• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Take your breath away: Foul air continues to engulf Punjab despite dip in stubble burning. What’s to blame?

Punjab has been experiencing deteriorating air quality for the last few days despite a drop in crop residue burning cases, raising questions what’s to blame for the conditions. If in previous years when a big part of the leftover crop residue was being burnt in fields that affected the air quality, why under fewer stubble burning cases, such conditions are persisting, asked farmers and agronomists . “Many sections of society, including the judiciary, had been finding fault in stubble burning in worsening of the air quality of the National Capital Region at the onset of winter. Now, when farm fires have drastically decreased, why the authorities are not ready to accept that stubble burning has least contribution to it. Even Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in its report has stated that stubble burning has a very low contribution to the air quality of Delhi in the initial part of Oct,” said farmer leaders Joginder Singh Ugrahan and Sarvan Singh Pandher. Visibility at various places across Punjab had reached up to zero levels on Tuesday, with even flights getting affected in Amritsar. Questions are being rai sed whether it is smog or fog that is engulfing the region. The issue came to the fore when the plane of the Vice President failed to land at Ludhiana on Tuesday due to low visibility, with smog from stubble burning being blamed for it. Punjab Agricultural University principal agrometeorologist K K Gill said, “Going by the circumstances, it seems a mixture of smog and fog is engulfing the region. Polluting dust and aerosol particles have been hanging in the air since Diwali, leading to smog and hazy conditions”. She added that as the wind speed is minimal, pollutants, including aerosols and dust particles, are in the air, leading to smog. Stubble burning too has a contribution to it apart from firecrackers. Another abnormality is the minimum temperature hovering up to 8°C above normal in Punjab, a rise seen after nearly 54 years. Gill said as sunshine is not reaching the earth’s surface, low wind speed is aggravating the problem, and pollutants are not shifting. “Lower than normal temperatures are required for foggy conditions, but we are witnessing much higher minimum temperatures, especially at nights, which is up to 8°C in certain areas, she added.

• Climate Change and Green Economy

At UN climate talks, nations big and small get chance to bear witness to climate change

More than two dozen world leaders are delivering remarks at the United Nations’ annual climate conference Wednesday, with many hard-hit nations detailing their nations’ firsthand experience with the catastrophic weather that has come with climate change. Leader after leader recounted climate disasters, with each one seeming to top the other. Grenada’s prime minister Dickon Mitchell detailed a 15-month drought at the beginning of the year giving way to a Category 5 Hurricane Beryl. “At this very moment, as I stand here yet again, my island has been devastated by flash flooding, landslides and the deluge of excessive rainfall, all in the space of a matter of a couple hours,” Mitchell said. “It may be small island developing states today. It will be Spain tomorrow. It will be Florida the day after. It’s one planet.” Small island nations call for stronger climate action Grenada’s premier wasn’t the only small island nation leader who came with fighting words. Prime minister Philip Edward Davis warned that “it will be our children and grandchildren who bear the burden, their dreams reduced to memories of what could have been.” “We do not — cannot — accept that our survival is merely an option,” Davis said. Gaston Browne, the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, highlighted the “inverted morality” of big emitters who aren’t taking responsibility for their impacts on countries who have the most to lose. He said high-polluting nations are “deliberately burning the planet.” Past promises of financial aid went unfulfilled for too long, so small island nations will have to seek justice and compensation in international courts, Browne said. Marshall Islands president Hilda Heine called the climate crisis “the most pressing security threat” her country faces, but said she thinks the Paris Agreement process — where countries agreed to limit warming to 1.5 degrees (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times — is resilient. Azerbaijan president Ilham Aliyev took the opportunity to align his country with the predicament of small island developing states in a speech where he called out developed countries, in particular France and the Netherlands, for their colonial histories. He described the harms of colonialism that continue today. Biodiversity loss, rising seas and extreme weather hit communities that are often “ruthlessly suppressed,” he said. The United States also tried to show sympathy to hard-hit places. “Do we secure prosperity for our countries or do we condemn our most vulnerable to unimaginable climate disasters?” United States chief climate envoy John Podesta said. “Vulnerable communities do not just need ambition. They need action.” European leaders recount a year of extreme weather European nations also warned of climate catastrophe on their continent. “Over the past year, catastrophic floods in Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as in southern Croatia have shown the devastating impact of rising temperatures,” said Croatia’s prime minister, Andrej Plenkovic. “The Mediterranean, one of the most vulnerable regions, calls for urgent action.” Albania Prime Minister Edi Rama said he was dismayed by the lack of political action and political will and leaders of many nations not showing up at climate talks as extreme weather strikes harder and more frequently. Frustrated with other leaders mere talk, Rama decried that “life goes on with old habits” and all these speeches filled with good intent change nothing. “What is happening in Europe and around the world today doesn’t leave much room for optimism, though optimism is the only way of survival,” Rama said. Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Europe and the world needs to be “more honest” about the trade-offs needed to keep global temperatures down. “We need to ask hard questions about a path that goes very fast, at the expense of our competitiveness, and a path that goes some much slower, but allows our industry to adapt and to thrive,” he said. His nation this summer was hammered by successive heat waves after three years of below-average rainfall. The misery included water shortages, dried-up lakes and the death of wild horses. Ireland environment minister Eamon Ryan channeled some hope, saying that the 2015 Paris climate treaty “still lives” and that countries who drop out will realize they are falling behind as other countries move forward and see benefits to their economies. Negotiators labor on for elusive deal on money Negotiators at the summit are looking to hammer out a deal on how much money, and in what form, developed countries will pledge for adapting to climate change and transitioning to clean energy for developing nations. On Wednesday morning, an early draft of what that final deal will look like was released, but it still contained multiple options that negotiators will wrestle over to reach a consensus by the end of the climate talks. David Waskow, director of international climate action at the World Resources Institute said the latest 34-page draft reflects “all of the options on the table.” “Negotiators now need to work to boil it down to some key decisions” that can be worked on at the second half of the summit. The latest draft “does incorporate some new demands” including an ask for one of the largest negotiating blocs — the G77 plus China — for $1.3 trillion in climate finance, said Avantika Goswami, a climate policy analyst with the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment. “Developing countries have been clear that a provisional goal must be carved out to hold developed country governments to account,” she said. In a veiled reference to China, Germany’s climate envoy Jennifer Morgan said all climate-polluting countries should make contributions to climate funds, one of the most contentious issues being debated at the climate talks in Baku this year. “There are countries that have been successful and prosperous over the last years since 1992, and they also can make a great contribution to getting funds into developing countries,” she said.

