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The economy picks up a durable pace

The Q2 GDP growth at 7.6 percent during FY24 going beyond the street expectations and RBI estimates reflects the increasing buoyancy in the economy. It grew at 6.2 percent in Q2 of FY23 affirming its incremental improvement. It grew a tad better at 7.8 percent in Q1 of FY24. The GVA during Q2 worked out to 7.4 percent in Q2 as against 7.8 percent in Q1. RBI in its recent dispensation hinted at the economy doing better than expected. It is noteworthy that the Indian economy rebounded strongly from the COVID-induced contraction of 5.8 percent in 2020-21 to a growth of 9.1 percent in 2021-22 and 7.2 percent in 2022-23. India’s real GDP is expected to grow by 6.5 percent in both 2023-24 and 2024-25 retaining its tag as one of the fastest-growing large economies in the world amid the burgeoning geopolitical risks. RBI states that according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), India will become the third-largest economy before 2030, with its GDP projected to surpass both Japan and Germany by 2026 and 2027, respectively. India is already the third largest economy in the world in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) (with a share of 7 percent of global GDP) after China and the USA. Looking at the positive headwinds of the economy, the OECD raised its outlook on GDP growth to 6.3 percent in FY24, 6.1 percent in FY25, and 6.5 in FY26. S & P Ratings raised its forecast for GDP to grow at 6.4 percent during FY24 up from the 6 percent estimated earlier while at the same time, it lowered its forecast for FY25 down to 6.4 percent from the 6.9 percent forecast earlier. World Bank Forecast for FY24 stands at 6.3 percent while the IMF forecast of GDP is at 6.3 percent for FY24. ADB is too bullish to put the GDP forecast at 6.7 percent for FY24. There is near unanimity in raising India’s GDP outlook in the light of visible trends in the economy. 1. Sectoral growth trends: The significant revival in manufacturing from 4.7 percent growth in Q1 to 13.9 percent in Q2 and the construction sector going up from 7.9 percent to 13.3, mining and quarrying from 5.8 percent to 10 percent during the period. However, some weaknesses could be seen in the farm sector growth going down from 2.4 percent in Q1 to 1.2 percent in Q2. According to the independent think tank, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), India is a climate-vulnerable country and witnessed extreme weather events in 86 percent of days in the first 9 months of 2023. If serious attention is not drawn toward climate risks, it could jeopardize the stable growth trajectory. The climate risks – rampant urbanization, construction, rising sea temperature with its debilitating impact on marine life, melting of glaciers, emission of greenhouse gases, untreated industrial waste, the release of toxic gases from factories, threats to biodiversity, deforestation, rampant vehicular pollution, and many more could further increase the vulnerability hitting farm sector, life, and livelihood. During Q2, the manufacturing sector saw an uptick with its growth increasing from 4.7 in Q1 to 13.9 during the quarter. The 8 core industries -Coal, Crude oil, Natural gas, Refinery Products, Fertilisers, Steel, Cement, and electricity- have increased their output by 12. 1 percent in October is another good development. The uptick in manufacturing should have a multidimensional impact on interconnected sectors. The growth of trade, hotels, transport, communication, and services related to broadcasting went down from 9.2 percent to 4.3 percent while financial, real estate, and professional services slowed down from 12.2 to 6 percent during the same period. The S&P Global India Manufacturing Purchasing Manager Index (PMI) increased a tad to 56 in November from 55.5 in October 2023 and continues to be on an uptrend. The PMI of the service sector moderated to 58.4 in October from 61 in September but its trends are good. The composite is at 58.4 in October down from 61 in September. 2. External sector risks: The abating trends of inflation in the Western world and the near peaking of interest rates in most economies can bring down upside risks to the financial markets. With inflation still a distance away from targets, the interest rate cycles may not swing downwards too soon but the chances of interest rates going up are remote. The inflation and interest rates are expected to stay elevated until Central Banks can bring it within their targeted range. The global economy is adjusting to the ongoing geopolitical risks – the lingering war between Russia and Ukraine, the Israel – Hamas conflict, and OPEC + production cuts with its impact on the oil supply and its cost implications on the economy. The slowing economy and elevated inflation in many parts of the World may bring down consumption appetite leading to a fall in global trade. Hence exports could dip and restless reshuffling of foreign portfolio investments (FDI) in emerging market economies in the current uncertain and volatile conditions could exert stress on exchange rate management. On the exchange rate front, the Indian rupee (INR) has exhibited low volatility and orderly movements relative to peers despite elevated US treasury yields and a stronger US dollar.4 Movements in the INR are consistent with the strength of the underlying macro-fundamentals and the reassuring availability of buffers. As of November 20, 2023, the INR had depreciated (on a calendar year basis) by 0.7 percent against the dollar, performing well when compared to its EME peers including the Chinese yuan, the Thailand baht, the Vietnamese dong, the Argentine peso and the Malaysian ringgit. It had appreciated by 12.4 percent against the Japanese yen, while it depreciated by 2.7 percent against the Euro and by 3.7 percent against the UK pound. With forex reserves at US $ 590 billion and FPIs returning to Indian markets, the external sector risks are set to come down. 3. Challenges for growth: The inflation in October was 4.87 percent and is within the RBI band. However, the volatility in food and fuel prices always increases threats to its trajectory. The supply side management and control of sensitive items will pose some risks to the growth. RBI is keen to maintain inflation at its targeted midpoint of 4 percent on a durable basis. Therefore, interest rates are expected to remain at the current elevated level during FY24. The controlled inflation range maintained now may not prompt any rise in repo rates in the forthcoming monetary policy review. At the same time, unleashing the full potentiality of growth may require a change of the interest rate cycle towards a downward curve – that has to wait. Though the bank credit growth was 15.3 percent in October, out of which its flow to industry is tepid at 5.4 percent. The paucity of funds – loans and bonds to industry may be disruptive to its nascent recovery impulse. The slowdown in the farm sector growth could be another challenge. All stakeholders must combine to bolster the economy and unleash its inherent potency to stay ahead in the growth curve.

COP28: How much does loss and damage from climate change cost?

Several countries across the world have faced economic loss worth billions due to extreme weather conditions and climate change over the years. In a bid to help developing and poor countries cope with climate crisis, the COP28 climate summit hit its "first major milestone" on November 30, by operationalising the "Loss and Damage" fund. What is ‘loss and damage’? The "loss and damage" refers to the estimated economic, non-economic and ecological losses caused due to ongoing and future impacts of climate change. "This includes losses and damages due to rapid onset extreme weather events such as floods and tropical cyclones and slow onset changes such as sea level rise and drought," the Centre for Science and Environment explains. What is the estimated global economic loss from climate crisis? "The world is estimated to be $1.5 trillion poorer than it would have been without climate change," according to a report titled 'Loss and Damage Today: How climate change is impacting output and capital'. This report was released by the University of Delaware. According to the report, "Low and middle-income countries have experienced $2.1 trillion in produced capital losses due to climate change."

