Cse In News

Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy

India should phase out biodegradable waste disposal in landfills to check methane emissions: CSE report

Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy

India should phase out biodegradable waste disposal in landfills to check methane emissions: CSE report

India should conduct a nationwide study to accurately estimate methane emissions from legacy waste dumpsites and organic waste processing facilities, and urgently phase out biodegradable waste disposal in landfills, a new report by the Centre for Science and Environment has recommended. The independent think tank’s report, titled “Methane Emissions from Open Dumpsites in India: Estimation and Mitigation Strategies”, also stresses the importance of creating robust markets for reduced-emission products generated from organic waste processing and promoting carbon credits for biomining projects. A key concern raised in the report is the unreliability and inconsistency of data related to municipal solid waste and methane emissions. To address this issue, the report suggests using the first-order decay (FOD) method, which relies on field data and primary research to more precisely estimate methane emissions from landfill sites. “A pan-India study needs to be conducted on estimation of methane and other GHGs (greenhouse gases) from each of the legacy waste dumpsites and organic waste processing facilities. There is a lack of data on the quantity of methane originating from the dumpsites and other waste management-related activities. “Creating a system of comprehensive methane measurement and monitoring strategies will enable policymakers and regulators to develop data-driven, science-based targets to reduce methane emissions from the waste sector, especially from dumpsites,” the CSE said. In its report, the environmental think tank has emphasised the need to phase out the disposal of biodegradable waste in landfills and advocated for robust policies to incentivise waste diversion through source separation and the development of critical infrastructure for biodegradable waste treatment. Large-scale anaerobic digestion facilities are highlighted as a necessity to keep biodegradable waste out of landfills, reducing the burden on downstream mitigation technologies. The report also highlights the need to promote carbon credits for biomining projects and mandates estimating methane potential from capped landfills and dumpsites. Currently, there is a lack of monitoring of methane flux from existing landfill facilities and fugitive gas emissions from bio-digesters and biogas storage balloons in biomethanation plants. The CSE has also advocated for afforestation on reclaimed bioremediated land, emphasising its role as a carbon sequester to mitigate emissions. “Afforestation should be promoted in the reclaimed bioremediated land — recovered after biomining of legacy waste dumpsites. The green cover developed on the reclaimed land will act as a carbon sequester. “According to BUR-3 (third biennial update report) submitted by the Government of India, forest and tree cover sequestered 331 million tonnes of CO2 in 2016, which is around 15 per cent of the total CO2 emissions in the country,” it said. Methane is a potent GHG with a much higher global warming potential than carbon dioxide (CO2). Its atmospheric concentration has more than doubled over the last two centuries primarily due to anthropogenic activities. Methane has a relatively short lifespan — of approximately 12 years — in the atmosphere. However, its global warming potential (GWP) — the ability of the gas to trap heat in the atmosphere — is 25 times more than CO2 and it has been second only to CO2 in causing climate change during the industrial era. Landfills are the third-largest source of methane emissions globally, after oil and gas systems and agriculture. Landfill waste management worldwide accounted for an estimated 1.6 billion tonnes of CO2e (CO2 equivalent) in 2016. According to a report by the World Bank, this number is expected to reach 2.6 billion tonnes of CO2e by 2050. CO2e means the number of metric tons of CO2 emissions with the same global warming potential as one metric ton of another greenhouse gas, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. As per India’s third biennial update report (BUR), the country’s methane emissions in 2016 (excluding land use and land-use change and forestry) stood at 409 million tonnes CO2e. Of this, 73.96 per cent came from the agriculture sector, 14.46 per cent from the waste sector, 10.62 per cent from the energy sector and 0.96 per cent from the industrial processes and product use sector.

Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy

India should phase out biodegradable waste disposal in landfills to check methane emissions: CSE report

India should conduct a nationwide study to accurately estimate methane emissions from legacy waste dumpsites and organic waste processing facilities, and urgently phase out biodegradable waste disposal in landfills, a new report by the Centre for Science and Environment has recommended. The independent think tank's report, titled 'Methane Emissions from Open Dumpsites in India: Estimation and Mitigation Strategies', also stresses the importance of creating robust markets for reduced-emission products "A pan-India study needs to be conducted on estimation of methane and other GHGs (greenhouse gases) from each of the legacy waste dumpsites and organic waste processing facilities. There is a lack of data on the quantity of methane originating from the dumpsites and other waste management-related activities." "Creating a system of comprehensive methane measurement and monitoring strategies will enable policymakers and regulators to develop data-driven, science-based targets to reduce methane emissions from the waste sector, Large-scale anaerobic digestion facilities are highlighted as a necessity to keep biodegradable waste out of landfills, reducing the burden on downstream mitigation technologies. The report also highlights the need to promote carbon credits for biomining projects and mandates estimating methane potential from capped landfills and dumpsites. Currently, there is a lack of monitoring of methane flux from existing landfill facilities and fugitive gas emissions from bio-digesters and biogas storage balloons in biomethanation plants. The CSE has also advocated for afforestation on reclaimed bioremediated land, emphasising its role as a carbon sequester to mitigate emissions. "Afforestation should be promoted in the reclaimed bioremediated land — recovered after biomining of legacy waste dumpsites. The green cover developed on the reclaimed land will act as a carbon sequester." "According to BUR-3 (third biennial update report) submitted by the Government of India, forest and tree cover sequestered 331 million tonnes of CO2 in 2016, which is around 15 per cent of the total CO2 emissions in the country," it said. Methane is a potent GHG with a much higher global warming potential than carbon dioxide (CO2). Its atmospheric concentration has more than doubled over the last two centuries primarily due to anthropogenic activities. Methane has a relatively short lifespan — of approximately 12 years — in the atmosphere. However, its global warming potential (GWP) — the ability of the gas to trap heat in the atmosphere — is 25 times more than CO2 and it has been second only to CO2 in causing climate change during the industrial era. Landfills are the third-largest source of methane emissions globally, after oil and gas systems and agriculture. Landfill waste management worldwide accounted for an estimated 1.6 billion tonnes of CO2e (CO2 equivalent) in 2016. According to a report by the World Bank, this number is expected to reach 2.6 billion tonnes of CO2e by 2050. CO2e means the number of metric tons of CO2 emissions with the same global warming potential as one metric ton of another greenhouse gas, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency

Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy

India should phase out biodegradable waste disposal in landfills to check methane emissions: CSE report

Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy

India should phase out biodegradable waste disposal to check methane emissions: CSE

India should conduct a nationwide study to accurately estimate methane emissions from legacy waste dumpsites and organic waste processing facilities, and urgently phase out biodegradable waste disposal in landfills, a new report by the Centre for Science and Environment has recommended. The independent think tank's report, titled "Methane Emissions from Open Dumpsites in India: Estimation and Mitigation Strategies", also stresses the importance of creating robust markets for reduced-emission products generated from organic waste processing and promoting carbon credits for biomining projects. A key concern raised in the report is the unreliability and inconsistency of data related to municipal solid waste and methane emissions. To address this issue, the report suggests using the first-order decay (FOD) method, which relies on field data and primary research to more precisely estimate methane emissions from landfill sites. "A pan-India study needs to be conducted on estimation of methane and other GHGs (greenhouse gases) from each of the legacy waste dumpsites and organic waste processing facilities. There is a lack of data on the quantity of methane originating from the dumpsites and other waste management-related activities. "Creating a system of comprehensive methane measurement and monitoring strategies will enable policymakers and regulators to develop data-driven, science-based targets to reduce methane emissions from the waste sector, especially from dumpsites," the CSE said. In its report, the environmental think tank has emphasised the need to phase out the disposal of biodegradable waste in landfills and advocated for robust policies to incentivise waste diversion through source separation and the development of critical infrastructure for biodegradable waste treatment. Large-scale anaerobic digestion facilities are highlighted as a necessity to keep biodegradable waste out of landfills, reducing the burden on downstream mitigation technologies. The report also highlights the need to promote carbon credits for biomining projects and mandates estimating methane potential from capped landfills and dumpsites. Currently, there is a lack of monitoring of methane flux from existing landfill facilities and fugitive gas emissions from bio-digesters and biogas storage balloons in biomethanation plants. The CSE has also advocated for afforestation on reclaimed bioremediated land, emphasising its role as a carbon sequester to mitigate emissions. "Afforestation should be promoted in the reclaimed bioremediated land — recovered after biomining of legacy waste dumpsites. The green cover developed on the reclaimed land will act as a carbon sequester. "According to BUR-3 (third biennial update report) submitted by the Government of India, forest and tree cover sequestered 331 million tonnes of CO2 in 2016, which is around 15 per cent of the total CO2 emissions in the country," it said. Methane is a potent GHG with a much higher global warming potential than carbon dioxide (CO2). Its atmospheric concentration has more than doubled over the last two centuries primarily due to anthropogenic activities. Methane has a relatively short lifespan — of approximately 12 years — in the atmosphere. However, its global warming potential (GWP) — the ability of the gas to trap heat in the atmosphere — is 25 times more than CO2 and it has been second only to CO2 in causing climate change during the industrial era. Landfills are the third-largest source of methane emissions globally, after oil and gas systems and agriculture. Landfill waste management worldwide accounted for an estimated 1.6 billion tonnes of CO2e (CO2 equivalent) in 2016. According to a report by the World Bank, this number is expected to reach 2.6 billion tonnes of CO2e by 2050. CO2e means the number of metric tons of CO2 emissions with the same global warming potential as one metric ton of another greenhouse gas, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. As per India's third biennial update report (BUR), the country's methane emissions in 2016 (excluding land use and land-use change and forestry) stood at 409 million tonnes CO2e. Of this, 73.96 per cent came from the agriculture sector, 14.46 per cent from the waste sector, 10.62 per cent from the energy sector and 0.96 per cent from the industrial processes and product use sector.

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

As winter approaches, experts point to gaps in the system for monitoring rising air pollution delhi news GeoTv News