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Delhi Chokes under "Severe" smog: AQI plummets, visibility vanishes

A dense haze hangs heavy over Delhi, casting an ominous pall over the city as its air quality plunges to alarming levels. For the second consecutive day, Delhiites are grappling with "severe" air pollution, a stark reminder of the persistent environmental challenges facing the national capital. AQI readings paint a grim picture The air quality index (AQI) has soared across various monitoring stations, with some areas recording alarmingly high figures: Anand Vihar: 473 Dwarka: 458 RK Puram: 454 Mundka: 460 Chandni Chowk: 407 These readings, taken by the Central Pollution Control Board, signify that the air is not just unhealthy but poses significant health risks, especially for vulnerable groups like children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions. Visibility impairment and health hazards The smog has drastically reduced visibility, with IGI Airport reporting a mere 300 meters of visibility. This poses risks not only for transportation but also for public health. The high concentration of particulate matter, particularly PM2.5, can penetrate deep into the lungs, leading to respiratory problems, cardiovascular diseases, and even cancer. Unprecedented fog and delayed severity While Delhi typically experiences a dip in air quality during winter, the severity this year has been delayed. Experts attribute this to an unusually dense fog that has trapped pollutants close to the ground. However, this doesn't diminish the long-term concerns about air pollution in Delhi. October's "Poor" air quality days Anumita Roychowdhury, an environmental expert, points out that October saw a higher number of "poor" and "very poor" AQI days compared to previous years. While Diwali fireworks usually exacerbate pollution, their impact was less significant this year due to warmer temperatures. However, the underlying issue of excessive annual emissions remains a major concern. Government response and curbing pollution In response to the deteriorating air quality, the Delhi government has implemented emergency measures, including: Construction ban: Halting construction and demolition activities to reduce dust pollution. Vehicle restrictions: Banning BS III petrol and BS IV diesel four-wheelers to control vehicular emissions. These measures aim to mitigate the immediate impact of the pollution crisis. However, long-term solutions require a comprehensive approach to address the root causes of Delhi's air pollution.

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

दिल्ली में प्रदूषण बढ़ने के बाद GRAP-3 की पाबंदियां लागू, किन चीजों पर लगा प्रतिबंध?

दिल्ली में बढ़ते वायु प्रदूषण के बाद ग्रेडेड रिस्पांस एक्शन प्लान (GRAP) के तीसरे चरण के प्रतिबंध लागू किए जाएंगे। कल (15 नवंबर) की सुबह से ये पाबंदियां लागू हो जाएंगी। दिल्ली में बढ़ते वायु प्रदूषण के बाद ये फैसला लिया गया है। आज सुबह औसतन वायु गुणवत्ता सूचकांक (AQI) 426 दर्ज किया गया, जो 'गंभीर' श्रेणी में आता है। बढ़ते प्रदूषण के चलते दिल्ली दुनिया में दूसरा सबसे प्रदूषित शहर हो गया है। प्रतिबंध किन-किन चीजों पर रहेगा प्रतिबंध? GRAP-3 में BS-III वाले पेट्रोल वाहनों और BS-IV के डीजल वाहनों को दिल्ली और राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र (NCR) में प्रवेश पर प्रतिबंध रहेगा। पूरे NCR में निर्माण और तोड़फोड़ गतिविधियों पर प्रतिबंध और खनन से जुड़ी गतिविधियों पर रोक रहेगी। रोजाना प्रमुख सड़कों पर पानी का छिड़काव किया जाएगा। बता दें कि AQI 401 से 450 के बीच होने पर GRAP के तीसरे चरण की पाबंदियां लागू की जाती हैं। गतिविधियां इन गतिविधियों पर भी रहेगी रोक गैर-इलेक्ट्रिक, CNG और BS-VI डीजल अंतरराज्यीय बसों पर प्रतिबंध रहेगा। दिल्ली-NCR की कच्ची सड़कों पर गाड़ियां नहीं चलेंगी। मलबे का एक जगह से दूसरी जगह ले जाना बंद रहेगा। ईंट-भट्ठे भी बंद कर दिए जाएंगे। दिल्ली-NCR में सभी स्टोन क्रशर बंद रहेंगे। आपातकालीन उद्देश्यों में भी डीजल जनरेटर के इस्तेमाल पर रोक। औद्योगिक स्तर के वेल्डिंग और गैस-कटिंग कार्य पर भी रोक रहेगी। घरेलू स्तर पर सीमेंटिंग, प्लास्टर और मरम्मत/रखरखाव को छोड़कर इससे संबंधित बड़ी गतिविधियों पर रोक। आपने 50% पढ़ लिया है मौसम आज कैसा था दिल्ली की हवा का हाल? केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड (CPCB) द्वारा जारी सुबह 7 बजे के आंकड़ों के अनुसार, दिल्ली के कई इलाकों में AQI "गंभीर" श्रेणी में पहुंच गया है। आनंद विहार का AQI 473, द्वारका का 458, आरके पुरम का 454, मुंडका का 460 और चांदनी चौक का 407 दर्ज किया गया। 39 मॉनिटरिंग स्टेशनों में से 32 ने AQI का स्तर 400 से ज्यादा दर्ज किया है। इसके अलावा एयरपोर्ट और पटपड़गंज में भी AQI 'गंभीर' श्रेणी में रहा। वजह दिल्ली में प्रदूषण की क्या है वजह? सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) के सर्वे के मुताबिक, दिल्ली के वायु प्रदूषण में स्थानीय स्रोतों का योगदान लगभग 30 प्रतिशत है। इनमें सड़क की धूल, निर्माण गतिविधियों से प्रदूषण या दिवाली उत्सव के दौरान जलाए गए पटाखों की तुलना में वाहन से निकलने वाले उत्सर्जन की हिस्सेदारी सबसे बड़ी है। इसके अलावा पड़ोसी राज्यों में फैलने वाले प्रदूषण की हिस्सेदारी लगभग 35 प्रतिशत है। पंजाब और हरियाणा में पराली जलाना प्रदूषण में 8.19 प्रतिशत का योगदान देता है।

• Climate Change and Green Economy

Carbon market deal done? Experts wary

The United National Climate Conference (COP29) presidency has claimed early success with the adoption of standards for carbon credits, referred to as Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement, a long-debated framework designed to help nations collaborate on reducing carbon emissions. But, critics say it was pushed without adequate scrutiny and would lead to greenwashing as there are not enough safeguards. Yalchin Rafiyev, COP29 lead negotiator, told the media, “This will be a game-changing tool to direct resources to the developing world and help us save up to $250 billion a year when implementing our climate plans.” Harjeet Singh, Global Engagement Director for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, said, “Fast-tracking carbon market rules at the start of COP29 sets a troubling precedent.” Greenwashing worry via the carbon market deal “Unlike COP28’s positive example of operationalising the Loss and Damage Fund, which had the support and approval of all countries, this approach sidesteps comprehensive consultation with nations and civil society. These rushed rules open the door to weak, false ‘solutions’ that will only delay real climate action,” Harjeet Singh told this newspaper. Article 6, offers two options for trading: countries can enter into bilateral agreements and set their own rules, or they can participate in a United Nations-supervised market open to all. This UN supervised carbon market, in which the credit price will be fixed by the market players but embedded with third party accreditation, has several loopholes which can be easily exploited. Critics argue that the benefits of Article 6 are far from guaranteed. Climate activists and experts highlight significant risks, such as potential human rights abuses and ‘greenwashing’, in which polluters can claim environmental progress without genuinely reducing emissions. Some carbon credit projects, like large-scale reforestation, risk displacing Indigenous communities if not carefully managed. Aarti Gupta, environmental policy group, Department of Social Sciences in Wageningen University, says Article 6 could prioritise carbon trading over direct climate finance, which is dangerous and undermines the Paris Agreement’s goals. However, Martin Hession, Vice-Chair of the Article 6.4 of the Supervisory Body, told this newspaper, “there are enough safeguards to thwart greenwashing in the carbon crediting mechanism. Third party verification is integral. But, individual countries must also ensure the quality of credits. We are setting high-quality standards. We have many provisions to ensure local communities are consulted.” Endorsement rushed through, says expert “If the negotiating parties requested recommendations from the supervisory body and have reviewed them for two years, the recommendations were significant enough to warrant discussion before adoption as standards. The revised recommendation has issues, like the lack of a definition for the durability of carbon removals,” said Trishant Dev, from the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)