Explainer: Why First-Ever ‘Health Day’ At COP28 Is Significant

Indian children who were under the age of one between the years 2013 and 2022 experienced 43% more heatwave days annually as compared to children in the same age group during 1986-2005. Similarly, adults over the age of 65 saw a 216% increase across the same timeframe. As the global climate conference under way in Dubai is set to observe a Health Day for the first time to discuss impacts of climate change on health, the effects are already visible and starkly so. In 2023, the world experienced the hottest global temperatures in over 100,000 years, and heat records were broken on every continent. The year is on track to be the warmest year on record. Heat-related deaths in people aged over 65 increased by 85% globally in 2013-2022 compared to 1991-2000, substantially above the 38% increase expected had temperatures not changed. In fact, a new Call to Action by the World Health Organization (WHO) says that harm due to climate catastrophes can begin even in the womb, leading to pregnancy-related complications, preterm birth, low birthweight and stillbirth. For children, consequences can last a lifetime, affecting the development of their bodies and brains as they grow. Global leaders have convened in Dubai for the 28th annual climate conference, known as the Conference of Parties (COP28), and millions of health professionals from around the world have already written an open letter to them to accelerate the phase-out of fossil fuels, deliver on $100 billion in climate finance and spend it on saving lives and improving health of the most vulnerable. But completely phasing out all fossil fuels remains the most contentious issue at these conferences for the past few years. The India numbers Even as winter is just setting in in many parts of India, one might recall that this year saw its hottest February and driest August in 122 years. In just the first nine months of this year, India has witnessed an extreme weather disaster almost every day of the first nine months--from heat and cold waves, cyclones and lightning to heavy rain, floods and landslides. These disasters have claimed 2,923 human lives, impacted 1.84 million hectare of crop area, destroyed over 80,000 houses and killed more than 92,000 livestock, a new report by Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment showed. Following a rainfall deficit, states like Maharashtra have already declared drought in several districts. But is 2023 just an anomaly? No, because the impact of climate change on the increase in the frequency and intensity of disasters like these is well established now. A look at the big picture shows that apart from disasters that need immediate attention, slow onset events such as drought are also on the rise. From 2013-2022, an average of 29% of India’s land area experienced over three months of extreme drought per year. The amount of land experiencing at least one month of extreme drought per year has increased 138% from 1951-1960 to 2013-2022. Each of these extreme weather events have a direct effect on people’s lives and health. For example, exposure to high temperatures threatens people’s lives, health, and wellbeing, leading to heat-related disease, deaths and increasing healthcare demand during heatwave episodes. Older people, socio-economically deprived communities, very young children, pregnant women, and those with underlying health problems are particularly at risk. Pregnant women are one of the groups most susceptible to extreme temperatures, which is caused by climate change. “Preterm births are linked to heat stress. Heat increases the chances of infection, which causes early labour. In particular, dehydration due to heat can cause urinary tract infections,” said Kiran Coelho, a gynaecologist at Lilavati hospital in Mumbai. At more than 250,000, India has the highest number of preterm births in the world, according to a WHO report. Climate change is one of the causes of preterm birth, which is the leading cause of death among children under the age of five, as per the WHO. Warmer temperatures exacerbate the risk of preterm births in low and low-middle income countries, as per this April 2017 paper by researchers from Kaiser Permanente (a care provider consortium) and the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Are other countries doing better? It is not just India which is suffering from the worst health impacts of climate change. World over, people experienced 86 days of health-threatening high temperatures on average in 2022, over 60% of which were more than twice as likely to occur because of man-made climate change. Yearly heat-related deaths are projected to increase by 370% by mid-century, More frequent heatwaves and droughts were responsible for 127 million more people experiencing moderate to severe food insecurity in 122 countries in 2021, than annually between 1981 and 2010. Similarly, changing weather patterns are accelerating the spread of life-threatening infectious diseases. For example, warmer seas have increased the area of the world’s coastline suitable for the spread of Vibrio bacteria that can cause illness and death in humans, putting a record 1.4 billion people at risk of diarrhoeal disease, severe wound infections, and sepsis. It is keeping these facts in mind that a day dedicated to health is to be observed on December 3 to drive home the point that the climate crisis is, unequivocally, a health crisis. On this day, world leaders will see the announcement of new health-climate finance and discuss proactive risk management for disasters, clean air solutions, water security, mental health and many more subjects. “Leaders must deliver in Dubai, providing the strong health outcomes their peoples expect and their economies urgently need. We must change the conversation and demonstrate the massive benefits of bolder climate action on our health and well-being,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General stated earlier this week. Health professionals from across the world have also written an open letter to COP28 President Sultan Al-Jaber. “For COP28 to truly be a ‘health COP’, it must address the root cause of the climate crisis: the continued extraction and use of fossil fuels including coal, oil and gas. We call on the COP28 Presidency and the leaders of all countries to commit to an accelerated, just and equitable phase-out of fossil fuels as the decisive path to health for all. Ending our dangerous dependency on fossil fuels will improve the health prospects of future generations and will save lives,” the letter demanded. In fact, there is evidence that taking steps in the right direction will have immediate positive impacts. A new analysis quantified health benefits from different climate mitigation actions and the resulting reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. They estimated that in India, at least 150 life years were gained per 100,000 population per year by decarbonising electricity generation--that is, by generating electricity through renewables instead of coal. Switching to clean cookstoves in India also resulted in large health benefits from reduced household air pollution, estimated at around 1,250 life years gained per 100,000 population per year.