With winter approaching — and a sharp rise in air pollution that comes with it — does the National Capital Region have enough equipment to measure the extent of its pollution problem? The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) list of continuous monitoring stations of ambient air quality in Delhi-NCR shows a total of 80 stations in the national capital region. Half of these stations, i.e. 40, are in Delhi alone. Of these 80 stations in the National Capital Region, nine were found inactive on Sunday, according to the CPCB list. The inactive stations include five out of 40 stations in Delhi, one out of four stations each in Gurgaon and Noida, and the only stations installed in Hapur and Baghpat. The districts of Bahadurgarh, Sonipat, Karnal, Panipat, Bhiwadi and Jind (in Haryana), and Bulandshahr and Muzaffarnagar (in UP) have only one station each. Ghaziabad has four such stations while Greater Noida has two. “As far as Delhi is concerned, we don’t need to add more there,” said Anumita Roychowdhury of the Center for Science and Environment. “But the larger NCR has a lot of data shadow areas. It is only in the last few years that we have started to see the network expanding into the National Capital Region. This requires some justification.” NCR requires more monitors representing different land uses, such as industrial or residential areas. The area of influence of a single analyzer is unknown, said Dipankar Saha, former head of the CPCB’s air laboratory. If it is placed in an industrial area, at a traffic intersection, or in a residential area, it reflects this. The goal is to improve air quality, and our regulatory goal should be to reduce the toxicity level of pollutants. Therefore, measuring particles is not sufficient. “Manual monitoring is necessary so that toxicity levels can be determined. At manual stations, particles collected on filter paper are analyzed to determine the mineral and chemical composition… and what they contain.” As part of its policy to reduce air pollution in the National Capital Region, released last year, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said a plan for the air quality monitoring network in the National Capital Region should be developed “based on revised criteria (based on land use, density, Population, urban to regional scale, etc.). He stated that for NCR areas, the CPCB and State Pollution Control Boards have to implement a plan for installation of identified new monitoring stations or those to be relocated. Fifty per cent of these new stations are to be set up Determined by next December, and the rest by the end of next year.

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

As winter nears, experts flag gaps in system monitoring air pollution spike

With the winter – and the accompanying air pollution spike — around the corner, does the National Capital Region have enough devices to measure the extent of its pollution problem? The Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) list of Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations in Delhi-NCR shows a total of 80 stations in the National Capital Region. Of these, half, that is 40 stations, are in Delhi alone. Of these 80 stations in the NCR, nine were found inactive on Sunday, going by the CPCB’s list. The inactive stations include five of the 40 stations in Delhi, one out of four stations each in Gurgaon and Noida, and the only stations that have been installed in Hapur and Baghpat. The districts of Bahadurgarh, Sonipat, Karnal, Panipat, Bhiwadi and Jind (in Haryana), and Bulandshahr and Muzaffarnagar (in UP) have only a single station each. Ghaziabad has four such stations while Greater Noida two. Anumita Roychowdhury at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said, “As far as Delhi is concerned, we don’t need to add more there. But the larger NCR has a lot of data shadow areas. It is only in the last few years that we have started seeing the expansion of the grid in the NCR. That requires some rationalisation. NCR requires more monitors representative of various land uses, such as industrial or residential areas.” Dipankar Saha, former head of CPCB’s air laboratory, said, “The zone of influence of a single analyzer is not known. If it is placed in an industrial area, or at a traffic junction, or a residential area, it reflects that. The aim is to improve the quality of air, and our regulatory aim should be to reduce the toxicity level of the pollutants. For that, measuring particulate matter is not sufficient.” “Manual monitoring is necessary so that toxicity levels can be determined. In manual stations, particulate matter collected on filter paper is analysed to determine metallic and chemical composition…what it contains.” As part of its policy to curb air pollution in the NCR, released last year, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said that a plan needs to be developed for air quality monitoring network in the NCR “based on a revised criteria (based on land-use, population density, urban to regional scale, etc)”. It stated that for NCR districts, the CPCB and State Pollution Control Boards need to implement a plan for installation of identified new monitoring stations or those that are to be relocated. Fifty per cent of these identified new stations were to be set up by this December, and the remaining by end of next year.