• Down To Earth

Trump Is President Again, and It’s Bad News For the Climate

On November 6, Donald Trump was elected the 47th US president. This will be Trump’s second term as president. US stock markets soared after Trump’s victory. Even India’s market rallied, boosting investor wealth by Rs 7.75 trillion by one estimate. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among the first leaders to congratulate Trump, said that he was “looking forward to working closely” with Trump once again “to further strengthen India-US relations across technology, defence, energy, space and several other sectors”. But many are unhappy. Scientists, environmentalists and activists have noted Trump’s win in the US elections with much concern, for Trump, a climate denier and sceptic, has been very clear about his thoughts about climate change and climate action: he has called global warming a “hoax”. Even during his campaign for the just-concluded US elections, he said that people were talking about ‘oceans rising’ (he meant sea levels rising), but “who the hell cares?”. One of the guarantees his campaign this year rode on was that with Trump at the helm, the US would tap into new reserves of fossil fuels. Some called Trump’s victory in the US elections on Wednesday a “black day” for climate; a former environment minister of Brazil called it “the planet’s biggest civilisational and climatic step backwards”. There are ways that Trump’s ascent to the presidency could also affect India, especially with regard to exports, because some of India’s clean energy technology is exported to the US. But when it comes to climate action, many are clear: Trump’s re-emergence as US president may, at the most, stall – not deter – the US’s and the world’s transition to clean energy. The climate background The past week has been momentous with news that has been coming in regarding climate change and its impacts, with regions experiencing different types of extreme weather events that are claiming lives and causing huge economic, environmental and social losses and damages. Spain is still struggling in the aftermath of one of the deadliest flash floods that the country has ever witnessed. Intense rains on October 29 aggravated by climate change killed more than 200, and more than 70 are still missing. On November 8, parts of northeast Spain witnessed new flash floods. On November 7, the Copernicus Climate Change Service – which is part of the European Union’s space programme and releases monthly climate bulletins – released data that shows that it was “virtually certain” the year 2024 would be the warmest year and that the first year when global warming has breached the 1.5°C mark above pre-industrial levels. October 2024 was the second-warmest October globally, after October 2023, in terms of surface air temperatures. “After ten months of 2024 it is now virtually certain that 2024 will be the warmest year on record and the first year of more than 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels according to the ERA5 dataset,” commented Samantha Burgess, deputy director of Copernicus, in a press release. “This marks a new milestone in global temperature records and should serve as a catalyst to raise ambition for the upcoming Climate Change Conference, COP29.” article image ALSO READ Deaths, Destruction on the Rise Due to Extreme Weather Events: Grim Statistics in India Climate Report 2024 View More On the same day that the Copernicus report was released, the United Nations Environment Programme’s Adaptation Gap Report found that there is still a huge gap in adaptation finance. Basically, it found that developed countries – many of them, including the US, have been historical emitters of greenhouse gases and thus have an obligation to invest more in climate action – need to drastically increase their funding to developing nations to implement measures to adapt to the impacts of climate change. On November 8, data compiled by the Centre for Science and Environment and its publication Down to Earth showed that extreme weather events are consistently on the rise in India. In the first nine months of the year, extreme events occurred on 255 out of a total 274 days across the country. These events – ranging from lightning and storms to heavy rain, floods, landslides and heat waves – claimed the lives of 3,238 people, affected 3.2 million hectares of crops, destroyed 2,35,862 houses and buildings, and killed 9,457 livestock across the country. Meanwhile, all eyes are now on Baku, Azerbaijan. Here, at the 29th United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP29) which kicked off on Monday (November 11), representatives of governments, world leaders and others are sitting down together to discuss, negotiate and implement actions towards tackling climate change. The first day of the COP has already witnessed countries agreeing to a UN-backed carbon credit standard, which will permit carbon offsets to be traded across nations. A denier and sceptic to the core It is in this backdrop that Trump is preparing for a second term as US president. Director general of the Centre for Science and Environment and editor of Down to Earth Sunita Narain alluded to the Trump factor as she launched the India Climate Report virtually on November 8. The report was being launched at a time when Trump, a “climate sceptic”, has come back to power, she said. “He has openly said that climate change does not happen, is not happening,” Narain said, of Trump coming back to power in the US. “He has openly said that he will revive energy drilling in his country. As part of his plan, the cost of energy will fall and there will be more drilling … he has said very clearly that the green deal of Biden is history as far as he is concerned. This is important not because of the global leadership role that the US has played, but because it continues to be a country with a very high emission load.” Trump’s climate denial is well-known. “We should be focused on magnificently clean and healthy air and not distracted by the expensive hoax that is global warming!,” he tweeted in 2013. In 2015, he said in an interview: “I believe in clean air. Immaculate air. But I don’t believe in climate change.” His attitude to the issue of global warming and climate change has since not changed. On November 2 this year, as part of his election campaign, he said that “nuclear warming”, not global warming, was the biggest threat. “So they talk all the time about the ocean will rise in 500 years, one-eighth of an inch, who the hell cares?” he said. (Of course, he got the numbers wrong, too.) And over the course of his campaign, “drill, baby, drill” has been a common refrain on his lips; he promised to open up new gas reserves if he came back to power. “We are going to – I used this expression, now everyone else is using it so I hate to use it, but – ‘drill, baby, drill’,” he said. On the day he was elected president for the second time, Trump said: “We have more liquid gold than any country in the world. More than Saudi Arabia. We have more than Russia.” This matters because even with the US’s current levels of fossil fuel consumption – which would be low when compared to what Trump hopes to unleash in the years to come – the US is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases. “The US is the world’s single largest historical emitter of greenhouse gas emissions … This matters because we know that the lifetime of carbon dioxide is 150-170 years,” Narain said at the virtual launch of the India Climate Report 2024 on November 8. “So we cannot deny the historical contributions of a country because those emissions have not disappeared.” These emissions are part of the stock of emissions in the atmosphere that is causing the climate to change, she said. The US is also the second largest annual emitter, and the largest on a per capita basis, she added. Between 2000 and 2023, the US produced the highest total carbon emissions per capita by region (which factors in population) as per the International Energy Agency.