The Biden Administration Is Undermining Global Carbon-Reduction Efforts

A new leaked report suggests the Biden administration is undermining efforts to set standards for a global carbon market. Coupled with Joe Biden’s absence at the global climate summit this week, patience with the US's lack of action is wearing thin. The United States and the European Union (EU) are usually close allies at the world’s annual climate negotiations — but according to internal documents obtained by the Lever, tensions have arisen between the two blocs in the run-up to this year’s summit. As world leaders head to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, this week, the United States is undermining efforts to set stringent standards for a new global carbon market that would allow polluters to help fund carbon-reduction efforts to compensate for their emissions. According to the November 8 background paper, written by an executive working group in the Council of the European Union, the United States is backing a largely unregulated, voluntary system of trading emission offsets, even though such voluntary schemes have been plagued by questionable climate benefits, harms to indigenous communities, and outright corruption. The authors write, “In our view, accepting a standard based on the [voluntary carbon market] may hinder the independence and trust that compliance carbon markets need to contribute towards the achievement of international climate goals.” Experts say the United States is going this route, rather than backing a more stringent United Nations (UN)–regulated carbon market favored by the EU and other stakeholders, because the Biden administration is hoping private sector climate solutions and corporate responsibility will help gloss over the fact that the country is continuing to break records for fossil fuel production and is the biggest laggard in terms of paying its fair share of finance for the emissions it has wrought on the world. “The U.S. government has trouble delivering climate finance and now basically sees private investment, including [through] carbon markets, as an opportunity to showcase that they are delivering climate finance,” said Sven Harmeling, international climate policy coordinator for the nonprofit coalition Climate Action Network Europe. “But we know that [money via carbon markets] is not climate finance. Climate finance means public funding.” For the first time in his presidency, President Joe Biden will not be attending the annual climate summit. In response to a request for comment, the US delegation to the summit declined to answer questions on the record. An Emissions Reduction Strategy “That Risks Backfiring” In 1992, countries around the world signed the UN’s first climate change treaty to coordinate global action to tackle the climate crisis. In 2015, after two decades without meaningful action, 195 participating countries signed the Paris Agreement, further hashing out details of climate action and the necessity to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees. At this year’s annual climate talks from November 30 to December 12 in Dubai, known by the acronym COP28, negotiations are focused on a handful of core themes like the clean energy transition, slashing carbon emissions, climate finance from rich countries to support climate action in poorer countries, and assessing the progress of global climate action efforts so far. Another key task is to establish an international carbon market governed by the UN. In recent months, the UN’s supervisory body has been setting guidelines to ensure such an international carbon market “benefits the environment, host countries, and buyers alike.” Their recommendations are intended to govern the market and will be discussed at COP28. Carbon markets allow companies, individuals, and countries to buy credits associated with carbon-reduction efforts to compensate for their emissions. For example, highly polluting companies in the manufacturing sector or the aviation industry can invest in forest conservation and use the credits from this investment — with prices set per ton — to offset their emissions. Countries can do this, too: Switzerland has signed bilateral deals with Ghana and Vanuatu to purchase carbon credits to meet its international emission reduction goals. There are two types of carbon markets: voluntary markets, in which companies and organizations negotiate deals, and compliance markets that are government mandated. California’s cap-and-trade program, a compliance market framework, sets a limit on industries’ greenhouse gas emissions, but allows them to trade in case they exceed the limit. Neither market is ideally regulated at present (concerns have been raised, for example, about the efficacy of California’s program). One overarching worry is that carbon credits are often made through compensatory carbon-sink projects like reforestation projects that can rob agency from the people who live there. But voluntary markets are considered by many to be especially inadequate, since they rely on corporate responsibility to decarbonize their industries. Existing standards for the voluntary market are currently designed by self-appointed bodies like the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market and the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative. These standards are “full of loopholes,” said Avantika Goswami, program manager of climate change projects at India’s Centre for Science and Environment. She explained that the voluntary carbon market needs “regulation, a public and independently managed registry, and high scrutiny of projects to determine integrity and benefit-sharing with communities on the ground.” A recent investigation by the Centre for Science and Environment found that voluntary markets in India failed on two counts: Emission reduction outcomes were either inflated or almost nonexistent and revenue from the sale of carbon credits wasn’t shared with local communities. Researchers also found that many of the carbon-offset projects lacked transparency, and that some community members who were involved in these projects had no clue what carbon credits were. Two months ago, research from University of California, Berkeley on voluntary markets raised additional concerns about inflated credit values and the potential marginalization of forest-dependent communities. Reporting has found that the voluntary market’s largest firm sold millions of credits for carbon reductions that didn’t exist. Meanwhile, private demand for these voluntary credits has declined, and the credit price has plummeted. Despite its shortcomings, the unregulated carbon market boomed to a value of $2 billion per year in 2021. Gilles Dufrasne, policy lead on global carbon markets at Belgium-based nonprofit research organization Carbon Market Watch, said carbon credits could be a way for companies to finance climate action beyond their own production processes, but shouldn’t be a substitute for internal emission reductions. “Allowing loose rules that will incentivize the purchase of carbon credits at any cost is a strategy that risks backfiring, when companies end up investing a lot of money in credits that do not deliver real emission reductions, while failing to decarbonize their own activities.” Internal Divisions The new international carbon market that world leaders are negotiating at COP28 is a compliance framework with legally mandated limits. The finalization of these rules and their full implementation is “imperative for COP28,” said Trishant Dev, program officer of climate change projects at the Centre for Science and Environment and the lead author of the study that exposed loopholes in the way voluntary carbon markets are currently functioning in India. But instead of seeking guardrails for a global carbon market, the United States seems to be moving in the opposite direction. According to the November 8 memo obtained by the Lever, the Council of the European Union, one of the EU’s two main legislative bodies, warned that at COP28, the United States was set to advocate for building on existing voluntary carbon market standards for the international carbon market, as opposed to establishing a new robust framework with stringent standards. According to the authors, the EU Council had concerns that such weaker carbon market standards could lead to “over-crediting, disadvantaging host countries and deviating from the pathway necessary to reach the Paris Agreement long-term goals.” They added that the United States is promoting the usage of carbon credits without clarifying the accounting rules that could ensure their integrity and transparency, and “pressing hard for a prompt finalization of the guidance, without much concerns for quality/robustness but driving a lot of attention and time to solve their very specific concerns.” Dufrasne at Carbon Market Watch said the different approaches on a global carbon market reflect how the EU has historically been more active on climate action than the US. According to Dufrasne, the European public is putting more pressure on companies to act, compared to the American public. The memo hints at another potential reason that the United States is pushing for weaker carbon market regulations: the matter of climate finance, or funding that rich countries pay to poorer countries to help finance climate action, to account for the former’s historically high emissions. In the last few months, US climate envoy John Kerry, who will be attending the Dubai summit, has said climate action “takes trillions and no government that I know of is ready to put trillions into this on an annual basis.” (Nevermind that billions in US public funding has gone to support foreign military aid in Ukraine alone, or that the effects of climate inaction could cost trillions of dollars per year.) Simultaneously, Kerry has repeatedly emphasized the private sector’s role in the clean energy transition. A voluntary carbon market could, at least in theory, make it easy to channel money from the American business sector to climate action initiatives by funding projects like forest conservation or development of renewable energy capacity. But as research has demonstrated, the voluntary market suffers from serious integrity and transparency issues. The voluntary market is “unregulated, fraudulent, and open to ebbs and flows,” said Goswami at the Centre for Science and Environment. “Committing [to] this market as the tool for [an] energy transition, which requires investment in public goods like renewable energy and transmission infrastructure in developing countries, is like leaving the clean-energy future of the Global South to the whims of an unreliable market.” Goswami added, “The U.S. cannot let the private sector dictate the scrutiny and oversight in these markets — it must be determined by the multilateral process [at climate negotiations like COP28].”

