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Fight against climate change will exacerbate inequalities in global trade systems – CSE, Down To Earth Analysis

A news analysis by the Indian-based Centre for Science and Environment and Down To Earth Magazine, revealed that developed countries around the world are abandoning free trade in the name of climate change. According to the analysis, the United States and the European Union are leading this trend toward protectionism, armed with massive subsidiaries and tariffs, and this may change the global trade system. AvantikaGoswami, author of the Down To Earth report and CSE’s programme manager for climate change, said, in the race to build low-carbon economies, countries are introducing policies to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels, promote manufacturing of clean-energy technologies, and decarbonise industries. “In the race to build low-carbon economies, countries are introducing policies to speed up the transition from fossil fuels, promote manufacturing of clean-energy technologies and decarbonise industries.” According to him, the race appears to be part of a global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, countries have sparked fears of trade wars as governments try to restore green industries and dominate the global supply chain of goods and technologies required to avert a climate catastrophe under the guise of climate action. According to CSE, the US passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in August 2022, which provides approximately $370 billion in subsidies, primarily through tax credits, over a 10-year period for renewable energy, electric vehicles, energy-efficient appliances, carbon capture and storage, and clean hydrogen. It stated that this has irritated other green technology manufacturing powers such as the EU, South Korea, and Japan, who are concerned that their companies will jump ship and expand. This has enraged other green technology manufacturing powers such as the EU, South Korea, and Japan, which are concerned that their companies will abandon ship and expand operations in North America. According to Goswami, “Developing countries like India cannot match the IRA’s scale of subsidies. If we take the example of electric vehicles (EVs) in our country, there are three incentive schemes that are offered – the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME II) with an outlay of Rs10,000 crore; and two Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes of Rs25,398 crore (automotive sector including EVs) and Rs18,100 crore (battery storage), respectively.” Goswami added that there is also the question of access to critical minerals. Prices of minerals in the global market are set by the big players. “China is the biggest buyer today. Once the US enters this race for its own domestic manufacturing on a large scale, India will have to aggressively scale up its EV production to command prices on its own terms.” According to CSE experts, India should focus on EV sectors where it has a ready domestic market, such as two-wheelers and three-wheelers, which account for 63% and 34% of the domestic EV market, respectively. “It can also become a hub for recycling of spent batteries, which will enable it to recover the processed critical minerals that it is currently lacking.” According to CSE, the EU reached a provisional agreement on a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) in December 2022, which is a tax on imports of goods such as steel and aluminum from countries with lax emission reduction rules. The CBAM has been criticised by BRICS countries, and India’s finance minis­ter has warned the coun­try’s firms to reset themselves and be ready for “tariff walls coming up newly in the name of climate change”. According to UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development), a CBAM will reduce global carbon emissions by no more than 0.1 percent if applied at US $44 per tonne – but it will have an adverse distributional impact because it will reduce global real income by US $3.4 billion, with developed countries’ incomes suffering the most. According to UNCTAD, a CBAM will reduce global carbon emissions by no more than 0.1 percent if applied at US $44 per tonne – but it will have an adverse distributional impact because it will reduce global real income by US $3.4 billion, with developed countries’ incomes rising by $2.5 billion while developing countries’ incomes fall by $5.9 billion. Other developed countries, such as the United Kingdom, may follow suit and impose a carbon border tax. When confronted with the CBAM, developing countries require access to finance and technology in order to decarbonize their manufacturing sector and maintain export competitiveness. The EU is India’s third largest trading partner; according to the Down To Earth report, India’s iron and steel, and aluminum sectors would be the most vulnerable to CBAM, albeit to a lesser extent than other countries. India does not have a single domestic carbon price, but it does have an upcoming domestic carbon market, a national NDC and net zero target, and industrial firms’ voluntary climate targets. It remains to be seen whether this patchwork of market-based schemes and climate signals will create a case for Indian industry to avoid the tariff burden imposed by CBAM, according to Goswami.