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Air gets a tad better, but remains ‘poor’

Gurgaon: Brisk winds up to 10kmph helped wash away pollutants in the air, but the city's air quality remained ‘poor' on Tuesday. The average 24-hour air quality index was 219 on Tuesday, down from Monday's 294. Experts warned that pollution levels will rise as the weather gets colder. "Throughout the year, the region has been witnessing poor to very poor air, and it will aggravate in the coming days because we are yet to enter the peak winter phase. As the temperature goes down, the dispersion of pollutants will be slower, which is likely to lead to more accumulation of pollutants suspended in the air," said Shubhansh Tiwari, a research associate at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Data by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed that particulate matter levels were higher than safe standards. The monitoring station in Sector 51 recorded PM2.5 concentration at 305 µg/m³, the highest for the city on Tuesday. It was followed by Gwalpahari, at 195 µg/m³, Teri Gram at 156 µg/m³ and Vikas Sadan at 113 µg/m³. PM10 readings were also far beyond safe limits. At Sector 51 station, it was 301 µg/m³. Gwalpahari station recorded 167 µg/m³ and Teri Gram saw PM10 touch 189 µg/m³. The average permissible limit for PM2.5 is 60 µg/m³ and for PM10, it is 100 µg/m³. Doctors said that patients with existing respiratory or medical conditions were at higher risk of developing complications from breathing in pollutants. "We are seeing about a 30–40% increase in OPD patients with symptoms like cough, viral infections, flu and asthma. People with asthma or respiratory problems should use their inhalers regularly, avoid going outdoors when pollution levels are high, and wear masks in crowded areas," said Dr Nevin Kishore, head of bronchology and senior consultant for respiratory medicine and pulmonology at Max Hospital in Gurgaon. Meanwhile, Delhi has been suffering from ‘very poor' air quality for the past two weeks. Despite winds up to 10 km/h improving the air quality on Tuesday, the AQI at 4pm was 334 against 354 at 11am. It, however, improved further due to consistent winds to 315 by 8pm.

• Climate Change and Green Economy

G77, China reject framework for draft text on new climate finance goal

G77AND China,the largest bloc representing around 130 countries atthe UN climate talks, has rejectedtheframeworkforadraft negotiating text on a new climate finance goal -- the central issue at this year’s climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan. Thesubstantiveframeworkfor adraftnegotiatingtext,prepared by the co-chairs of the Ad Hoc Work Programme on the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) and published in October,isthefirstitemforcountries to deliberate on. However, on Tuesday, G77 and China rejectedthe framework, arguing it does not accurately reflect the suggestions that developing countrieshave madeforthenew climate finance goal. Other groups of developing countries, including the LikeMinded Developing Countries (LMDCs),AllianceofSmallIsland DevelopingStates(AOSIS),Least Developed Countries (LDCs), andthe IndependentAllianceof LatinAmericaandtheCaribbean (AILAC), backed G77 and China in this rejection. According to the Loss and DamageCollaboration,aninternational coalition of climate researchers and activists, G77 and China have requested that theco-chairsprepareanewdraft text before the next negotiating session.G77andChinademanded that the new climate finance packagemeettheirneedsandpriorities, with a minimum quantum of USD 1.3 trillion. The group said that this amount shouldsupportmitigation,adaptation, and loss and damage initiatives, and should be exclusively allocated to developing countries. Developing countries also insist that the new climate finance goal, or NCQG, should prioritize public, grant-based, and concessional finance, as these types of funding are less burdensome fornations already facing financial challenges. Public finance provides a stable support source, while grants and concessional loans (with verylow or zero interest)are easier for developing countries to manage. According to the Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment, developing countries are also calling for developed countries to provide arrears for the USD 100 billion climate finance goal agreed to in 2009. At COP15 in 2009, developed countries pledged to mobilise USD 100 billion per year to help developingnationsadapttoand combat climate changeby 2020. However, this target was only metin2022,withloansaccounting for around 70 percent of the total climate finance provided. Developing countries are also asking that the NCQG impose no conditions on access to climatefinance.Theysayresources provided under the new goal must be predictable, new and additional, adequate, grantbased, and concessional, and mustnotcreatefiscalconstraints or debt burdens.

• Climate Change and Green Economy

Experts flag climate concerns as PM, top leaders skip COP29

Top leaders of major global polluters India and China, along with those from prominent economies such as the US, European Union, France, Japan, Israel and Brazil, will skip the ongoing session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) climate summit in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav had attended the COP28 in Dubai last year, the Indian delegation this time will be led by Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh. He will address the COP29 on November 18 and 19. The PM had earlier attended the COP21 in Paris and the COP26 in Glasgow. Officials who are part of the delegation said the past COP events had been used by India for key bilateral meetings, but the absence of major world leaders at COP29, being held from November 11 to 22, would not have required the PM’s presence. Environment Minister Yadav’s non-availability for the conference is being attributed to his being the BJP in charge for the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly elections. Advertisement “Prime Minister Modi had met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the margins of the COP26 in Glasgow in November 2021. In Paris, Chinese President Xi Jinping and other major global leaders were present. In Dubai last year, PM Modi had met Brazilian and Israeli Presidents,” an official said. The “World Leaders Climate Action Summit” at the UN Climate Conference is a forum for the heads of states and governments to air their perspective on climate action and articulate national policies on dealing with the crisis, the official said. Experts flag climate concerns as PM, top leaders skip COP29 India to be represented by MoS Kirti Vardhan article_Author Aksheev Thakur Tribune News Service New Delhi, Updated At : 06:24 AM Nov 13, 2024 IST fb twitter whatsapp Follow us Follow us Connect with us Connect with us featured-imgfeatured-img Advertisement Top leaders of major global polluters India and China, along with those from prominent economies such as the US, European Union, France, Japan, Israel and Brazil, will skip the ongoing session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) climate summit in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav had attended the COP28 in Dubai last year, the Indian delegation this time will be led by Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh. He will address the COP29 on November 18 and 19. The PM had earlier attended the COP21 in Paris and the COP26 in Glasgow. Officials who are part of the delegation said the past COP events had been used by India for key bilateral meetings, but the absence of major world leaders at COP29, being held from November 11 to 22, would not have required the PM’s presence. Environment Minister Yadav’s non-availability for the conference is being attributed to his being the BJP in charge for the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly elections. Advertisement “Prime Minister Modi had met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the margins of the COP26 in Glasgow in November 2021. In Paris, Chinese President Xi Jinping and other major global leaders were present. In Dubai last year, PM Modi had met Brazilian and Israeli Presidents,” an official said. The “World Leaders Climate Action Summit” at the UN Climate Conference is a forum for the heads of states and governments to air their perspective on climate action and articulate national policies on dealing with the crisis, the official said. Read More Flowers India Illegal infiltration: ED arrests 2 Bangladeshi nationals, 1 Indian' View More right-arrow Advertisement Nivedita Bansal, who is part of the 2024 cohort of the “Women Climate Collective”, claimed that world leaders skipping the COP29 “sent a worrying message to the participating countries and undermined the importance of the negotiations”. “It creates a perception that the negotiations are optional. This can impact the participation of countries in future COPs and derail the progress on climate action. However, this may create a unique opportunity for the parties present to take the lead in creating meaningful climate outcomes globally. The absence of important players can give least developed countries and BRICS nations more visibility and power in leveraging negotiations towards favouring the needs of the Global South,” she said. Programme manager at the Centre for Science and Environment, Avantika Goswami, said the absence of global leaders would not make the summit insignificant. “Geopolitics is really difficult right now. There are a lot of different conflicting priorities. Multiple wars and tensions are taking place around the world. That does not make the COP29 any less important because without agreeing on an ambitious finance target for climate action in Baku, it will be impossible for developing countries to achieve their climate goals in the remaining part of the decade,” she said. British PM Keir Starmer, UN Secretary General António Guterres, Barbados PM Mia Mottley, World Bank president Ajay Banga and Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva are among those who would address the summit.