Sustainable Food Systems

रोगाणुरोधी प्रतिरोध की मूक महामारी: एक क्विंटुपल व्हैमी

रोगाणुरोधी प्रतिरोध (एएमआर) वैश्विक सार्वजनिक स्वास्थ्य, समकालीन स्वास्थ्य प्रणालियों और अर्थव्यवस्थाओं के लिए एक आसन्न खतरा है। जब रोगाणु जीवनरक्षक दवाओं के प्रति प्रतिरोध विकसित करते हैं, तो बोझ एक शक्तिशाली क्विंटुपल झटका प्रस्तुत करता है जिसे नीति विशेषज्ञों को पहचानना चाहिए और प्रतिक्रिया देनी चाहिए। मनुष्यों, जानवरों और पौधों में दुरुपयोग और अति प्रयोग ने एंटीबायोटिक्स को अप्रभावी बना दिया है। लैंसेट की एक रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है कि एएमआर सीधे तौर पर कम से कम 1.27 मिलियन मौतों के लिए जिम्मेदार था और 2019 में वैश्विक स्तर पर लगभग पांच मिलियन मौतों के लिए अप्रत्यक्ष रूप से जिम्मेदार था। निम्न और मध्यम आय वाले देशों (एलएमआईसी) पर मौतों का बोझ असंगत रूप से अधिक है। मृत्यु दर के अलावा, बढ़ते एएमआर के संभावित प्रभावों में कम प्रभावी उपचार विकल्प, उच्च रुग्णता, अधिक महंगे उपचार और काम से दिनों की अधिक हानि शामिल है। समय के साथ एएमआर के विकास पथ पर अनिश्चितताएं, एंटीबायोटिक उपयोग और एएमआर के बीच कार्यात्मक संबंध, और एएमआर के लिए सीधे जिम्मेदार रुग्णता/मृत्यु दर (अन्य अंतर्निहित कारणों के विपरीत) इस मुद्दे को और अधिक विवादास्पद बनाते हैं। (2) रुकी हुई खोज हालाँकि नवीन एंटीबायोटिक दवाओं की खोज 1950 और 1970 के दशक के बीच चरम पर थी, लेकिन 1980 के दशक से इसमें स्थिरता आ गई है। पिछले तीन दशकों में बाज़ार में लाई गई एंटीबायोटिक्स पहले खोजी गई दवाओं का ही संशोधन हैं। ये बढ़ती अपूर्ण आवश्यकताओं और प्रतिरोध को पूरा करने के लिए अपर्याप्त हैं। (3) सीमित पहुंच एलएमआईसी के पास नए और प्रभावी एंटीबायोटिक दवाओं तक सीमित पहुंच है जो मौजूदा वर्गों के प्रकार हैं। उदाहरण के लिए, 2000 और 2018 के बीच वैश्विक एंटीबायोटिक खपत दर 46 प्रतिशत बढ़ गई है, जो प्रति 1000 जनसंख्या प्रति दिन 9.8 से 14.3 परिभाषित दैनिक खुराक (डीडीडी) तक है। इसके विपरीत, उपभोग दरों में देशों के बीच अंतर दस गुना बढ़ गया है, जो प्रतिदिन प्रति 1000 जनसंख्या पर 5 डीडीडी से लेकर 45.9 डीडीडी तक है। क्लिनिकल इंफेक्शियस डिजीज जर्नल में प्रकाशित एक अध्ययन के अनुसार, 14 में से 11 देशों के पास 2010-19 के बीच विकसित अठारह नए जीवाणुरोधी पदार्थों में से आधे से भी कम तक पहुंच है। (4) बाज़ार की विफलता एक महत्वपूर्ण समस्या 'बिल्कुल-परफेक्ट' एंटीबायोटिक बाज़ार है। एएमआर के विकास और प्रसार को प्रोत्साहित करने या कम करने वाली स्थितियाँ पशु चिकित्सकों और किसानों, डॉक्टरों और रोगियों, उद्योग और सरकारों आदि द्वारा तय किए गए विकल्पों से प्रेरित होती हैं, जो कि एंटीबायोटिक्स का उत्पादन, खरीद और उपयोग करना है। विकल्प, बदले में, बाज़ारों द्वारा निर्धारित होते हैं जो इस बात को सुदृढ़ करते हैं कि क्या, क्या और कितना - एक निर्माता एंटीबायोटिक्स उत्पादन में निवेश कर सकता है और वह कीमत जो उपभोक्ता चुकाएगा। हालाँकि, एंटीबायोटिक्स का बाज़ार दो ताकतों से काफी प्रभावित है। सबसे पहले, एंटीबायोटिक दवाओं के 'सार्वजनिक हित' गुण खपत और वितरण को प्रभावित करते हैं, जिसके परिणामस्वरूप एंटीबायोटिक खपत या उत्पादन का सामाजिक रूप से इष्टतम स्तर कम होता है। दूसरा, एंटीबायोटिक के सेवन से नकारात्मक बाहरी प्रभाव उत्पन्न होते हैं, जैसे कि भविष्य के रोगियों पर प्रतिकूल बाहरी प्रभाव, जिन्हें एंटीबायोटिक दवाओं की आवश्यकता हो सकती है और मोटे तौर पर स्वास्थ्य देखभाल प्रणालियों पर प्रतिकूल प्रभाव पड़ सकता है, जो उपभोग के निर्णय में शामिल नहीं हैं। इन दोनों में से किसी भी मामले में, यदि इसे अपने हाल पर छोड़ दिया जाए, तो बाज़ार 'विफल' हो जाएगा और सामाजिक रूप से इष्टतम परिणाम नहीं मिलेंगे। यह न केवल आर्थिक दक्षता को कमजोर करेगा बल्कि एंटीबायोटिक दवाओं तक पहुंच और एएमआर के प्रभाव के संदर्भ में वितरणात्मक न्याय को भी अक्षम कर देगा। (5) अनुसंधान एवं विकास क्षेत्र से बड़े पैमाने पर पलायन यह भी दिलचस्प है कि एंटी-बैक्टीरियल एजेंट विकास में लगे फार्मा खिलाड़ी मुख्य रूप से छोटी कंपनियां हैं जिनकी वैश्विक स्तर पर नई एंटीबायोटिक खोजों में लगभग 80 प्रतिशत हिस्सेदारी है। इसके विपरीत, बड़ी कंपनियों और गैर-लाभकारी संस्थानों/विश्वविद्यालयों के पास क्रमशः 12 प्रतिशत और 08 प्रतिशत की मामूली हिस्सेदारी है। कई बड़ी दवा कंपनियों ने एंटीबायोटिक अनुसंधान और विकास (आरएंडडी) बंद कर दिया है। बड़ी कंपनियों द्वारा दिया गया एक तर्क यह है कि एंटीबायोटिक विकास का लागत-लाभ अनुपात अन्य लाभदायक दवाओं की तुलना में आर्थिक रूप से प्रतिकूल है। इसके अलावा, एंटीबायोटिक्स सस्ती हैं, कम मात्रा में बिकती हैं, और संक्रमण और प्रकोप की छिटपुट प्रकृति के कारण अप्रत्याशित हैं। इसलिए, एंटीबायोटिक विकास में उच्च जोखिम, कम-रिटर्न प्रस्ताव की आड़ में, बड़ी फार्मा कंपनियां अन्य दवाओं के माध्यम से मुनाफा कमाना जारी रखती हैं। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) के एक अध्ययन से पता चलता है कि दुनिया की 15 बड़ी फार्मा कंपनियों में से 11 के पास अपनी पाइपलाइन में एंटीबायोटिक्स नहीं हैं। इन 15 विशाल कंपनियों की क्लिनिकल पाइपलाइन में 1007 अणुओं में से केवल 13 ही जीवाणुरोधी एजेंट हैं। यह कैंसर के लिए विकसित 411 एजेंटों, इम्यूनोलॉजी, एलर्जी, सूजन, या श्वसन रोगों के लिए 150, और कार्डियोलॉजी, चयापचय, या गुर्दे की बीमारी क्षेत्रों के लिए 84 एजेंटों के साथ बिल्कुल विपरीत है। उसी उच्च-जोखिम, निम्न-रेटू से जा रहे हैं