Him Academy Public School, Vikas Nagar

An audit, on the basis of best practices of waste management, air and food energy, was conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi, wherein the school was adjudged as a ‘Resource Efficient School’ and hence accredited with Green School Certificate. On behalf of the school, Manju Thakur, Head, Eco Club, HAPS, received the certificate from Sunita Narain, Director, CSE, in a gala ceremony held at CSE Convention Centre in New Delhi on February 21. Nupur Thakur, Class VIII student, also participated in a ‘Solar Workshop’ conducted at Digital Studio of CSE Convention Centre and she was also awarded with the participation certificate by Souparno Banerjee, Senior Director, CSE. The management of the school congratulated Manju Thakur and Nupur Thakur in a special morning assembly for the achievement.

High temperatures help make February second cleanest in Delhi since 2016

NEW DELHI: Aided by the early exit of winter, Delhi this year saw its second cleanest month of February since the air quality index was introduced in April 2015. The average AQI during the month was 237, the lowest after 225 in February last year.Though the month didn't see any "good" or "satisfactory" air days, strong winds and high temperatures helped disperse pollutants, experts said. The month saw five "very poor", 13 "poor" and 10 "moderate" air days. There were four "very poor" days in February last year. Strong winds, high temp cleared air in February New Delhi: Temperatures that were generally four to nine degrees above normal played a key role in keeping the air relatively clean this February, which recorded the second best average AQI for the month since 2016. Explaining the meteorological factors behind the comparatively low AQI relatively low this February, a met official said, "The first half of February was windy. The strong winds aided in dispersion of pollutants. The second half of the month saw high temperatures on most days which helped in better ventilation. The temperatures were four to nine degrees above normal on most days." The average AQI of February was highest in 2016 at 291. It was 267 in 2017, 243 in 2018, 242 in 2019, 241 in 2020 and 288 in 2021. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said, "The overall pollution levels are expected to come down in February compared to the peak and average levels in winter. This has also been the warmest February in the past 17 years. The level of pollution concentration is also lesser due to changing meteorology." She added, "This is the time to ramp up action to ensure sustained improvement and reduce dependence on emergency action during winter. Focus on reducing emissions from all key sectors." According to CPCB, January and February 2023 saw 47 days when the AQI was between 301 and 500 (in the "very poor" to "severe" range). Last year, 44 such days were recorded during the same period. An AQI reading of 50 or below is classified as "good", readings between 51 and 100 on the index fall in the "satisfactory" category. Readings between 101 and 200 are considered "moderate". "Poor" air ranges from 201 to 300, "very poor" from 301 to 400 and "severe" from 401 to 500.

Fight against climate change will worsen existing inequalities within global trade systems, says a new analysis by CSE and Down To Earth