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Modi Gov Doubles Stubble Burning Penalties for Neigbouring States; Check the New Rates

The fines for stubble burning have been increased by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change in response to the Supreme Court's criticism of the "toothless" sanctions under the Environment Protection Act (EPA) of 1986. In addition to addressing the deteriorating air quality in Delhi and the surrounding areas, this action attempts to reduce stubble burning. Increased Penalty Rates for Stubble Burning The central government has nearly doubled the fines for stubble burning for farmers in states near the national capital. Check the new rates in the table given below: Which States Farmers Come Under the Penalty? The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) Act of 2021 enforces penalties to control pollution across Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and parts of the NCR in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. These regulations aim to improve air quality by setting strict rules and consequences for violations in these regions. How will the Fine be Collected? Fines collected through challans must be paid within 30 days. If not paid, an authorized officer will recover the unpaid amount as a land revenue arrear. For farmers involved in stubble burning, a “red entry” will be recorded against their land as a mark of violation. Collected fines go directly to the accounts of the respective State Pollution Control Boards or Committees. Delhi Air Pollution: Source-wise Contribution Data from the Centre for Science and Environment shows that pollution sources break down as follows: 30.34% comes from within Delhi, with transportation making up 50.1% of that share. Neighboring NCR areas contribute 34.97%, while other regions add 27.94%. Stubble burning contributes a smaller portion, at just 8.19%, to Delhi's pollution levels. According to the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, cases of stubble burning decreased from 71,829 in 2020 to 12,514 between September 16 and November 6 this year.

• Director General Office

Women’s representation at UN climate conferences has barely improved in 30 years, particularly women from South Asia

As the 29th UN climate conference opens in Baku, Azerbaijan on Nov. 11, one thing remains the same: men will occupy most seats at the climate talks. Much has changed since the UN’s first Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1995. But the proportion of women representatives has remained stalled, at about a third of participants. According to data from the Women’s Environment and Development Organization, women represented only 34% of party delegates and 19% of heads of delegation at COP28 last year. In comparison, 16 years ago at COP14, women comprised 31% of party delegates. This minimal progress is despite increasing calls for gender mainstreaming in climate action. Why are women delegates missing at COPs? In January this year, the organising committee for COP29 appointed 28 men and no women. After facing significant criticism, 12 women were added (and one more man). She Changes Climate, an organisation founded in 2020 that advocates for equal gender representation at climate negotiations, called the initial decision “a regressive step”. It asked for equal representation in the committee: “Climate change affects the whole world, not half of it.” Afia Salam, a journalist and media development specialist focusing on climate change, environment and gender-sensitive reporting, tells Dialogue Earth that ensuring the voices of women are included often requires drastic measures, such as “gatecrashing committee meetings” in Pakistan. “It is a man’s world,” says Salam. “You see far more men than women in international climate negotiations. This has a lot to do with the historical baggage, where women are often missing from places of prominence and decision-making [in the countries that representatives come from].” This global gender imbalance in leadership translates directly to climate negotiations, where national representatives mirror the gender disparities of their governments. In South Asia, only 16.6% of parliamentarians are women. Globally, only 23.3% of cabinet ministers are women. Worse, the portfolios they manage are often limited to gender, family and children affairs, social inclusion and development, as well as Indigenous and minority affairs. As important as these portfolios are, they do not set the agenda in the way that finance and energy do. One barrier is social constraints related to gendered roles and responsibilities. Bharati Chaturvedi, founder and director of Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group in New Delhi, explains: “Women are not a homogenous lot [and] different women have different circumstances and contexts; work responsibilities; domestic responsibilities.” She adds: “Negotiators may not necessarily be women from prestigious government services and therefore they might be required to put in several nights preparing and being away for a fortnight, which takes them away from domestic responsibilities for several weeks.” What can women bring to the climate discourse? In the South Asian context, women are central to domestic and caregiving responsibilities, while also playing a crucial role in agriculture. They make up 43% of the agricultural workforce in developing countries, a sector that contributes 18% to South Asia’s GDP. Due to gender inequalities in the political, social and economic realms, women face higher risks from the impacts of climate change. This strengthens the case for their inclusion in climate action. Salam highlights pervasive gender blindness in climate change policies and adaptation measures. “During disasters, something as basic as putting a relief kit together does not take into account the needs of the women; this nuance is being brought by women.” Salam says they “typically fail to include basic hygiene essentials, such as sanitary napkins, underwear, cloth towels, cotton pads, soap, along with special nutrition and dignity kits for pregnant and new mothers. In the absence of inclusive relief kits, people have stepped in to fill that gap.” Salam notes that having more women involved in climate discussions would lead to a more inclusive approach for other marginalised groups: “Since they have been at the centre of caregiving, they are also thinking about children and elders. When women craft solutions, they are more likely to be inclusive.” When women participate in climate change negotiations, it can potentially provide them access to technical spaces where key decisions on issues like mitigation strategies, adaptation measures and the financing of initiatives are made. This would allow them to play an important diplomatic role in decision-making, says Chaturvedi. Among top examples of women negotiators influencing international climate talks is Sherry Rehman, the former climate minister of Pakistan. As the G77 chair at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, she led the negotiations on loss and damage for the G77, where a commitment to set up a dedicated Loss and Damage Fund was made. Meanwhile, Sunita Narain, an environmental policy researcher from India, served on COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber’s advisory panel. As director general of the Centre for Science and Environment in Delhi, Narain is a prominent advocate for recognising historical responsibility when considering greenhouse gas emissions. Not everything lies in the numbers The mere presence of women in climate negotiations does not guarantee influence or systemic change, however. Chaturvedi is cautious about assuming that more women at COPs would create significant impact, as strategic decision-making often happens centrally, within ministries. “A better outcome is that gender interests are incorporated into negotiations,” she says. Salam agrees, and suggests the power and clout women hold at the table are more important than the numbers alone. “We have had powerful women with strong leadership capabilities in the past, but these were only exceptions, not the norm.” Broader issues lie in the nature of COPs themselves. Many question the efficacy of COPs in driving meaningful climate action, especially when civil society groups face restrictions. Chaturvedi notes: “When you shut down protests, you are also shutting down a lot of women’s voices, because there are a lot of women in the justice conversation.” Key to women’s solidarity is South Asian cooperation Political crises compound the climate crisis in the absence of regional cooperation. Salam highlights the urgent need for cross-border cooperation between India and Pakistan: “We are independent countries, but we have shared problems. We have transboundary rivers and hence we share similar water problems. Delhi and Lahore share the same air pollution issues.” While such collaboration is challenging due to complex intergovernmental relationships, Chaturvedi argues that more investment in female solidarity- and confidence-building is essential. “The power of civil society is rooted in solidarity, and this solidarity would come from panels and conversations.” There are small glimmers of hope, though. Last year, the COP28 presidency urged parties to bring gender-balanced delegations. Parties also agreed that the final review of the implementation of the enhanced Lima Work Programme on Gender (LWPG) will be concluded this month. Established in 2014 at COP20 in Peru, the LWPG aims to advance gender balance and ensure women’s equal and meaningful participation. Through an open letter, the Women and Gender Constituency has urged negotiators at COP29 to include gender-responsive measures in climate policies and address the barriers preventing women’s full participation in climate negotiations. Time will tell if gender equality truly gains ground in climate change decision-making.