Sustainable Food Systems

The Silent Epidemic of Antimicrobial Resistance: A Quintuple Whammy

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an imminent threat to global public health, contemporary health systems, and economies. When microbes evolve resistance to lifesaving drugs, the burden presents a powerful quintuple whammy that policy experts must recognize and respond to. (1) Antibiotics becoming ineffective The misuse and overuse in humans, animals, and plants have rendered antibiotics ineffective. A report by Lancet states that AMR was directly responsible for at least 1.27 million deaths and indirectly associated with nearly five million deaths globally in 2019. The burden of fatalities is disproportionately more on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Besides mortality, the potential impacts of rising AMR include fewer effective treatment options, higher morbidity, more costly treatments, and higher loss of person days from work. Uncertainties over the growth path of AMR over time, the functional relationship between antibiotic use and AMR, and morbidity/mortality directly attributable to AMR (in contrast to other underlying causes) make this issue furthermore contentious. (2) Stagnant discovery Although the discovery of novel antibiotics peaked between the 1950s and the 1970s, it has stagnated since the 1980s. The antibiotics brought to the market in the past three decades are modifications of previously discovered drugs. These are inadequate to serve the growing unmet requirements and resistance. The LMICs have limited access to new and effective antibiotics that are variants of existing classes. For instance, the global antibiotics consumption rate between 2000 and 2018 has shot up 46 percent, from 9.8 to 14.3 defined daily doses (DDD) per 1000 population per day. In contrast, the variation between countries in consumption rates has risen ten-fold, ranging from as low as 5 DDD to 45.9 DDD per 1000 population per day. As per a study published in the Clinical Infectious Diseases Journal, 11 out of 14 countries have access to less than half of eighteen new antibacterials developed between 2010-19. (4) Market Failure A significant problem is the ‘far-from-perfect’ antibiotic market. The conditions encouraging or extenuating the development and spread of AMR are driven by choices made by veterinarians and farmers, doctors and patients, industry and governments, etc., concerning what antibiotics to produce, purchase, and use. Choices, in turn, are determined by the markets that reinforce whether, what, and how much – a producer may invest in antibiotics production and the price that the consumer will pay. However, the market for antibiotics is heavily affected by two forces. First, the ‘public good’ attributes of antibiotics affect consumption and distribution, resulting in less than socially optimal levels of either antibiotic consumption or production. Second, there are negative externalities arising from antibiotic consumption, such as adverse external effects on future patients who may require antibiotics and broadly on the health care systems that are not included in the decision to consume. In either of these two cases, left on its own, the markets will ‘fail’ and not result in socially optimum outcomes. This will not only dilute economic efficiency but also incapacitate distributional justice in terms of access to antibiotics and the impact of AMR. (5) Mass Exodus from R&D space It is also intriguing that the pharma players engaged in anti-bacterial agent development are predominately small firms with nearly 80 percent share in the new antibiotic discoveries globally. In contrast, large firms and non-profit institutes/universities hold minuscule shares of 12 percent and 08 percent, respectively. Many large pharmaceutical companies have discontinued antibiotic research and development (R&D). One argument peddled by large companies is that the cost-benefit ratio of antibiotic development is economically unfavorable compared to other profitable drugs. In addition, antibiotics are inexpensive, sell in a lower volume, and are unpredictable due to the sporadic nature of infections and outbreaks. So, under the guise of high-risk, low-return proposition in antibiotic development, big pharma companies continue to rack up profits through other drugs. A study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) finds that 11 of the world’s 15 big pharma companies do not have antibiotics in their pipeline. Only 13 out of the 1007 molecules in the clinical pipeline of these 15 giant companies are antibacterial agents. This contrasts sharply with 411 agents developed for cancer, 150 for immunology, allergy, inflammation, or respiratory diseases, and 84 for cardiology, metabolism, or renal disease areas. Going by the same high-risk, low-return proposition, it is just a matter of time before small companies will face diminishing values and eventually pull out in trying to pick up the slack. Fixing the Market: The Way Forward A combination of ‘push’ and ‘pull’ incentives is required to overcome market failure and create a robust antibiotic R&D ecosystem. The push incentive, such as support in innovation and R&D funds for new antibiotics regardless of success in market access, will tend to reduce the developers’ costs and risks through financial, tax, and technical inducements. An example could be funders' pooling and sharing of failure risks, including governments and private firms. On the other hand, the pull incentive, such as rewards for new, scientifically viable, and market-relevant antibiotics, will reduce the risk of insufficient future revenues by utilizing mechanisms and ensuring developers’ financial viability. While the governments will have to play a more significant role, their efforts must be supplemented by adequate private-sector participation, especially in LMICs. Moreover, it is critical to consider all costs and benefits of antimicrobial use, including those arising from externalities, to inform policymakers on strategies to contain the impact of AMR. To conclude, antibiotics are a ‘global’ public good. Their preservation and development for future generations through ‘sustainable and equitable access’ should be at the forefront of public policy-making to avert a dire health emergency.

Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy

Muck it all

As legacy waste piles up in state, nothing much has been done in terms of remediation — it rots away in quarries, out of sight and out of mind Of 18.262 million tonne, Karnataka has managed to remediate just 0.002 mn tonne With 18.262 million tonnes, Karnataka has the second-highest amount of legacy waste in India, only after Maharashtra. However, while Maharashtra with 36.451 million tonnes of legacy waste is striving hard to remediate it, not much has happened in Karnataka in that direction. Karnataka, so far, has remediated only 0.002 million tonnes, compared to 16.72 million tonnes remediated by Maharashtra. This assessment has been done by Delhi-based Center for Science and Environment (CSE). Solid Waste Management (SWM) experts point at various socio-economic factors and underline unique challenges that Karnataka faces in the remediation of its old landfills. Apart from old quarries being used as dumpsites, high costs incurred in the transportation of refuse derived fuel (RDF) generated from recovered landfill waste are some hindrances along the way. While the Solid Waste Management Rule, of 2016 mandates industrial units to derive 5% of their energy requirement from RDF, Karnataka has struggled to pinpoint cement industries that can use RDF as a substitute for fossil fuel Waste incineration Some highlight that the management policy of legacy waste trapped in landfills should be designed along with a facility of adequate capacity to collect, transport, and dispose of municipal waste being generated on a day-to-day basis. Although municipal waste incineration plants face social acceptance and environmental issues, they are essential in the current scenario. “With over 6,000 tonnes of solid waste in Karnataka still reaching the landfills every day, we need waste incineration plants to manage our day-to-day municipal waste and to ensure that it is not dumped in landfills. Unless we have a good capacity incineration plan to take care of fresh waste, the dumpsites cannot be remediated. While social acceptance of these plants is an issue, we can think of setting them up in red-zone industrial areas,” said an expert. Some SWM experts also highlighted shortfalls in planning and bringing in experts to assist urban local bodies (ULBs) such as the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in understanding the technologies available to remediate landfills and make decisions. “ULBs lack the expertise in evaluating and understanding the technologies available to remediate legacy waste. There should be a centralised mechanism and advisory body to help them evaluate not just the technology but also the pricing aspect. BBMP, a few years ago, looked at many technologies but could not finalise any. While the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) is supposed to help ULBs, it has not played its role in entirety so far,” said Sandhya Narayan of Solid Waste Management Round Table (SWMRT). To help states remediate legacy dumpsites, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), under Swacchh Bharat Mission 2.0, Lakshya Zero Dumpsite, has been inviting proposals and sanctioning funds. However, Karnataka is yet to receive the Centre’s funds. “To receive the Centre’s fund, a proposal has to be submitted with a detailed remediation plan. It appears that DMA has failed to achieve that. Many other states such as Maharashtra and Gujarat have already received it,” added Ramprasad. According to the sources from DMA, the slow pace of landfill restoration in the state has been mainly due to the lack of funds. However, post an order passed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) a few months ago, a sum of Rs 500 crore has been earmarked for clearing legacy waste in Karnataka and substantial progress has been made in the tendering process. Refuse derived fuel has no takers. This is also because there is a lack of trust regarding its quality. The cost of per tonne biomining of landfills is much higher in Karnataka compared to other states —V Ramprasad, a city-based SWM expert “So far, no serious efforts have been made to remediate landfills in Karnataka due to the lack of funds. However, since the money has been earmarked after NGT’s order, there is substantial progress in Karnataka in the tendering process for the remediation of landfills. Out of the total amount, 50% has been sanctioned to reclaim Bengaluru’s landfills as the city contains 50% of the total legacy waste in Karnataka. Remediation in Karnataka will also begin soon,” informed a source. Notably, NGT in April this year, ordered the state government to issue a grant for sewage and waste management. Complying with the order, Karnataka sanctioned Rs 967 crore for clearing old landfills and managing Sewage Treatment Plants. Although BM tried reaching out to the director of DMA, she remained unavailable to comment.

Industrial Pollution

UltraTech, Dalmia push ahead with a concrete plan for green cement. But are there any takers?