वायु प्रदूषण : देशव्यापी प्रदूषित हवा का कहर

दिल्ली की तरह अब कोलकाता से भी वायु प्रदूषण की भयावह खबरें आने लगी हैं। जबकि यहां पराली जलाए जाने से वायु प्रदूषित नहीं हो रही है। यहां हवा में प्रदूषण की मात्रा 175 के आंकड़े पर आ गई है। यह फेफड़ों के लिए बेहद हानिकारक है। 27 सिगरेट पीने से जितना फेफड़ों को नुकसान होता है, उतना ही नुकसान यह प्रदूषण पहुंचा रहा है। एक सिगरेट से 22 माइक्रोन पीएम 2.5 मात्रा के बराबर जहर निकलता है, तब 27 सिगरेट से कितना जहर निकलता होगा। मौसम के करवट लेते ही देश की राजधानी दिल्ली और उसके ईद-गिर्द वायु प्रदूषण लोगों की सांसों पर भारी पड़ने लगता है। चूंकि यहां इस दूषित वायु पर चिंता देश की शीर्ष न्यायालय करने लगती है, इसलिए दिल्ली का प्रदूषण चर्चा में आ जाता है। लेकिन हाल ही में स्विस ग्रुप आईक्यूएयर ने दुनिया के सबसे प्रदूषित नगरों की सूची जारी की है, इसमें तीन नगर भारत के हैं। सूची में शामिल नगरों की वायु अत्यंत खराब है। इस वायु प्रदूषण का स्तर लगातार बढ़कर गंभीर स्तर तक पहुंच गया है। इनमें से सबसे ज्यादा खराब हालात दिल्ली की है। यहां दूषित वायु का स्तर 431 पहुंच गया है। शून्य से 50 तक एक्यूआई का स्तर उत्तम माना जाता है। इसके बाद भारत के प्रदूषित नगरों में कोलकाता है। यहां दूषित वायु का स्तर 175 दर्ज किया गया है। सर्दियों की शुरुआत होते ही दिल्ली की तरह कोलकाता में भी धुंध और धुएं की छाया गहराने लगती है। वायु प्रदूषण के मामले में मुंबई भी पीछे नहीं है। मुंबई में एक्यूआई 173 के स्तर पर है। यहां की हवा भी सांस लेने के लायक नहीं है। देश के अन्य अनेक नगरों में भी प्रदूषण का स्तर बढ़ा हुआ है। धुंध नहीं छंटने के कारण अनेक इलाकों में फेफड़े, दिल और आंखों के रोगियों की संख्या बढ़ रही है। देश की राजधानी दिल्ली में घनी आबादी और वाहनों की संख्या अधिक होने के कारण वायु प्रदूषण चरम पर है। केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड (सीपीसीबी) द्वारा 9 नबंवर 2023 को लिए गए आंकड़ों के मुताबिक वायु गुणवत्ता तालिका अर्थात् एक्यूआई 431 पर पहुंच गया है। जो सामान्य से करीब पांच गुना अधिक है। नतीजतन दिल्ली समेत राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र में वायु गुणवत्ता अत्यंत खराब स्थिति में बनी हुई है। इस स्थिति को मानव व अन्य जीवों के स्वास्थ्य के लिए अत्यंत खतरनाक माना जाता है। दिल्ली में इस प्रदूषण का दोष हरियाणा और पंजाब में जलाई जाने वाली पराली पर थोप दिया जाता है। जबकि यह प्रदूषण पृथ्वी में मौजूद ओजोन के अतिरिक्त कार्बन, सल्फर और नाइट्रोजन आक्साइड गैसों के कारण भी होता है। धुएं, धुंध और गैसों से निर्मित प्रदूषण के ये कर्ण घातक होने के साथ खुली आंखों से देखना कठिन होता है। 10 से लेकर 2.5 माइक्रोमीटर और इससे भी बारीक इन कणों को पीएम-10 और पीएम-2.5 कहते हैं। पीएम-2.5 कणों का निर्माण मुख्य रूप से डीजल, पेट्रोल और अन्य जीवाषम ईंधनों के धुएं से होता है। पीएम-10 कर्ण पराली और अन्य जलाऊ लकड़ी और धुल से बनते हैं। फसलों के अवशेष के रूप में निकलने वाली पराली, दिल्ली, हरियाणा, पंजाब, राजस्थान व पश्चिमी उत्तरप्रदेश में बड़ी मात्रा में जलाई जाती है। नतीजतन दिल्ली की आवोहवा में धुंध छा जाती है। हर साल अक्टूबर-नबंवर माह में फसल कटने के बाद शेष बचे डंठलों को खेतों में ही जलाया जाता है। इनसे निकलने वाला धुआं वायु को प्रदूषित करता है। सरकारी आंकड़ों से पता चलता है कि देश में हर साल 70 करोड़ टन पराली निकलती है। इसमें से 9 करोड़ टन खेतों में ही छोड़नी पड़ती है। हालांकि 31 प्रतिशत पराली का उपयोग चारे के रूप में, 19 प्रतिशत जैविक ऊर्जा के रूप में और 15 प्रतिशत खाद बनाने के रूप में इस्तेमाल कर ली जाती है। बावजूद 31 प्रतिश्त बची पराली को खेत में ही जलाना पड़ता है, क्योंकि किसानों के पास इसे नष्ट करने के अन्य कोई सरल व सस्ते उपाय नहीं हैं। इसलिए पराली जलाए जाने की समस्या शीर्ष न्यायालय के हस्तक्षेप के बावजूद तीन दशक से दोहराई जाती रही है। यह सही है कि पराली जलाने के कई नुकसान हैं। वायु प्रदूषण तो इतना होता है कि दिल्ली भी उसकी चपेट में आ जाती है। अलबत्ता एक एकड़ धान की पराली से जो आठ किलो नाइट्रोजन, पोटाश, सल्फर और करीब 3 किलो फास्फोरस मिलती है, वह पोशक तत्व जलने से नष्ट हो जाते हैं। आग की वजह से धरती का तापमान बढ़ता है। इस कारण खेती के लिए लाभदायी सूक्ष्म जीव भी मर जाते हैं। इस लिहाज से पराली जलाने का सबसे ज्यादा नुकसान किसान को ही उठाना पड़ता है। अतएव पराली के उपयोग के भरपूर उपाय करना आवश्यक है। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट, कोलकाता की एक रिपोर्ट के अनुसार यहां के लोग सबसे ज्यादा प्रदूषित वायु का सेवन करते हैं। यहां की हवा में पिछले छह सालों में नाइट्रोजन आक्साइड की मात्रा 2.7 गुना बढ़ गई है। विशेषज्ञ इसे मोटर-कारों की संख्या बढ़ना बता रहे हैं। कार बाजार में आए उछाल से पहले कोलकाता के लोग एक से दो किलोमीटर की दूरी पैदल चलकर तय करते थे, इससे प्रदूषण कम होता था। किंतु अब आदमी 500 मीटर भी पैदल चलना नहीं चाहता। आईआईटी कानपुर के एक अध्ययन के अनुसार 30 प्रतिशत प्रदूषण देशभर में डीजल पेट्रोल से चलने वाले वाहनों से होता है। इसके बाद 26 प्रतिशत कोयले के कारण हो रहा है। दिवाली पर चलने वाले पटाखों से महज 5 फीसदी ही प्रदूषण होता है। पर्यावरण संरक्षण के लिए काम करने वाली संस्था ग्रीनपीस का मानना है कि 12 लाख भारतीय हर साल वायु प्रदूषण के कारण मरते हैं। वाहनों से निकलते धुएं ने यह स्पष्ट कर दिया है कि कोलकाता में वायु प्रदूषण का कारण बढ़ते वाहन हैं, बावजूद कोशिश यह की जा रही है कि कोलकाता में प्रदूषण का मुख्य कारण वाहन नहीं हैं, बल्कि यहां का भूगोल भी कुछ ऐसी विचित्र संरचना से निर्मित है, जो प्रदूषण को आमंत्रित करता है। कोलकाता भारत के पूर्वी क्षेत्र में 22.82 डिग्री अक्षांश और 88.20 डिग्री देशांतर पर बसा है। यह हुगली नदी के समनांतर बसा है। कोलकाता में बड़े पैमाने पर निम्नतलीय भूमि है, जिस पर एक बड़ी आबादी रहती है।कोलकाता में आज भी झोंपड़पट्टियों और गरीब बस्तियों में कोयले तथा लकड़ी से भोजन पकाया जाता है। यहां के फुटपाथों पर भी बड़ी संख्या में मजदूर इन्हीं साधनों से खाना पकाते हैं। इस कारण भी कोलकाता की हवा में हानिकारक धुआं निरंतर घुलता रहता है। यहां की वायु में धातुओं का संक्रमण जारी है, जो फसलों को नुकसान पहुंचा रहा है। ऐसा यहां के बंदरगाह पर किए जाने वाले कबाड़ को नष्ट करने की वजह से है। यहां अनुपयोगी जहाजों को तोड़कर नष्ट किया जाता है। इन जहाजों में विषाक्त कचरा भी भरा होता है। इनमें ज्यादातर सोडा की राख, एसिड युक्त बैटरियां और तमाम किस्म के घातक रसायन होते हैं। इन घातक तत्वों ने कोलकाता के बंदरगाहों को बाजार में तब्दील कर दिया है। गोया, वायु प्रदूषण का कोई एक कारण न होकर अनेक कारण है।

भयानक गर्मी और कंपकंपाने वाली ठंड, पर्यावरण में बदलाव कैसे बन रहा है जिंदगी के लिए मुसीबत