• Down To Earth

Assessing Indian climatic conditions in 2024

India faced extreme weather events on 93% of days in the first nine months of this year, marked by heat and cold waves, cyclones, lightning, heavy rain, floods, and landslides. These alarming statistics, and much more, are according to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down to Earth’s (DTE) annual state of extreme weather report. The annual ‘Climate India 2024’ report highlights that extreme weather events have been steadily on the rise in India. It states that these events claimed 3238 lives, affected 3.2 million hectares (mha) of crops, destroyed 235,862 houses, and killed approximately 9457 livestock, as per a DTE press release. Compared to this, the first nine months of 2023 recorded extreme weather on 235 of 273 days, with 2923 deaths, 1.84 mha of crops affected, 80,293 houses damaged, and 92,519 animal deaths. The DTE data analysts, who have compiled this report, point out, “it is very likely that even these reported damages are an underestimation due to incomplete data collection on event-specific losses, particularly on public property and crop damages”. The year 2024 also set several climate records, as per the report. January was India’s ninth driest since 1901. In February, the country recorded its second-highest minimum temperature in 123 years. May saw the fourth-highest mean temperature on record, and the months of July, August and September all registered their highest minimum temperatures since 1901.In the Northwest, January was the second driest, and July recorded the region’s second-highest minimum temperature. The Southern Peninsula saw its hottest February ever, followed by exceptionally hot and dry March and April, but with a 36.5% surplus in July rainfall and the second-highest minimum temperature in August. Speaking at the launch of the report, CSE director general and DTE editor Sunita Narain said, as per the press release, “These record-breaking statistics reflect climate change’s impact, where events that used to occur once every century are now happening every five years or even less. This frequency is overwhelming the most vulnerable populations, who lack the resources to adapt to this relentless cycle of loss and damage.” The report finds that in terms of event types, the past nine months have seen everything from lightning and storms – spanning 32 states and resulting in 1021 deaths – to relentless monsoon rains, which led to flooding across various regions. In Assam alone, heavy rains, floods and landslides were recorded on 122 days, leaving large parts of the state submerged and communities devastated. Nationwide, 1376 lives were lost due to floods. Madhya Pradesh experienced extreme weather on 176 days – the most in the country. Kerala recorded the highest fatalities at 550, followed by Madhya Pradesh (353) and Assam (256). Andhra Pradesh had the most houses damaged (85,806), while Maharashtra, which saw extreme events on 142 days, accounted for over 60% of the affected crop area nation-wide, followed by Madhya Pradesh (25,170 ha). Regionally, Central India faced the highest frequency of extreme events with 218 days, followed closely by the Northwest at 213 days. In terms of lives lost, the Central region had the most deaths (1001), followed by the Southern Peninsula (762 deaths), East and Northeast (741 deaths) and Northwest (734 deaths). The CSE researchers also point out that the report highlights a critical shift that is needed in our approach to extreme events — from disaster response to risk reduction and resilience-building. Flood management, for example, requires more than plans on paper; it calls for the strategic development of drainage and water recharge systems, along with expanded green spaces and forests to act as natural water reservoirs in preparation for future storms. The report also emphasizes the need for climate reparations from high-emission countries responsible for much of the damage. Climate models are clear: extreme weather events are set to become more frequent and severe. As Narain adds, “This trend is no longer hypothetical — it is visible in the escalating crises we face today. This report is not good news, but it is a necessary warning, a call to recognise nature’s backlash and the urgent action required to mitigate it. Without combating climate change at a meaningful scale, today’s challenges will only worsen tomorrow.”

• Climate Change and Green Economy

At UN climate talks, nations big and small get chance to bear witness to climate change

BAKU, Azerbaijan — More than two dozen world leaders are delivering remarks at the United Nations' annual climate conference Wednesday, with many hart-hit nations detailing their nations' firsthand experience with the catastrophic weather that has come with climate change. Leader after leader recounted climate disasters, with each one seeming to top the other. Grenada's prime minister Dickon Mitchell detailed a 15-month drought at the beginning of the year giving way to a Category 5 Hurricane Beryl. ''At this very moment, as I stand here yet again, my island has been devastated by flash flooding, landslides and the deluge of excessive rainfall, all in the space of a matter of a couple hours,'' Mitchell said. ''It may be small island developing states today. It will be Spain tomorrow. It will be Florida the day after. It's one planet.'' Small island nations call for stronger climate action Grenada's premier wasn't the only small island nation leader who came with fighting words. Prime minister Philip Edward Davis warned that ''it will be our children and grandchildren who bear the burden, their dreams reduced to memories of what could have been.'' ''We do not — cannot — accept that our survival is merely an option,'' Davis said. Davis said too often progress in the fight against climate change gets hurt when governments change, as is happening in the United States and Germany. ''If we leave climate action to the whims of political cycles, our planet's future becomes precarious, very precarious,'' Davis said. ''The climate crisis does not pause for elections or to accommodate the way of changing political ideas or ties. It demands continuity, commitment and most of all, solidarity.'' Leaders on a panel with members of the High Ambition Coalition, a group of nations that want to see strong climate action, highlighted the ''inverted morality'' of big emitters who aren't taking responsibility for their impacts on countries who have the most to lose. Gaston Browne, the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, said high-polluting nations are ''deliberately burning the planet." Past promises of financial aid went unfulfilled for too long, so small island nations will have to seek justice and compensation in international courts, he said. Marshall Islands president Hilda Heine called the climate crisis ''the most pressing security threat'' her country faces, but said she thinks the Paris Agreement process — where countries agreed to limit warming to 1.5 degrees (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times — is resilient. Azerbaijan president Ilham Aliyev took the opportunity to align his country with the predicament of small island developing states in a speech where he called out developed countries, in particular France and the Netherlands, for their colonial histories. He described the harms of colonialism that continue today. Biodiversity loss, rising seas and extreme weather hit communities that are often ''ruthlessly suppressed,'' he said. The United States also tried to show sympathy to hard-hit places. ''Do we secure prosperity for our countries or do we condemn our most vulnerable to unimaginable climate disasters?'' United States chief climate envoy John Podesta said. ''Vulnerable communities do not just need ambition. They need action.'' European leaders recount a year of extreme weather European nations also warned of climate catastrophe on their continent. ''Over the past year, catastrophic floods in Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as in southern Croatia have shown the devastating impact of rising temperatures,'' said Croatia's prime minister, Andrej Plenkovic. ''The Mediterranean, one of the most vulnerable regions, calls for urgent action.'' Albania Prime Minister Edi Rama said he was dismayed by the lack of political action and political will and leaders of many nations not showing up at climate talks as extreme weather strikes harder and more frequently. Frustrated with other leaders mere talk, Rama decried that ''life goes on with old habits" and all these speeches filled with good intent change nothing. ''What is happening in Europe and around the world today doesn't leave much room for optimism, though optimism is the only way of survival,'' Rama said. Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Europe and the world needs to be ''more honest'' about the trade-offs needed to keep global temperatures down. ''We need to ask hard questions about a path that goes very fast, at the expense of our competitiveness, and a path that goes some much slower, but allows our industry to adapt and to thrive,'' he said. His nation this summer was hammered by successive heat waves after three years of below-average rainfall. The misery included water shortages, dried-up lakes and the death of wild horses. Ireland environment minister Eamon Ryan channeled some hope, saying that the 2015 Paris climate treaty ''still lives'' and that countries who drop out will realize they are falling behind as other countries move forward and see benefits to their economies. Negotiators labor on for elusive deal on money Negotiators at the summit are looking to hammer out a deal on how much money, and in what form, developed countries will pledge for adapting to climate change and transitioning to clean energy for developing nations. On Wednesday morning, an early draft of what that final deal will look like was released, but it still contained multiple options that negotiators will wrestle over to reach a consensus by the end of the climate talks. David Waskow, director of international climate action at the World Resources Institute said the latest 34-page draft reflects ''all of the options on the table.'' ''Negotiators now need to work to boil it down to some key decisions'' that can be worked on at the second half of the summit. The latest draft ''does incorporate some new demands'' including an ask for one of the largest negotiating blocs — the G77 plus China — for $1.3 trillion in climate finance, said Avantika Goswami, a climate policy analyst with the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment. ''Developing countries have been clear that a provisional goal must be carved out to hold developed country governments to account,'' she said.