Developed countries of the world are reneging on free trade in the name of climate change – says a new analysis and the subject of its latest cover story by Down To Earth magazine. Armed with massive subsidies and tariffs, the US and EU are leading this trend towards protectionism. This may change the global trade system as we know it. Says Avantika Goswami, the writer of the Down To Earth report and program manager for climate change at the New Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE): “In the race to build low-carbon economies, countries are introducing policies to speed up the transition from fossil fuels, promote manufacturing of clean energy technologies and decarbonize industries. On the face of it, this race appears to be part of the global effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions. But they have also sparked fears of trade wars, as governments on the pretext of climate action try to restore green industries and dominate the global supply chain of goods and technologies essential to avert a climate catastrophe.” CSE, which helps publish Down To Earth, recently organized an international webinar on the subject, which was addressed by Rob Davies, former minister of trade and industry in South Africa; Paul Butarbutar, executive director, Indonesia Centre for Renewable Energy Studies; Katie Gallogly-Swan, economic affairs officer, UNCTAD; Apratim Sahay, senior policy manager, Green New Deal Network; Sunita Narain, director general, CSE and editor of Down To Earth; and Goswami. A new trade order: The machinations of the US and EU In August 2022, the US passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) – a bill offering about US $370 billion in subsidies, mainly through tax credits over 10 years, for renewable energy, electric vehicles, energy-efficient appliances, carbon capture and storage, and clean hydrogen. This has rankled other green technology manufacturing powers like the EU, South Korea, and Japan, which fear that their companies may jump ship and expand business in North America. Says Goswami: “Developing countries like India cannot match the IRA’s scale of subsidies. If we take the example of electric vehicles (EVs) in our country, three incentive schemes are offered – the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME II) with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore; and two Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes of Rs 25,398 crore (automotive sector including EVs) and Rs 18,100 crore (battery storage), respectively.” There is also the question of access to critical minerals. Prices of minerals in the global market are set by the big players. China is the biggest buyer today. Once the US enters this race for its domestic manufacturing on a large scale, India will have to aggressively scale up its EV production to command prices on its terms. CSE experts suggest that India should focus on the EV sectors in which it has a ready domestic market — two-wheelers and three-wheelers, which constitute 63 percent and 34 percent of the domestic EV market. It can also become a hub for recycling of spent batteries, which will enable it to recover the processed critical minerals that it is currently lacking. In December 2022, the EU reached a provisional agreement on a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) – a tax on imports of goods like steel and aluminum from countries with lax emission reduction rules. The CBAM has been criticized by BRICS countries, and India’s finance minister has warned the country’s firms to reset themselves and be ready for “tariff walls coming up newly in the name of climate change”. According to UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development), if applied at US $44 per tonne, a CBAM will reduce global carbon emissions by not more than 0.1 percent — but it will have an ad­verse distributional impact because it will decrease global real income by US $3.4 billion, with developed countries’ incomes rising by US $2.5 billion while developing countries’ in­comes fall by US $5.9 billion. Other developed countries like the UK may follow suit and implement a carbon border tax. When faced with the CBAM, developing countries need access to finance and technology to decarbonize their manufacturing sector so that export competitiveness is maintained. For India, the EU is its third largest trading partner – the Down To Earth report points out that India’s iron and steel, and aluminum sectors would be the most exposed to CBAM, albeit to a lesser extent than other countries. India does not have one domestic carbon price – but it has an upcoming domestic carbon market, a national NDC and net zero target, and voluntary climate targets by industrial firms. Whether or not this patchwork of market-based schemes and climate signals will create a case for Indian industry to avoid the tariff burden from CBAM is yet to be seen, says Goswami. Speaking at the webinar, Davies said: “A CBAM is directly attacking the market access of developing countries, and it could be expanded to all exports eventually. African countries are emitting the least, and the gain from imposing this tax on them would be minimal in terms of carbon emission reduction. We need to respond to these measures.” As per UNCTAD, “policies like IRA and CBAM point to a missing developmental dimension in trade commitments, combined with growing evidence that industrialized economies are outsourcing pollution at the same time as they avail themselves of industrial policy tools to bolster their dominance within emerging green industries.” Industrialisation has enabled sustained productivity growth in the EU and US, but industrial development has been an uphill battle for developing countries, in part due to trade agreements designed to constrain their policy space. WTO – heavily influenced by developed countries – treats subsidies, tariffs, and export bans as “trade-distorting”. Thus, current trade rules prevent developing countries from using local content and technology transfer requirements, or tools like government procurement to stimulate domestic industries. Now that rich countries are increasingly embracing industrial policy to ensure their economic resilience, it is difficult for them to prevent developing countries from implementing similar policies. Echoing these sentiments expressed in Down To Earth, Katie Gallogly-Swan of UNCTAD said: “We need to reframe the trade rules for a time of climate change and address the long-standing concerns of developing countries. We need to strengthen the core principles of ‘special and differential treatment’ at WTO and ‘common but differentiated responsibilities’ in the UNFCCC process. A more positive agenda would support developing countries’ priorities, additional financing, green technology transfers, capacity building supporting environmentally sustainable economic diversification, and adequate policy and fiscal space to support their integrated policies to advance towards their climate and developmental goals.” In her concluding address, Sunita Narain from CSE said: “In this era of climate change, developing countries need to build self-sufficiency in domestic production of green technologies. They must be allowed to deploy ‘industrial policy’ tools like subsidies to forge their equity and green development growth paths, without being subject to over-reaching trade rules. If a country is rich in green minerals, it should be able to deploy a set of policies that attempt to retain those minerals, process them domestically, and create jobs and a manufacturing sector and thus, build innovation and technology locally. Narain added: “We should look at what rules will work for us best (the developing world), and work for us in a climate-constrained world. We need to make sure we can combat emissions, and at the same time, have economic growth. In doing so, maybe for the first time, we will end up making a trade deal which does not work against the environment, but for it; a deal that works for people.”