डीएनए हिंदी: COP28 Summit Dubai Updates- पर्यावरण को नुकसान ना पहुंचाते हुए, औद्योगिक विकास की राह पर आगे बढ़ना ही, पूरे विश्व की समस्या है. औद्योगिक विकास की कीमत, पृथ्वी के जलवायु को चुकानी पड़ रही है, जिसका बुरा असर पूरी दुनिया पर पड़ रहा है. जलवायु परिवर्तन एक ऐसी समस्या है जो धीरे-धीरे महसूस होती है, लेकिन घातक असर दिखा रही है. आपको जानकर हैरानी होगी कि वर्ष 2022 में हमारी पृथ्वी के औसत तापमान में 1.4 डिग्री सेल्सियम की बढ़ोतरी हुई है यानी ये ज्यादा गर्म हुई है. तापमान में बढ़ोतरी की ये संख्या छोटी है, लेकिन इसका भयानक असर, लगभग हर देश पर पड़ा है. हालात ये है बहुत से देश मौसम का चरम रूप देख रहे हैं. गर्मियों के मौसम में भयानक गर्मी और सर्दियों में भयानक ठंड का सामना करना पड़ रहा है. बारिश भी, कई देशों में समस्या पैदा कर रही है. इस तरह के हालात पर चर्चा करना जरूरी है. इसीलिए हर साल संयुक्त राष्ट्र की अगुवाई में COP या Conference Of Parties की बैठक होती है. United Nation में शामिल लगभग सभी देश इसका हिस्सा हैं. जलवायु परिवर्तन पर चर्चा के लिए होने वाली COP की 28वीं बैठक यानी COP 28 इस वर्ष UAE में चल रही हैं, जिसमें इस बार 160 देश शामिल हुए हैं. Center for Science and Environment यानि CSE ने एक रिपोर्ट जारी की है. इस रिपोर्ट का नाम है India 2023 An Assessment of Extreme Weather Events'. CSE की इस रिपोर्ट में जनवरी से लेकर सितंबर तक के मौसम में आए बदलावों और आपदाओं की डिटेल्स हैं. इस तरह की घटनाओं को Extreme Weather Events भी कहा जाता है. रिपोर्ट में इस वर्ष यानि 2023 के शुरूआती 9 महीनों में आई प्राकृतिक आपदाओं का जिक्र है. रिपोर्ट कहती है कि भारत में पिछले 9 महीने में लगभग हर दिन प्राकृतिक आपदाएं आई हैं या खराब मौसम देखा गया. 9 महीने में मौसम में आए बदलावों और आपदाओं की वजह से 2,923 लोगों की जान गई. 1.84 लाख हेक्टेयर की फसल खराब हो गई. 80 हजार से ज्यादा घर गिर गए. 92 हजार से ज्यादा मवेशियों और जानवरों की मौत हो गई. सोचिए, सिर्फ 9 महीने में हमारे देश में आई प्राकृतिक आपदाओं में करीब 2 हजार 923 लोगों की मौत हुई है. ये कोई छोटा आंकड़ा नहीं है. इंसान ने प्रकृति के साथ जो खिलवाड़ किया है अब प्रकृति उसी का बदला ले रही है. CSE की ये रिपोर्ट हम सबके लिए एक खतरे के अलार्म की तरह है. सिर्फ भारत ही नहीं बल्कि पूरी दुनिया में इस तरह की घटनाएं बढ़ रही है. इसकी सबसे बड़ी वजह है जलवायु परिवर्तन.

COP28: Loss and damage from climate change cost about $1.5 trillion in 2022

COP28 is in the spotlight right now. COP28 in Dubai 2023 has sparked a lot of things but the biggest thing it has sparked is “Loss and Damage Funds”. In this article, we are going to learn how much loss and change from climate change cost. It has been reported that the world is estimated to be $1.5 trillion poorer than it has been without any climate change. This has been disclosed after a study released by the University of Delaware. So to know everything about the COP28 discussion regarding loss and damage topic, just read this article without missing any single line. According to the latest reports, at this time a lot of countries in this world are facing economic loss. Those economic losses are worth more billions and it is happening because of the extreme weather conditions and climate change in the past few years. So now to help in developing the poor countries cope with the climate crisis. the COP28 climate summit has come forward. It has now hit the first major milestone on 30th November 2023, Thursday officially as a new fund has been raised which is the “Loss and Damage” fund. Continue reading this article in the next paragraph. The President of COP28, Dr. Sultan AI Jaber has claimed that this fund is going to support billions of individuals. lives, and livelihoods which should be vulnerable to the effects of climate change. First, if we look at what is loss and damage. So the loss and damage refers to the estimated economic, non-economic, and ecological losses which has been caused because of the ongoing and future impacts of climate change. The Centre for Science and Environment has explained that loss and damage happen because of the sudden and rapid onset of extreme weather events for example heavy floods and tropical cyclones and slow onset changes like sea level rise and drought. It has been announced that the world is estimated to be $1.5 trillion poorer and it is despite climate changes. reports have showcased that the low and middle-income countries have experienced around $21. trillion which has produced capital losses because of climate change. The Centre for Science and Environment has related data that has shown that by 2030, the estimates and damage to developing countries are going to be between $290 billion and $580 billion from every single impact of climate change. It has been pledging that countries are going to contribute $400 million for the loss and damage, which UAE alone has offered $100 million.

India saw extreme weather events almost every day from Jan to Sep 2023: report

The Centre for Science and Environment said that 2,923 people died, 80,000 homes were destroyed, and more than 92,000 animals were killed. India experienced extreme weather events almost every day in the first nine months of this year which led to nearly 3,000 deaths, according to a report released on November 29. Published by the independent think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the report said the climate-vulnerable country had extreme weather on 86 per cent of days from January to September. The CSE said 2,923 people died, almost two million hectares of crops were ruined, 80,000 homes were destroyed, and more than 92,000 animals were killed. But these numbers might be even higher because not all the data is collected, it said. “’India 2023: An assessment of extreme weather events’ attempts to build an evidence base on the frequency and expanding geography of extreme weather events in the country. As this assessment clearly shows, what the country has witnessed so far in 2023 is the new ‘abnormal’ in a warming world,” said the CSE director general Sunita Narain. The new ‘abnormal’ Research indicates that extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense worldwide due to climate change, primarily caused by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas. In 2015, countries agreed in Paris to limit the average temperature rise to well below 2°C, and preferably to 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels (1850-1900). Multiple reports suggest that the world is significantly off track to limit global warming to 1.5°C. To achieve this goal, countries together need to halve the emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane by 2030. According to the CSE report that came out ahead of the launch of the 28th round of the UN climate conference in Dubai, Madhya Pradesh reported the highest number of extreme weather events at 138. However, the largest number of deaths occurred in Bihar (642), followed by Himachal Pradesh (365) and Uttar Pradesh (341).

NGT panel to suggest action against red category units

New Delhi: National Green Tribunal has constituted a joint committee to suggest remedial actions after a plea claimed red category industries operating in residential areas were discharging effluents either into nearby drains or on open land, posing a serious health hazard to residents. The plea filed in the tribunal claimed that red category polluting units were operating in Gali Kuan Wali, Lal Darwaza, Sirki Walan and Lal Kuan in Delhi. It was alleged that the units, engaged in the process of washing and polishing of nuts and bolts using hydrochloric acid, were causing air and water pollution, and were operating in violation of environmental norms. The plea also claimed in NGT that these units were illegally drawing groundwater, by using illegal borewells, without any permission or NOC from the competent authority. On this, NGT constituted a joint committee comprising representative of the member secretary of Central Pollution Control Board, member secretary of Delhi Pollution Control Committee and SDM, South Delhi. “The committee is directed to visit the site to ascertain the truthfulness of the above allegations and also suggest the remedial measures and submit status and action taken report before the tribunal within a period of two months,” said the bench headed by Justice Prakash Shrivastava. We also published the following articles recently NGT forms committee to probe sea turning red in PuducherryThe National Green Tribunal formed a committee to investigate the cause of the sea turning red in Puducherry. The committee will include representatives from the Central Pollution Control Board and Puducherry Pollution Control Committee, as well as experts from Pondicherry University and the Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology. Samples were taken on three occasions and analyzed, with the possibility of industrial pollution as the cause. The committee will complete its investigation within two months and submit a report to the tribunal.105615866 Delhi Pollution: High influence of local sources of pollutantsCentral Pollution Control Board data shows that the average AQI in Delhi this month was in the 'severe' range on nine days. November 2023 is likely to end as the third most polluted November after 2021 and 2016, with an average AQI of 372. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of the Centre for Science and Environment, stated that adverse meteorology, farm fires, and high local pollution have contributed to the severe pollution. Sunil Dahiya, an analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, highlighted the lack of systemic actions to reduce emissions from polluting sectors.105606232 Sarpanch to chief secy, NGT issues notice on pond pollution in AlamgirThe Ludhiana deputy commissioner has submitted a joint committee report to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) regarding pollution in five ponds of Alamgir village. NGT has requested a response from the chief secretary of Punjab and other officials by February 14. NGT is addressing a complaint filed by a local resident on May 7. The joint committee report stated that immediate action is needed to revive the neglected ponds, including removal of plastic waste and treatment of wastewater. The issue of solid waste disposal is also being addressed.