In April this year, India’s biggest cement producer, UltraTech, embarked upon a first-of-its-kind initiative to cut carbon emissions. The company decided to repurpose 57,000 metric tonne (around 1,000 truckloads) industrial waste to be utilised in its cement plant. Terming it ‘groundbreaking’, Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman, UltraTech, said in the company’s FY23 annual report that the move showcased innovation by utilising both sea and inland waterways to transport a bulk cargo carrier loaded with 57,000 metric tonne (MT) phosphogypsum. “It was safely moved from the Paradip port in Odisha to UltraTech’s jetty in the Amreli district’s Kovaya in Gujarat,” he added. Phosphogypsum, a by-product from fertiliser manufacturing, was sourced from IFFCO’s (Indian Farmers Fertiliser Co-operative) plant and used as a substitute for limestone in UltraTech’s cement facility. Besides reducing the company’s carbon footprint, it also helped in the utilisation of industrial waste, which is a significant environmental concern. To be sure, cement is the most used material in construction after water. This shows our dependence on this versatile material, the largest emitter of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the world after iron and steel. According to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) estimates, India’s cement industry is seen expanding at a faster rate than the world average. Various estimates analysed by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a Delhi-based research and advocacy organisation, also indicate that cement production in India will rise at a CAGR of 6%-8% till 2030. The projected rise in cement production poses several challenges, especially since the country has committed to achieving net-zero emission by 2070 amid growing concerns globally over climate change. Since cement is responsible for about 7% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions, the industry has a huge responsibility on its shoulders in the world’s transition to net zero. And more importantly in India, with the annual per-capita consumption of cement standing at 240kg, there is an urgent need to green the sector. The drivers of change As the country is witnessing a housing and infrastructure boom, cement producers are looking at multiple ways to decarbonise the sector. These include shifting to renewable power and deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) at plants. For instance, UltraTech, which sold 100 million tonnes of cement in FY23, up 12% from FY22, has committed to go carbon neutral by 2050. The path is indeed challenging, but the company counts on three things as the key drivers to accelerate this journey — technological innovations, tax subsidies, and regulations. Another major player, Dalmia Bharat, has been working on product innovations contributing to the green transition of the industry. This includes exploring the use of alternative binders and incorporating supplementary cementitious to reduce the clinker content in cement. Dalmia is the first cement company to conduct technical trials of blended cement such as LC3 (limestone calcined clay cement) to replace traditional OPC (ordinary Portland cement), a high carbon-emission product, thereby lowering carbon footprint by almost 60%. It has also reduced water and energy usage. While product innovation and investment in newer technologies is expensive, what’s adding to the concerns of cement producers is the lukewarm response to blended cement which comes at a premium. “The construction industry in India has been accustomed to traditional cement for many years. There is resistance to change, both from construction professionals and consumers, who are more familiar with conventional cement. Overcoming this and encouraging the transition to blended cement requires effective education and promotion efforts. For example, government tenders still ask for ordinary Portland cement,” Arvind Bodhankar, executive director – environment, social, and governance, and chief risk officer, Dalmia Bharat, tells ET Prime. Experts believe that it will take time for the blended cement market to take off in the absence of a clear procurement policy and lack of an unambiguous definition of low-carbon or green cement in the country. Why blended cement Blended cement is prepared by mixing the clinker with some supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) such as fly ash, slag, silica fume, volcanic ash, and other industrial byproducts, at the grinding stage. This innovative cement-based material offers enhanced efficiency while consuming less energy and generating fewer pollutants and lower carbon emissions. A recent report by the CSE on decarbonising the cement sector shows that OPC, which primarily uses limestone, has the highest emission intensity — one tonne produces 0.84 tonne CO2. CSE researchers estimate that in a ‘business-as-usual scenario’, emissions from India’s cement sector will nearly double by 2030 from the 213 tonnes of CO2 released by the sector in 2019-20. However, over the past two decades, companies have started replacing limestone with other raw materials to produce Pozzolana Portland Cement (PPC), in which a certain portion of fly ash from power plants replaces limestone, and Portland Slag Cement (PSC), in which some amount of slag from steel plants replaces limestone. These blended cements have low emission intensity. Blended cement accounts for 73% of the cement produced in the country, according to a report by industry body Global Cement and Concrete Association (India). But with no definition of green cement that sets a threshold for carbon emissions of blended cement products available in markets, it is difficult to assess the demand. Dalmia has introduced cement blends INFRAPRO and INFRAGREEN in large-scale infrastructure projects such as Bharatmala and high-performance green blended cement for rapid exit taxiway in India’s first net-zero emission airport coming up in Noida. Meanwhile, UltraTech has been focusing on reducing the use of conventional raw materials and promoting the reuse of waste and by-products generated in other industries such as slag, fly ash, and gypsum to produce blended products such as PPC, PSC, PPC Super, and composite cement. CSE’s analysis shows that UltraTech Cement and Dalmia Cement, despite being among the top five emitters, have the lowest emission factors (the rate at which an activity releases greenhouse gas into the atmosphere) as of 2019-20. CSE researchers have conducted an extensive analysis of India’s cement sector over the last one year to explore ways to reduce the carbon footprint of this hard-to-abate industry. Parth Kumar, programme manager - industry programme at CSE, says that the report laid out three major strategies for 2030 for the decarbonisation of the cement sector — limiting OPC’s share to 10% and increasing blended from 73% to 90%, raising the share of alternate raw materials such as fly ash (from 35% to 45%) and slag (5%-8% above country average), and pushing up the overall thermal substitution rate to 50%. “Based on this, even as India’s cement production doubles to around 660 million tonnes by 2030, CSE’s proposed strategies can bring an estimated overall reduction of 42% in emissions compared to the ‘business as usual’ scenario, which means the emission increase will be around only 1.1x by 2030 compared to 2019-20,” Kumar says. The decarbonisation drive UltraTech is fast-tracking its green energy programme and is participating in a hybrid solar wind project of 648 MW, taking its total renewable energy basket to 1.25 GW on completion. The company also intends to increase the footprint of WHRS (waste-heat recovery system) to reach 425 MW from 232 MW by the end of FY26. “When all these projects are completed, I’m happy to tell you, that we have more than 60% of energy as green energy on our expanded base. WHRS accounts for around 25% and renewable energy, which is solar and wind