IMF warns against ‘protectionism’ in rich world’s green subsidies

The US will subsidise North American-made electric vehicles, sparking responses from other rich countries – but there are concerns on the effects on the developing world. As rich countries compete to get electric vehicles made in their countries, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that a “slide into protectionism” will make it harder poorer countries to access green technology and reduce emissions. Ahead of last weekend’s G20 finance ministers summit in India, IMF boss Kristalina Georgieva wrote in a blog that there are “signs of progress, as major economies realign their fiscal frameworks to accelerate the green transition.” “But policies should stay focused on that transition—rather than providing a competitive advantage to domestic firms,” Georgieva noted. She continued to write that policies should “be carefully designed to avoid wasteful spending or trade tensions, and to make sure that technology is shared with the developing world”. In the Indian city of Bengalaru, finance ministers from 20 of the world’s biggest economies agreed to “fight protectionism” – a commitment they make at the summit almost every year. Subsidy race The US’s recent Inflation Reduction Act gives a subsidy of of $7,500 to anyone buying an electric vehicle in the US. But that vehicle must have been assembled in North America. This condition has angered other car-making countries who see it as an unfair attempt to get car companies to relocate to the US. The European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan and South Korea have all complained to the US government. In response, the European Union is considering loosening its rules to allow governments to provide more subsidies for electric vehicle manufacturers. Can’t compete But, like Georgieva, campaigners and analysts from developing countries raised concerns over these measures. Fabby Tumiwa, head of the Indonesian think-tank Institute for Essential Services Reform, told Climate Home that developing countries need to access green technology and investment to compensate for the declinine of polluting industries like coal mining. But, he said, they “have very limited capacity” to compete with rich countries’ incentives and subsidies. Tumiwa said emerging economies can only retaliate by imposing policies to limit exports of raw materials and process them domestically. “What rich countries must do is to provide access for emerging economies to acces the technology and it will be better if they can participate in the global supply chain for green technology”, he said. Double standards Avantika Goswami, from the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, said that in general green subsidies can spur research and development and deployment of green technologies. But, she said, the risk is that global inequalities are deepened if companies move their manufacturing back to rich countries. That could hurt developing countries’ economies through decreased export revenues or foreign investment, she said. She said that developing countries should be able to provide incentives for domestic industry without being accused of protectionism. “The developed world already bends the rules of free trade to suit its national interests”, she said. Border tax Faten Aggad, climate diplomacy adviser for the African Climate Foundation, said that some of the measures “introduced in the name of climate are essentially protectionist”. She cited the European Union’s carbon border tax which aims to tax the emissions of imported carbon-intensive products like steel, aluminium and fertiliser. The EU claims it will stop European industry moving to places with less environmental regulations but major economies like China, India and South Africa say it will unfairly penalise their economies. The Africa Climate Foundation will soon release a report which suggests Africa will lose $16 billion a year because of the tax, she said. Trade disputes She added that developing countries depend on access to green technology from Europe, the USA and China and that trade conflicts between these blocks “will only complicate this”. She said it would be “counter-productive” if these conflicts push countries into having to chose a technology provider “based on ideological alignment rather than cost-effectivness”. But Beijing-Based Greenpeace campaigner Li Shuo said that competition between major countries on green subsidies and border taxes “is not necesarily a bad thing” as long as the policies are focussed on the green transition. “In other words, it’s climate change that countries should be fighting, not each other,” he said.

CSE recommend a fuel shift to alternate, cleaner fuels for reducing carbon emissions from Iron & Steel sector.