Stubble burning incidents lowest in Haryana in 3 years

GURGAON: At 2,303, Haryana has recorded fewer farm fires from September 15 to November 30 this year than in the same period the last three years. It is 37% down from 3,661 farm fires in 2022, 67% down from 6,987 in 2021 and 45% down from 4,202 in 2020. Stubble burning in Haryana Since the rains did not continue into October like the previous years, farmers started burning paddy residue earlier to empty their fields for the next crop earlier this year. Experts said that a lower count of farm fires, estimated using satellite imagery collected by Nasa, showed that the steps being taken to deter stubble burning were working and farmers were switching to newer technologies. Government officials on Thursday pointed out that the total area under paddy cultivation in the state was down to 30.4 lakh acres this year, compared to 34 lakh acres in 2022 - a change that likely contributed to reducing farm fires. For years, NCR states have been announcing a flurry of measures to reduce stubble burning as it coincides with the winter pollution season and adds harmful particles to already toxic haze over northwestern India. Neighbouring Punjab - which usually has the highest number of farm fires among the states - also saw a similar trend. Between September 15 and November 30, Punjab recorded 36,663 instances of farm fires, a 26% drop from 49,922 in the same timeframe in 2022, 48% down from 2021 (71,304) and a 55% drop compared to 83,002 in 2020. "This year, the rains stopped in August, as a result of which farmers got enough time to manage straw and prepare their land for the next crop. Also, farmers are getting help on the ground and that is reflected in the numbers," said Shubhansh Tiwari, research associate at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). "Concluding this year's post-monsoon crop burning season. MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) detected 24% and 37% fewer fires than in 2022 and the last five years' average. It was the lowest farm fire occurrences since 2012," said Hiren Jethva, senior research scientist at Nasa. The Haryana government, ahead of winter, accumulated 16,000 machines that were given to farmers for in-situ paddy straw management. It had also appointed 7,000 nodal officers and set up dedicated call centre teams to check stubble burning. Government data suggests much of the straw that was left behind after paddy harvests was utilised or sold onwards. This season, Haryana generated around 93 lakh metric tonnes of straw. Of this, 24 lakh MT was being used as cattle fodder, 31 lakh MT was being managed in-situ and 17 lakh MT ex-situ. Around 13.5 lakh tonnes of straw was procured by industries. "We are providing machinery to farmers at the earliest. We have also prepared a staggered harvesting schedule for paddy. Gram panchayats that achieved zero-burning targets will be awarded Rs 1 lakh or Rs 50,000," said Darshan Singh, technical assistant, Haryana agriculture department. Farmers said it was also a breather for them. "Farm fires were fewer as industries bought large quantities of straw. If there is utility, why would anyone burn it? Earlier, there was a lack of space to keep straw and collect it. Things are smoother now," said Teja Singh, a farmer in Karnal. Though stubble burning contributes to air pollution, experts said, it isn't the only factor causing it. "What we now need is to focus on curbing local emissions in cities across Delhi-NCR. Farm fires are already going down, and this is the way forward to reduce pollution in the region," Tiwari said. At 579, Fatehabad reported the highest number of farm fires this season, followed by Jind (343), Kaithal (262), Ambala (195), Sirsa (161), Kurukshetra (154), Karnal (126), Hisar (111), Yamunanagar (98), Sonipat (78), Rohtak (71), Palwal (57), Panipat (25), Jhajjar (20), Faridabad (9), Bhiwani (10), Charkhi Dadri (2) and Panchkula (1).

’23 hottest year on record: Report

DUBAI: Even as thousands of delegates and world leaders arrive in Dubai for the historic 28th Conference of Parties (28), which opened on Thursday, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has shown the mirror to all with a damning report that confirmed 2023 will be the warmest year on record. The provisional State of the Global Climate report said the data until the end of October shows that the year was about 1.40 degree Celsius above the pre-industrial 1850-1900 baseline. The difference between 2023, 2016 and 2020, which were previously ranked as the warmest years, is such that the final two months are very unlikely to affect the ranking. The warming El Niño event, which emerged during the Northern Hemisphere spring of 2023 and developed rapidly during summer, is likely to further fuel the heat in 2024 because El Niño typically has the greatest impact on global temperatures after it peaks, the report said. The report said record monthly global temperatures have been observed for the ocean – from April through to October – and, starting slightly later, the land – from July through to October. WMO secretary-general Petteri Taalas said it is a deafening cacophony of broken records. “These are more than just statistics. We risk losing the race to save our glaciers and to rein in sea level rise. We cannot return to the climate of the 20th century, but we must act now to limit the risks of an increasingly inhospitable climate in this and the coming centuries.” UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres, in a video message accompanying WMO’s climate report, urged leaders to commit to urgent action at the COP28. “There is still hope,” he said and added that there is a roadmap to limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5 °C and avoid the worst of climate chaos. Reacting to the report, M Ravichandran, secretary, Union Ministry of Earth Sciences, told TNIE year by year these records are going to break as the warming continues. “The mitigation and adaptation are key to survive in this new normal scenario.” India is one among the most affected countries. “The Indian average rainfall remains the same, but there is shrinking spatially and temporally. There are more cloudbursts and drought. This is because, the atmosphere’s capacity to hold water has increased. If earlier it was holding 1 litre, now it is holding 2 litres and all the water is dumped on a region causing cloudburst.” Former secretary Madhavan Nair Rajeevan also said COP28 is good platform for the countries to push for mitigation and make the rich countries cut their emissions. Dr Akshay Deoras, Research Scientist at the National Centre for Atmospheric Science & Dept. of Meteorology, University of Reading, said the trend we are witnessing in global sea surface temperatures is a very different pattern. “2015 was a big El Nino year and its impact continued till the first half of 2016 when the temperatures were at peak. In 2023, the spike in temperature was very prominent since June, which is a big difference. This year’s pattern suggests that this would be the hottest year. One thing is very clear, the El Nino will stay till the spring season, pushing temperatures to be above normal like we have seen in the past El Nino years... But if we go by the logic, the summers of 2024 would be hotter than the average. With regard to the lowest Antarctic ice, while global warming is resulting in glacial melt because of the continuous rise in emissions, the recovery of sea ice is not happening. For India, glacial melt is a big concern affecting snow cover as well as the strength of glaciers. I am afraid, persistent glacial melt could possibly trigger more events like Sikkim floods in 2023 and Pakistan floods in 2022 in the near future,” he said. As per an analysis by Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, India has seen a disaster nearly every day in the first nine months of this year.