• Sustainable Habitat

साफ सांस के लिए हो रहे प्रयासों को धता बता रही 'धूलगामी' योजनाएं, CSE ने रिपोर्ट में दी चेतावनी

दिल्ली-एनसीआर सहित कई शहरों में बढ़ते प्रदूषण को रोकने के लिए मलबे के बेहतर प्रबंधन की जरूरत है। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) ने एक रिपोर्ट जारी कर मलबे से होने वाले प्रदूषण पर चिंता जताई है। रिपोर्ट में दावा किया गया है कि जिस गति से निर्माण परियोजनाएं बढ़ रही हैं, उससे निकले वाले मलबे का स्तर जल्द ही दोगुना हो जाएगा। भवन, पुल, सड़क जैसे प्रोजेक्ट्स के निर्माण या तोड़फोड़ के दौरान जो कचरा या मलबा निकलता है, उसे सी एंड डी (कंस्ट्रक्शन एंड डिमॉलिशन) वेस्ट कहा जाता है। इस कचरे में कंक्रीट, सीमेंट, ईंट, पत्थर, लकड़ी, स्टील, कांच, पाइप, टाइलें, पेंट, दीवार के प्लास्टर आदि शामिल हैं। सीएसई ने देश भर के 35 में से 16 सी एंड डी वेस्ट प्लांटों की जांच की, जिसमें पाया गया कि ज्यादातर प्लांट अपनी क्षमता से काफी कम काम कर रहे हैं और आर्थिक रूप से व्यवहारिक भी नहीं हैं। सीएसई की एग्जीक्यूटिव डायरेक्टर, अनुमिता राय चौधरी ने कहा कि मलबे का उचित प्रबंधन कर धूल को काफी हद तक नियंत्रित किया जा सकता है, जिससे नैशनल क्लीन एयर प्रोग्राम (NCAP) के लक्ष्यों को हासिल करने में मदद मिलेगी। रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, भारत में अगले 20 साल में भवनों की संख्या दोगुनी होने का अनुमान है, जिससे रेत और बजरी की मांग बहुत अधिक बढ़ेगी और खनन भी बढ़ेगा। पिछले 20 साल में रेत के व्यापार में छह गुना वृद्धि हुई है। सीएसई के अनुसार सी एंड डी वेस्ट को रिसाइकल कर रेत और बजरी की मांग को कम किया जा सकता है। लगभग 80 से 85 प्रतिशत वेस्ट का दोबारा इस्तेमाल किया जा सकता है। रिपोर्ट में दिए गए सुझाव: - प्रोजेक्ट में शामिल कंपनियां, नगर पालिकाएं और रिसाइक्लिंग प्लांट संचालक मलबे को एकत्रित कर अलग-अलग करें। इसमें नगर पालिका और परिषद की भूमिका सबसे अहम है। - मलबे से बने रिसाइकल्ड उत्पादों के अधिक उपयोग के लिए नीतियां बनाई जाएं। - सिविक एजेंसियों में कर्मचारियों की कमी से अवैध डंपिंग को रोकने में समस्या आती है। - मलबे के निपटान और प्रबंधन की प्रक्रिया महंगी होने के कारण अवैध डंपिंग होती है, विशेषकर छोटे भवन मालिकों के लिए यह काफी खर्चीली है। दिल्ली मॉडल जैसे क्रॉस सब्सिडी को अपनाकर इसे व्यवहारिक बनाया जा सकता है। - मलबे को एकत्रित करने की प्रक्रिया को आसान बनाना होगा।

• Climate Change and Green Economy

बकू COP29: जलवायु सम्मेलन में CBAM पर विवाद, विकसित और विकासशील देशों में टकराव

बकू, अज़रबैजान में चल रहे COP29 जलवायु सम्मेलन के पहले दिन का आरंभिक सत्र एक बड़े विवाद के कारण देरी से शुरू हुआ. भारत और चीन जैसे विकासशील देशों ने यूरोपीय संघ के कार्बन बॉर्डर एडजस्टमेंट मैकेनिज्म (CBAM) को सम्मेलन के एजेंडा में शामिल करने की मांग की, जिसका विकसित देशों ने कड़ा विरोध किया. CBAM पर यह विवाद सत्र के दौरान एक अहम मुद्दा बना रहा, जिससे सम्मेलन के एजेंडा पर व्यापक असर पड़ा. CBAM पर विवाद: क्या है विकासशील देशों की चिंता? CBAM, यूरोपीय संघ द्वारा प्रस्तावित एक कर व्यवस्था है जो लोहे, स्टील, सीमेंट, उर्वरक, और एल्युमीनियम जैसे ऊर्जा-गहन उत्पादों पर लगाया जाएगा. इसका उद्देश्य इन उत्पादों के निर्माण के दौरान उत्सर्जित कार्बन के आधार पर शुल्क लगाना है. यूरोपीय संघ का मानना है कि इस कर से घरेलू और विदेशी उत्पादकों के बीच कार्बन उत्सर्जन आधारित लागत में समानता आएगी, जो पर्यावरण के लिए लाभदायक होगी. विकासशील देशों का मानना है कि ऐसी नीतियाँ उनके लिए आर्थिक बोझ बन सकती हैं और उनके यूरोप के साथ व्यापार को महंगा बना सकती हैं. भारत की वित्त मंत्री निर्मला सीतारमण ने इसे "एकतरफा और मनमाना" बताया और चेताया कि इससे भारत के उद्योगों पर नकारात्मक प्रभाव पड़ेगा. सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) के अनुसार, इस कर से भारत के सकल घरेलू उत्पाद पर 0.05% का प्रभाव पड़ सकता है. पहले दिन की मुख्य घटनाएं और वित्तीय एजेंडे पर तनाव COP29 का पहला सत्र काफी विलंब से शुरू हुआ. CBAM को एजेंडा में शामिल करने पर विकसित और विकासशील देशों के बीच तीखी बहस होती रही. UNFCCC प्रमुख साइमन स्टीएल ने सभी देशों से जल्द समाधान निकालने की अपील की और कहा कि जलवायु वित्त किसी भी देश के स्वार्थ में नहीं, बल्कि सभी के लाभ के लिए है. BASIC देशों (ब्राजील, दक्षिण अफ्रीका, भारत, चीन) ने एक प्रस्ताव पेश किया जिसमें CBAM जैसी व्यापारिक नीतियों को रोकने का आग्रह किया गया. विशेषज्ञों की राय: CBAM का संभावित प्रभाव BASIC देशों की चिंताओं का समर्थन करते हुए चीन क्लाइमेट हब के निदेशक ली शुओ ने कहा कि CBAM जैसी नीतियाँ विकासशील देशों के औद्योगिक हितों को नुकसान पहुँचा सकती हैं. तीसरी दुनिया नेटवर्क की मीना रमन ने जलवायु वित्त को COP29 का केंद्रीय मुद्दा बनाने की बात कही और कहा कि विकसित देश अन्य मुद्दों पर ध्यान केंद्रित कर रहे हैं, जबकि विकासशील देशों को वित्तीय सहायता की आवश्यकता है. निष्कर्ष: CBAM का भविष्य और COP29 की चुनौतियाँ COP29 में CBAM पर विवाद ने केवल जलवायु परिवर्तन ही नहीं, बल्कि वैश्विक व्यापार और आर्थिक स्थिरता के मुद्दों पर भी ध्यान केंद्रित किया है. विशेषज्ञों का मानना है कि ऐसी नीतियों में वैश्विक समन्वय का अभाव विकासशील देशों की प्रगति में बाधा डाल सकता है. COP29 में इस मुद्दे पर बने समझौते का प्रभाव न केवल पर्यावरण पर, बल्कि वैश्विक व्यापारिक नीतियों पर भी पड़ेगा.