While the Iron & Steel sector of India shares 5 % of Green House Emission , CSE recommend a fuel shift to alternate/cleaner fuels for reducing carbon emissions from the sector. The challenge that lies ahead is to make cleaner fuels affordable and available. Releasing a report on the issue ,CSE analysis shows that it is possible to bring down carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from iron and steel sector drastically by 2030, while more than doubling India’s output of steel. “ We can emit even less than what we do today. But this will need planning, technology and adequate funds,” said Sunita Narain, director general, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Speaking at a stakeholder workshop organised by CSE on ‘Decarbonising India’s Iron and Steel Sector by 2030 and Beyond’ speakers and participants including – besides Narain – Ruchika Chaudhry Govil, additional secretary, Union ministry of steel, Richa Sharma, additional secretary, Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change, Parmjeet Singh, additional industrial advisor, Union ministry of steel, Andrew Purvis, director, World Steel Association discussed details on GHG emissions from the sector and its future emission scenarios (for 2030). The workshop navigated the issues of fuel shift, low carbon technology, energy efficiency, increasing generation and usage of steel scrap and carbon capture utilisation and storage for the Indian iron and steel sector. As the sector plans to double its production by 2030 with 60-65 per cent production based on coal-intensive technology -- blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) -- steel players are actively considering the option of carbon capture utilisation and storage. At the workshop, the panellists elaborated on the national and international scenarios for economic and technological viability of CCUS for the sector. CSE recommend for switch over to cleaner fuels – in the case of BF-BOF, the use of natural-gas injection or hydrogen to reduce the use of coal along with shifting from coal-based DRI to gas-based completely which would have the possibility to further transform to hydrogen-based DRI production. It recommended increase of scrap use – better implementation of vehicular and steel scrap policies to generate more scrap along with increasing the amount of recycled steel in production to its optimum in both production technologies. Industries need to implement carbon capture utilisation and storage in the BF-BOF route to bring down coal- based emissions. It recommended to organise the finance – a switchover to new fuels and technologies would require finance. The government and steel industry should work towards a combined proposal for international climate finance. Speaking on the occasion, Ruchika Govil from the ministry of steel said that the ministry has welcomed CSE’s recommendations, and is willing to work with CSE to make the steel sector less carbon-intensive. “The bottom line is that it is possible to bend the CO2 curve even for a sector like iron and steel. Countries like India can develop while drastically reducing their GHG emissions. The only question is if the rich world will accept the imperative of climate justice and provide the funds for the technology transformation necessary for a future-ready industry,” said Narain.

ndia’s iron and steel industry capable of emitting less and producing more: CSE

“The iron and steel industry is an emission-intensive sector. Our new analysis shows it is possible to bring down carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from our iron and steel sector drastically by 2030, while more than doubling India’s output of steel. We can emit even less than what we do today. But this will need planning, technology and adequate funds,” said Sunita Narain, director general, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), speaking at a day-long stakeholder workshop organised by CSE here today on ‘Decarbonising India’s Iron and Steel Sector by 2030 and Beyond’. The workshop discussions were based on CSE’s latest report on the subject — Decarbonizing India: Iron and Steel Sector – which gives detailed insights into GHG emissions from the sector and its future emission scenarios (for 2030). Said Nivit Yadav, programme director, industrial pollution, CSE: “The iron and steel sector is a hard-to-abate sector in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; at the same time, it is a critical contributor to the economic development of the country. Globally, the sector accounts for some 7 per cent of total GHG emissions; in India, the sector’s share is 5 per cent (as per the latest Biennial Update Report (BUR) submitted to UNFCCC in 2016).” The workshop navigated the issues of fuel shift, low carbon technology, energy efficiency, increasing generation and usage of steel scrap and carbon capture utilisation and storage for the Indian iron and steel sector. Giving CSE’s opening presentation, Parth Kumar, programme manager, industrial pollution, CSE, said: “Countries like India need to grow and develop at a time when the world is running out of carbon budget to stay below the guardrail of 1.5°C temperature rise. Given the conundrum, the crucial question that we should all ask is how can India ensure the double benefits of reduced emissions and growth? While energy efficiency is a significant low hanging fruit for decarbonisation, we recommend a fuel shift to alternate/cleaner fuels for reducing carbon emissions from the sector. The challenge that lies ahead for us is to make cleaner fuels affordable and available.” Said Yadav: “We need to ensure effective implementation of these policies that would lead to increased generation of good quality steel scrap along with encouraging India’s steel producers to move towards optimum scrap usage in steel production.” As the sector plans to double its production by 2030 with 60-65 per cent production based on coal-intensive technology — blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) — steel players are actively considering the option of carbon capture utilisation and storage. At the workshop, the panellists elaborated on the national and international scenarios for economic and technological viability of CCUS for the sector. CSE’s recommendations for the sector Switch over to cleaner fuels – in the case of BF-BOF, the use of natural-gas injection or hydrogen to reduce the use of coal is recommended, along with shifting from coal-based DRI to gas-based completely which would have the possibility to further transform to hydrogen-based DRI production. Increase scrap use – better implementation of vehicular and steel scrap policies to generate more scrap along with increasing the amount of recycled steel in production to its optimum in both production technologies. Implement carbon capture utilisation and storage in the BF-BOF route to bring down coal-based emissions. Organise the finance – a switchover to new fuels and technologies would require finance. The government and steel industry should work towards a combined proposal for international climate finance.