भारत में 2023 में 20 राज्यों में 200 लोगों की हीटवेव से मौत, बनाना होगा 'इंडिया कूलिंग प्लान'

जलवायु परिवर्तन और बढ़ती गर्मी जैसी चुनौतियों से निपटने के लिए दुनियाभर के नेता कॉप 28 सम्मेलन में हिस्सा लेने दुबई पहुंच रहे हैं। कॉप 28 भारत के लिए कितना अहम है ये समझने के लिए जागरण न्यू मीडिया ने कॉप 28 में हिस्से लेने पहुंचीं पर्यावरणविद और सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) की महानिदेशक सुनीता नारायण से बात की। नई दिल्ली, विवेक तिवारी। जलवायु परिवर्तन और धरती के बढ़ते तापमान जैसी चुनौतियों से निपटने के लिए दुनियाभर के नेता और स्टेकहोल्डर्स कॉप 28 सम्मेलन में हिस्सा लेने दुबई पहुंच रहे हैं। यह संयुक्‍त राष्‍ट्र जलवायु परिवर्तन संधि में शामिल देशों का 28वां उच्‍च स्‍तरीय सम्‍मेलन है। ग्लोबल वार्मिंग मानव जीवन के लिए एक बड़े संकट के तौर पर उभरा है। ये संकट कितना बड़ा है इसका अंदाजा इस बात से लगाया जा सकता है कि हाल ही में संयुक्त राष्ट्र महासचिव एंटोनियो गुटेरेस ने कहा कि “मानव जाति ने नरक के द्वार खोल दिए हैं।” भारत सहित पूरी दुनिया में बढ़ती गर्मी, जंगलों की आग और मौसम की चरम घटनाओं के बीच कॉप 28 से पूरी दुनिया को बड़ी उम्मीदें हैं। जलवायु परिवर्तन को लेकर संयुक्त राष्ट्र की सबसे बड़ी संस्था की बैठक के भारत के लिए क्या मायने हैं, ये समझने के लिए जागरण न्यू मीडिया ने कॉप 28 में हिस्से लेने पहुंचीं पर्यावरणविद और सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) की महानिदेशक सुनीता नारायण से बात की।

Air pollution | How to clean up

As a thick, poisonous smog engulfed Delhi this November, like so many Novembers before, the air quality level in the national capital deteriorated to its worst ever in eight years. Doctors, too, began reporting an alarming rise in complaints of respiratory disorders. In desperation, the Delhi administration reached out to experts at IIT Kanpur to conduct an experiment that they had long been contemplating—of artificial rain. Using the technique of ‘cloud seeding’, it involves dispersing silver iod­ide into the atmosphere, which aids the formation of ice crystals in clouds and triggers precipitation. Its use is mostly in dispelling drought in an area, but Delhi wanted to try it—for the first time—to clean its air of pollutants. Fortunately, Mother Nature intervened and unexpected showers washed away the smog, restoring some of the air quality. But with its Air Quality Index (AQI), a pollution indicator, continuing to hover at ‘hazardous’ levels, Delhi kept the cloud-seeding aircraft on standby. However, while Delhi’s smog story is a familiar one, it is by no means the only one in the country. Of the 242 cities for which the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) released data on November 14, two days after Diwali this year, the air quality in only 40 was in the ‘satisfactory’ to ‘good’ range. On that day, the air quality was ‘severe’ in three cities, ‘very poor’ in 32, ‘poor’ in another 64, and ‘moderate’ in 106. Bharatpur in Rajasthan was the most polluted, with its AQI of 405 beating Delhi’s 377. The smog did not spare India’s financial capital either this year, with Mumbai’s air quality remaining ‘hazardous’ for several days. AQI levels are considered ‘hazardous’ when they breach the 150 mark. It is a problem that has been staring us in the face for the past few decades, and is now beginning to tall on our bodies, as our lead feature details. Successive governments, at the Centre as well as in the states, have launched measures to improve the air quality of their cities, but the crisis keeps getting worse. Realising that the situation was getting out of hand and calling for sustai­ned action, the Narendra Modi government launched the National Clean Air Programme in January 2019 to improve the air quality in 131 cities where the air pollution levels exceeded permissible levels and bring them down to the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). Close to Rs 20,000 crore until FY26 was allotted to the project. The Centre, along with independent experts from institutions like the IITs, worked with state governments and civic bodies in these cities to come up with individual air-shed plans to monitor, analyse and control the main sources of pollution, whether vehicular emissions, construction and road dust, garbage disposal or industrial pollution. Now midway into the plan, the Centre claims that 90 cities have shown improved air quality, and 15 of them have met the required air quality standards. “The whole approach to control air pollution in urban centres has gathered momentum only in the past few years,” says Leena Nandan, secretary, Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC). “We realised that we couldn’t have a one-size-fits-all approach, so each city was asked to come up with an air-shed approach that has a technical appreciation of its unique circumstances and problems and how to deal with them. We’ve achieved much, but there is still a lot of distance to cover.” Meanwhile, an October 2022 report by McKinsey broke down the various factors contributing to pollution and deduced that the power sector accounted for 34 per cent, industry, including the construction sector, 28 per cent, agriculture 17.8 per cent and the transport segment 9 per cent of the problem of pollution. These may be ballpark estimates, and may well vary in individual air-shed regions. For instance, an ongoing study by IIT Kanpur, IIT Delhi and TERI shows that, at 30 per cent, the transport sector is one of the highest average percentage contributors to the PM2.5 levels in Delhi. But while the four polluting sectors—automobiles, agriculture, power and construction—may afflict individual cities and zones in varying degree, they remain the chief villains in India’s air pollution woes. Combating them requires both short and long term measures. Here are a few of them. For a country as large as India, the sheer number of motor vehicles on its roads can be mind-numbing. We had 210 million two-wheelers and 70 million four-wheelers registered as on August 3, 2022. FY23 alone saw 22 million new vehicles, including 16 million two-wheelers and 3.6 million passenger vehicles. Vehicular emission is now the number one cause of pollution in many of India’s major cities. The exhaust pipes of vehicles emit a deadly cocktail of fumes and particulate matter that include dangerous oxides of nitrogen and sulphur besides air toxics such as carbon monoxide and benzene. To address the issue, India has since 2000 been following the Bharat Stage (BS) emission standards, modelled on the EU norms. The BS standards regulate tailpipe emissions of air pollutants. In April 2020, India leapfrogged from BS-IV to BS-VI implementation, with the current standards similar to EU-6/VI norms. Under the new norms, a vehicle should emit at least 80 per cent less particulate matter for every kilometre it travels. The sulphur content in fuel dropped fivefold—from 50 parts per million (ppm) to 10 ppm. NO2 fumes from diesel cars dropped by 70 per cent and by 5 per cent in petrol cars. From April 1, 2023, automakers have switched to a more stringent version, the BS-VI Phase 2. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency also monitors energy efficiency or CO2 emissions. Onboard diagnostic systems for vehicles to monitor pollution have been made compulsory, besides selective catalytic reduction systems and particulate filters for exhausts. Of course, all these measures have pushed up the cost of vehicles, especially of cars. “Stringent emission norms will add to the cost of vehicles, and will hit the entry level segment the hardest,” says Gaurav Vaangal, principal analyst with S&P Global. Industry sources estimate the cost impact of the changeover from BS-IV to BS-VI to be in the range of Rs 20,000-Rs 40,000 for petrol cars and even higher for diesel cars. And, if sources are to be believed, the road ministry has begun preparatory work to introduce BS-VII standards, so that India does not lose the momentum on getting less polluting vehicles on its roads that are in step with the global standards of emission. BS-VII will be equivalent to the new Euro 7 norms the European Commission introduced last year. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court banned diesel vehicles that were 10 years old and petrol ones that were over 15 years old from plying on Delhi’s roads and mandated that they be scrapped. In 2021, the Centre had also mandated the same for all commercial vehicles more than 15 years old and passenger vehicles more than 20 years old. Together, they are expected to take more than 5 million vehicles off the roads. However, implementation of stricter vehicular pollution norms is in the hands of states. And how lax things are is evident in the ‘Pollution under Control’ (PUC) checks on the ground in some states even though the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has asked general insurers not to issue insurance to vehicles without a valid PUC certificate. Incentivising the use of electric vehicles or EVs is the other significant initiative that the government is pushing to reduce vehicular pollution. Driven by a host of government subsidies and measures, including the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME-II) policy with a budget of Rs 10,000 crore and the expansion of charging infrastructure, sales of EVs topped the one million mark in less than nine months in 2023, according to media reports in September. So far, more than 1.1 million vehicles have been supported under FAME-II. But there’s still a long way to go, as EV adoption remains slow—their sales comprised a measly 5.6 per cent of total vehicle sales in FY23. Poor charging infrastructure, higher price tags compared to conventional vehicles in the same category and poor sales among fleet operators may be to blame. In the longer term, though, there is no better solution than to encourage the public in big cities to use the mass transport system to reduce the number of individual vehicles on the roads. Bengaluru, for instance, is looking forward to the completion of the metro rail. Currently, the Bengaluru Metro network covers 73.81 km and another 101.25 km is under construction. More and more cities are also looking at EV options to augment their public transport fleets. Delhi, for instance, is looking to induct 950 electric buses. This August, the Centre launched the PM ebus Sewa, with the aim to procure 10,000 e-buses in 169 cities. Meanwhile, there are several ways in which pollution from commercial vehicles can be curbed. These include switching to cleaner fuels like CNG, using low-emission vehicles in fleets, periodical inspection and maintenance of vehicles, including cleaning of their tailpipes. The other option is to use commercial EVs or go for hydrogen generated through green sources. In fact, stakeholder consultation has started on creating a policy framework for hydrogen fuel in India. In 2018, the Centre exempted battery-operated vehicles, and vehicles driven on methanol or ethanol from getting a permit to carry passengers or goods. The Centre has also notified the blending of gasoline with methanol in order to reduce vehicle emissions. Transport minister Nitin Gadkari had set an ambitious target of a 10 per cent reduction in the import dependence of oil and gas by 2022 from the 2014-15 levels through these methods. At the same time, the Centre will have to ensure that it lessens the amount of pollution being emitted from coal-fired thermal plants. Coal combustion emits large amounts of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, which make up the toxic particulate matter that hangs in the atmosphere as poisonous smog causing respiratory trouble for humans. The problem is fairly acute in Delhi, going by an estimate the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) presented on November 27, according to which thermal power plants contribute around 8 per cent to the PM in the air in Delhi-NCR. Coal-based thermal power plants were held responsible for aggravating the air pollution in Delhi-NCR, since a majority do not comply with emission control norms. This despite the MoEFCC notifying emissions standards for thermal power plants for SOx and NOx, and revising norms for PM in 2015. The notification required compliance within two years, but a five-year extension was given later to all except those in Delhi-NCR, which were given until 2019 to comply due to the region’s high pollution levels.

