acres are covered by India's 75 Ramsar sites, 49 of which have been added in the past eight years. For coastal communities, mangroves and coastal wetlands act as the first line of defence against rising storm surges, flooding, and storms.

In fact, caring about animals also means caring about the individual. Because human, animal, and plant life are all so intricately entwined, any disturbance in one causes an imbalance in the others. The Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 is a comprehensive piece of law that was passed in 1972 to give our wildlife and endangered species of animals specific legal protection.

Keystone and flagship species like tigers, lions, and elephants are important for maintaining healthy ecosystems. As of August 10, 2022, India was home to 53 Tiger Reserves, which collectively covered over 75,796.8 square kilometres in 18 states and contained roughly 75% of the world's wild tiger population. India doubled its tiger population in 2018, four years ahead of schedule compared to 2022. Also, two Tiger Reserves in the nation have obtained International Tx2 7.75 certification, and 17 Tiger Reserves nationwide have CA|TS accreditation.

Parallel to this, the number of Asiatic lions has grown steadily, reaching 674 animals in 2020, an increase of 28.87% (one of the fastest growth rates to date) over the 523 lions in 2015. As of 2020, India is home to 12,852 leopards, up from a 2014 estimate of 7,910. There has been a population rise of more than 60%. There are currently between 50,000 and 60,000 Asian elephants estimated to exist worldwide. India is home to more than 60% of the world's population. Moreover, the Indian Elephant has been added to Appendix I of the Convention on Migratory Species, which will be discussed at CMS 13's Conference of Parties in Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat, in February 2020.

In order to boost conservation efforts and fulfil global agreements on wildlife preservation, the Act has been altered numerous times. The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022, was introduced by the government in an effort to make further improvements in wildlife conservation. The Act aims to implement the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (16) and enhance the number of species protected by law (CITES).

There are six schedules in the Wild Life (Protection) Act of 1972. By (i) decreasing the number of schedules for specially protected animals to two, (ii) eliminating the schedule for vermin species, and (iii) adding a new schedule for specimens listed in the CITES Appendices, the Act seeks to rationalise the schedules (scheduled specimens). The Act also gives the government the authority to control or outlaw the importation, trade, possession, or spread of invasive alien species.

MAKING BIODIVERSITY PROTECTION A PRIORITY

Biodiversity needs to be protected because it gives people and other living things the resources and services they need to stay alive.

India passed the Biological Diversity Act in 2002 in accordance with the CBD's principles. The National Biodiversity Authority at the national level, the State Biodiversity Boards at the state level, and the Biodiversity Management Committees at the local body level are required by the Act to implement the objectives through a decentralised system. Each of these organisations is a statutory, independent body with particular duties and authority to aid in the efficient application of the Act's and the Rules' provisions. In order to strengthen and improve coordination and cooperation in the areas of forests, wildlife, environment, biodiversity conservation, and climate change, including the restoration of corridors and interlinking areas and the sharing of knowledge and best practises between the two countries, India and Nepal signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on biodiversity conservation in August 2022. The MoU would support cooperation between the parties in the areas of climate change, biodiversity conservation, restoration of interconnected areas, forests, wildlife, and the environment.

Conclusion

India is leading one of the most ambitious transitions to clean energy in the world, and its commitment to stopping climate change has never wavered.India has made big changes to its climate goals and started a long-term plan for a Low GHG Emission Development Strategy using a multi-pronged approach, even though COvid-19 is hurting the economy.

With the energy transition plan, many policies are used to strengthen the ecosystem and make it possible to use new technologies like green hydrogen.To assist the creation and uptake of new technologies, the nation has continually changed or amended regulatory norms and adopted policy-level measures. The fact that India has increased its non-fossil fuel-based installed capacity objective in its updated NDC to 50%, up from the original NDC's aim of 40%, provides insight into the country's progress in the energy transition. Most crucially, the global climate agenda will advance if developed nations can serve as role models for behavioural and policy changes that are successful in their own communities and whose trade-offs are widely acknowledged and accepted by their people. Thus, with appropriate adaptation, it could be reasonable to anticipate that such policies and behavioural expectations of households will succeed in emerging countries.

References

1. Byravan S., & Rajan S. (2012). An evaluation of India’s national action plan on climate change.Center for Development Finance (CDF), IFMR, and Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Madras.