• Down To Earth

विकराल रूप लेता जा रहा है धरती पर जलवायु संकट! निर्णायक कदमों की है सख्त जरूरत...

बढ़ते तापमान, बार-बार की प्राकृतिक आपदाएं और अप्रत्याशित मौसम घटनाएं—ये सभी संकेतक हैं कि धरती पर जलवायु संकट एक विकराल रूप लेता जा रहा है। भारत में रिकॉर्ड गर्म अक्टूबर, स्पेन में अचानक आई भीषण बाढ़, फ्लोरिडा में विनाशकारी तूफान, और दक्षिण अमेरिका के जंगलों में फैली आग, सभी इस खतरे को और स्पष्ट कर रहे हैं। इन हालातों में, दुनिया की नजरें अब संयुक्त राष्ट्र जलवायु शिखर सम्मेलन कॉप-29 पर टिकी हैं, जिसका आयोजन 11 नवंबर से अजरबैजान की राजधानी बाकू में शुरू हो चुका है। क्यों है कॉप-29 इतना महत्वपूर्ण? कॉप-29 का उद्देश्य न केवल जलवायु संकट पर चर्चा करना है, बल्कि कारगर समाधान पर भी सहमति बनाना है। वर्तमान में, ग्रीनहाउस गैसों का बढ़ता उत्सर्जन पृथ्वी की सीमाओं को पार कर रहा है। इससे निपटने के लिए सम्मेलन में इस बार खासतौर पर जीवाश्म ईंधनों के विकल्प तलाशने और उन्हें बढ़ावा देने के लिए वित्तीय सहायता जुटाने पर जोर दिया जा रहा है। कॉपरनिकस क्लाइमेट चेंज सर्विस (सी3एस) के वैज्ञानिकों का अनुमान है कि 2024 अब तक का सबसे गर्म वर्ष बन सकता है। यह उस ऐतिहासिक वर्ष को पीछे छोड़ देगा, जब 2023 में तापमान औद्योगिक युग से पहले की तुलना में 1.48 डिग्री सेल्सियस अधिक दर्ज किया गया था। विशेषज्ञों का मानना है कि 2024 में तापमान 1.5 डिग्री सेल्सियस की सीमा को पार कर सकता है, जो वैश्विक तापमान के बढ़ने में नए मील के पत्थर की तरह है। जलवायु परिवर्तन से भारत पर बढ़ता खतरा- जलवायु संकट का प्रभाव भारत पर भी गहरा हो रहा है। भारतीय मौसम विभाग (IMD) ने हाल ही में पुष्टि की है कि 1901 के बाद से, 2024 में अक्टूबर का महीना सबसे गर्म रहा। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) की रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, 2024 के पहले नौ महीनों में भारत ने 93% दिनों में चरम मौसमी घटनाओं का सामना किया। इसमें गर्मी और ठंडी हवाओं, चक्रवात, भारी वर्षा, बाढ़ और भूस्खलन जैसी आपदाएं शामिल हैं, जिनमें 3,238 लोगों की मौत हुई, और 32 लाख हेक्टेयर फसलें प्रभावित हुईं। क्या है संयुक्त राष्ट्र जलवायु परिवर्तन शिखर सम्मेलन? संयुक्त राष्ट्र जलवायु सम्मेलन या कॉप बैठकें एक ऐसा मंच हैं जहां दुनिया के लगभग सभी देश जलवायु संकट से निपटने के लिए मिलकर कदम उठाने पर सहमति बनाते हैं। यह मंच न केवल सरकारी प्रतिनिधियों, बल्कि व्यापारिक नेताओं, वैज्ञानिकों, और विभिन्न क्षेत्रों के विशेषज्ञों को भी अपनी चिंताएं और सुझाव साझा करने का अवसर देता है। पेरिस समझौते के तहत, 2015 में विश्व के नेताओं ने वैश्विक तापमान में हो रही वृद्धि को 2 डिग्री से कम रखने और इसे 1.5 डिग्री के अंदर सीमित करने का वादा किया था। कॉप-29 में इसका पालन करने और इसे और सख्त करने के प्रयासों पर जोर दिया जा रहा है। जलवायु वित्त और 'न्यू कलेक्टिव क्वांटिफाइड गोल'- बकू में इस बार चर्चा का केंद्र जलवायु वित्त का मुद्दा है। विकसित देशों ने पहले विकासशील देशों की मदद के लिए 100 अरब डॉलर का वादा किया था, लेकिन इस वित्तीय सहायता की आपूर्ति में कई चुनौतियां रही हैं। इस बार, कॉप-29 में 'न्यू कलेक्टिव क्वांटिफाइड गोल' (एनसीक्यूजी) पर सहमति बनने की उम्मीद है, जो पिछले वादे की जगह लेगा और जलवायु संकट से निपटने के लिए अधिक प्रभावी वित्तीय सहायता सुनिश्चित करेगा। क्या कहते हैं विशेषज्ञ? विशेषज्ञों का मानना है कि अगर वैश्विक जीडीपी का मात्र 1% जलवायु संकट से निपटने के लिए निवेश किया जाए, तो यह विकासशील देशों की जलवायु आवश्यकताओं को पूरा कर सकता है। सम्मेलन का उद्देश्य कार्बन उत्सर्जन को कम करने के साथ-साथ जलवायु परिवर्तन से हुए नुकसान की भरपाई के लिए वित्तीय सहायता जुटाना है। भारत और जलवायु नेतृत्व की चुनौतियां- भारत जैसे तेजी से विकासशील देश के लिए जलवायु परिवर्तन का मुद्दा बहुत चुनौतीपूर्ण है। भारत ने ऊर्जा की अपनी मांगों को पूरा करने के लिए अक्षय ऊर्जा का विस्तार किया है, पर जीवाश्म ईंधन पर निर्भरता अब भी अधिक है। इसके बावजूद, भारत ने अक्षय ऊर्जा और हाइड्रोजन जैसे साफ-सुथरे ऊर्जा स्रोतों पर बड़े निवेश की योजना बनाई है। भारत ने 2070 तक नेट-जीरो उत्सर्जन का लक्ष्य तय किया है, और यह कॉप-29 में भी अपने इन लक्ष्यों पर प्रगति साझा करेगा।