Emissions Gap Report: World facing ‘hellish’ 3C of climate heating, UN warns Cop28

The latest UNEP Emissions Gap Report (EGR) has found that today’s carbon-cutting policies are so inadequate that 3°C of heating would be reached this century. Each year, the UN’s EGR series tracks global progress in limiting global warming well below 2°C and pursuing 1.5°C in line with the Paris Agreement. To meet 1.5°C target, 22 billion tonnes of CO2 must be cut from the currently projected total in 2030, the report said. That is 42% of global emissions and equivalent to the output of the world’s five worst polluters: China, US, India, Russia and Japan. The report said that implementing future policies already promised by countries would reduce 0.1°C from the 3°C limit. Putting in place emissions cuts pledged by developing countries on condition of receiving financial and technical support would cut the temperature rise to 2.5°C, still devastating, the Guardian reported. In a separate report, the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has said climate heating gases in atmosphere such as CO2 reached record highs in 2022, there is no end in sight to the rising trend, which is largely driven by the burning of fossil fuels. The report said that the concentration of carbon dioxide is now 50% higher than before the start of the Industrial Revolution. The Earth has not experienced similar levels of CO2 for 3-5 million years, when the global temperature was 2-3°C warmer and sea level was 10-20 metres higher than today, the WMO said. Other main greenhouse gases, methane and nitrous oxide, also grew, according to the report, published ahead of the UN’s COP28 climate summit. CSE report: India faced extreme weather events nearly daily in first 9 months of this year According to an analysis by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), India witnessed extreme weather events nearly daily in the first nine months this year, claiming an estimated 2,923 human lives, affecting 1.84 million hectares (ha) of crop area, destroying over 80,563 houses, and killing nearly 92,519 livestock, HT reported. CSE researchers said the losses and damages could be higher as data for each event was not collated nor were the losses of public property or crops calculated. Using data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and home ministry, the report said India recorded extreme weather events on 235 of the 273 days (86%) from January 1 to September 30 in different parts of the country. Record-breaking temperatures were reported for months. Regions across the country were also deluged because of very heavy and extremely heavy rainfall. Madhya Pradesh reported the highest number of days with extreme weather events—every second day. Bihar suffered the highest number of human losses at 642, followed by Himachal Pradesh (365) and Uttar Pradesh (341). ‘Colonial rule nearly doubles UK’s historical contribution to climate change’ The latest analyses of historical emissions by Carbon Brief shows that the UK is responsible for nearly twice as much global warming as previously thought because of its colonial history. The article states that historical emissions matter because the carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted since the start of the industrial revolution is closely tied to the record temperatures expected in 2023. In earlier assessments, the UK’s historical cumulative (CO2 from fossil fuels, cement, land use, land use change and forestry) emissions, at 3.0% of the global share, ranked it the eighth-largest contributor to current warming, behind the US (1), China (2), Russia (3), Brazil (4), Germany (5), Indonesia (6) and its former colony India (7). The new analyses in the light of its colonial past holds the UK responsible for 5.1% of global share of warming, pushing it up to fourth place historically, after the US, China and Russia and followed by India, Brazil and Germany. Within the borders of the country, the UK released some 76.4 billion tonnes of CO2 (GtCO2) between 1850-2023 (3.0% of global cumulative emissions over the same period). After adding emissions the UK caused in its colonies, they rise to 130.2 GtCO2. China’s CO2 emissions falling, likely to touch net-zero decade earlier in 2050 According to an analyses published by Carbon Brief, China’s CO2 emissions may be falling already. The country’s emissions were expected to fall next year and potentially enter structural decline. China’s target of net-zero by 2060 is likely to be achieved a decade earlier than previously assumed, in a “remarkable turn of events”, the article published in the Telegraph states adding that a 2024 Decrease in power sector carbon emissions “is essentially locked in”. China is likely to see a fall in total CO2 emitted in the first half of next year, in part driven by the “staggering” growth of clean energy bases, which is going “hand in hand” with higher rates of approvals for new coal plants that will likely remain idle as renewable energy capacity grows. Lancet on health and climate change: Heat-related deaths to rise 370% by 2050 The annual Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change report says climate change is on track to cause a 370% surge in heat-related deaths by mid-century “if government inaction on global warming continues”. The report also concludes that every health hazard it monitors is predicted to worsen if temperatures rise to 2°C by the end of the century. Citing the Lancet findings DTE wrote In India, 191 billion potential labour hours were lost due to heat exposure in 2022. Agricultural workers are the worst affected in many countries, with the burden often shifting to those in construction in higher income countries, the report stated. US National Climate Assessment report: US regions will suffer a stunning variety of climate-caused disasters The US released its Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA) report that said hotter temperatures and extreme weather are impacting every corner of the US, according to the country’s latest climate assessment. The outlet says while many regions are experiencing heavy showers more frequently, others are seeing worsening drought, and some are getting both. These changes are translating into greater stresses on public health through worsening heatwaves, wildfires, hurricanes, floods and the psychological toll of mounting disaster, the report said. The report appeared at a time when the state of Florida was battling power cuts amid heavy rains and high winds. More than 100,000 Floridians were without power. One-day temperatures breach 2°C warming point for first time: Report On November 17, global temperatures, for the first time, rose more than 2°C hotter than levels before industrialisation, according to preliminary data shared on X by Samantha Burgess, deputy director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, based in Europe. Attributed to El Nono and long-term human-caused climate change, the temperature crossed a crucial threshold that scientists have been warning for decades could have catastrophic and irreversible impacts on the planet and its ecosystems, data shared by a prominent climate scientist shows, the CNN reported. The dreaded limit was crossed briefly and does not mean that the world is at a permanent state of warming above 2°C, the report said adding that it is a symptom of a planet getting steadily hotter and hotter, and moving towards a longer-term situation where climate crisis impacts will be difficult—in some cases impossible—to reverse.