accounts for more than 35%,” Atul Daga, executive director and chief financial officer, UltraTech, said on the company’s Q1FY24 investor call in July. According to a company spokesperson, UltraTech significantly scaled up its green-energy capacity during FY23, achieving over a 25% increase in WHRS and a 28% improvement in renewable energy. It currently has 555MW of green energy capacity, which includes 210MW of WHRS installed capacity and 345MW of renewable energy capacity. UltraTech’s green-energy mix is currently at 19%. Dalmia, meanwhile, has adopted a four-pronged approach. It involves increasing the usage of supplementary cementitious materials like fly ash, slag, and limestone; research and development of disruptive solutions for net zero; exploring carbon capture; utilisation, and storage (CCUS) technologies; and awareness about the benefits of blended/green to advance its green initiative. According to Kaustubh Phadke, India head, Global Cement and Concrete Association, one of the most important levers to decarbonise the sector is blended cement and it is something that can be implemented right now. “We are making a roadmap for the Indian cement and concrete sector to deliver net-zero CO2. Policy support is the most important parameter, and the government should ask for the use of blended cement in the construction. It must be included in the public procurement policy. Another key aspect is defining what is green cement. There is a need for a long-term agreement for the availability of fly ash and slag to the industry. We are also working to change the notion around blended cement compared to OPC,” Phadke tells ET Prime. Challenges ahead Blended cement typically requires investments in new technologies and alternative materials, which can increase production costs. In a price-sensitive market like India, the higher price of green cement can be a significant deterrent to its adoption. The cost difference between low-carbon or green cement and conventional cement can vary depending on several factors, including the specific type of green cement, the region, the availability of alternative materials, and economies of scale. It also depends on the definition of green cement. “If blended cement only means carbon-neutral cement, the cost would be double the current retail price. At the same time, green low-carbon cement, which also has a substantially lower footprint, may have a slightly higher or equivalent cost compared to conventional cement,” says Dalmia’s Bodhankar, adding that it is important to consider the lifecycle cost and long-term benefits of low-carbon cement in terms of environmental impact and operational savings. “As the demand for green cement grows, technological advancements occur, and economies of scale are realised, the cost difference between green cement and conventional cement is expected to decrease further,” he explains. According to UltraTech, the market acceptability of blended cement is slowly growing, but a key issue is that while the demand for cement is climbing up amid the housing and infrastructure boom, the availability of alternative materials such as fly ash and slag is a key challenge and fly ash is expected to reduce as we move away from thermal power plants. “Cement is a power-intensive industry. Moving away from coal-based thermal power plants to renewables would also reduce the carbon footprint in the manufacture of cement. However, round-the-clock availability of RE-based power is a big challenge given that the cement industry is a 24/7 operation. UltraTech is investing significantly in ramping up its green energy capacity,” says the company spokesperson. The cement producers also believe that India’s construction industry is highly fragmented with diverse practices and regional variations. Standardising green construction practices and promoting uniform adoption of blended cement across the country can be challenging due to these reasons. The policy framework Cement producers emphasise the need for fiscal incentives to drive technology innovation. They are demanding financial incentives, subsidies, or tax breaks for manufacturers, construction companies, and consumers who opt for green cement. These incentives could include grants for research and development, capital subsidies for adopting green technologies, or reduced taxes for green cement production. Financial support mechanisms can help bridge the cost gap between green cement and conventional cement, making it more accessible and attractive to the industry. According to Dalmia, India’s cement industry is the best globally in terms of carbon emission, but next-generation technologies required for manufacturing of blended cement such as CCUS need significant support. “While developed countries have stricter environmental regulations and incentives to promote green technologies, India’s regulatory framework for green cement is still evolving. Green procurement is another important step that needs to be taken by the government as well as institutional buyers. It can create the right demand signal for green construction projects,” says Bodhankar. Cement producers have also been pushing for a change in building codes by incorporating higher weightage for embodied carbon footprint, while policymakers can drive significant reductions in carbon emissions associated with the construction industry. This approach encourages the use of sustainable materials, promotes low-carbon construction practices, and fosters a shift towards more environmentally friendly buildings and infrastructure. Another area that needs attention is establishing standards and labelling systems specific to green cement, certifying its environmental performance and carbon footprint. These standards should provide clear definitions, testing methods, and labelling requirements to enable consumers and industry professionals to identify and choose green cement products easily. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has come out with standards for various categories of blended cement, but those are yet to be achieved. The CSE report shows that although BIS allows up to 70% slag usage for Portland cement, its share does not cross 60%. Similarly, for composite cement, while BIS allows a 50% share for slag, the current average share in the country is 25%. According to UltraTech, the government is helping the industry through several policy initiatives but to further accelerate the adoption of blended cement, the industry requires the availability of alternative raw materials to be dedicated to the cement sector. “Encouraging the use of blended cement in the government infrastructure projects will be a big boost to increased use of green cement. Making finance available for the funding of carbon capture and utilisation projects as well as any emerging technologies which will help reduce the carbon footprint is crucial as these are capital-intensive technologies,” says the company spokesperson. "We are making a roadmap for the Indian cement and concrete sector to deliver net-zero CO2. Policy support is the most important parameter, and the government should ask for the use of blended cement in construction." — Kaustubh Phadke, India head, Global Cement and Concrete Association The way forward GCCA India is working on its roadmap to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. A major part of it relies on the identification of new technologies, creation of supportive policy frameworks, public-private collaborations, financing mechanisms, and social acceptance. CSE’s report recommends that to accelerate cement-sector decarbonisation in this decade, the government should restrict the use of OPC and increase the permissible limit of fly ash in PPC while setting a clear target for production of blended cement. Further, there is an immediate need to come up with notified standards for refuse-derived fuel and define low-carbon or green cement and introduce fiscal incentives for the product.

Water Programme