India’s iron and steel industry capable of emitting less and producing more

“The iron and steel industry is an emission-intensive sector. New analysis of CSE shows it is possible to bring down carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from our iron and steel sector drastically by 2030, while more than doubling India’s output of steel. We can emit even less than what we do today. But this will need planning, technology and adequate funds,” said Sunita Narain, director general, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), speaking at a day-long stakeholder workshop organised by CSE here today on ‘Decarbonising India’s Iron and Steel Sector by 2030 and Beyond’. The workshop discussions were based on CSE’s latest report on the subject -- Decarbonizing India: Iron and Steel Sector – which gives detailed insights into GHG emissions from the sector and its future emission scenarios (for 2030). The speakers and participants included – besides Narain – Ruchika Chaudhry Govil, additional secretary, Union ministry of steel, Government of India; Richa Sharma, additional secretary, Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change, Government of India; Parmjeet Singh, additional industrial advisor, Union ministry of steel, Government of India; Andrew Purvis, director, World Steel Association; and some top industry representatives. Said Nivit Yadav, programme director, industrial pollution, CSE: “The iron and steel sector is a hard-to-abate sector in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; at the same time, it is a critical contributor to the economic development of the country. Globally, the sector accounts for some 7 per cent of total GHG emissions; in India, the sector’s share is 5 per cent (as per the latest Biennial Update Report (BUR) submitted to UNFCCC in 2016).” The workshop navigated the issues of fuel shift, low carbon technology, energy efficiency, increasing generation and usage of steel scrap and carbon capture utilisation and storage for the Indian iron and steel sector. Giving CSE’s opening presentation, Parth Kumar, programme manager, industrial pollution, CSE, said: “Countries like India need to grow and develop at a time when the world is running out of carbon budget to stay below the guardrail of 1.5°C temperature rise. Given the conundrum, the crucial question that we should all ask is how can India ensure the double benefits of reduced emissions and growth? While energy efficiency is a significant low hanging fruit for decarbonisation, we recommend a fuel shift to alternate/cleaner fuels for reducing carbon emissions from the sector. The challenge that lies ahead for us is to make cleaner fuels affordable and available.” Another prominent pathway advocated by CSE in its report is increasing the use of steel scrap. India is making efforts to increase its domestic steel scrap generation through various sources like vehicles, construction, shipping etc, especially with the passage of the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy and the Vehicular Scrappage Policy. Said Yadav: “We need to ensure effective implementation of these policies that would lead to increased generation of good quality steel scrap along with encouraging India’s steel producers to move towards optimum scrap usage in steel production.” As the sector plans to double its production by 2030 with 60-65 per cent production based on coal-intensive technology -- blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) -- steel players are .

High temperatures help make February second cleanest in Delhi since 2016

NEW DELHI: Aided by the early exit of winter, Delhi this year saw its second cleanest month of February since the air quality index was introduced in April 2015. The average AQI during the month was 237, the lowest after 225 in February last year. Though the month didn't see any "good" or "satisfactory" air days, strong winds and high temperatures helped disperse pollutants, experts said. The month saw five "very poor", 13 "poor" and 10 "moderate" air days. There were four "very poor" days in February last year. Strong winds, high temp cleared air in February New Delhi: Temperatures that were generally four to nine degrees above normal played a key role in keeping the air relatively clean this February, which recorded the second best average AQI for the month since 2016. Explaining the meteorological factors behind the comparatively low AQI relatively low this February, a met official said, "The first half of February was windy. The strong winds aided in dispersion of pollutants. The second half of the month saw high temperatures on most days which helped in better ventilation. The temperatures were four to nine degrees above normal on most days." The average AQI of February was highest in 2016 at 291. It was 267 in 2017, 243 in 2018, 242 in 2019, 241 in 2020 and 288 in 2021. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said, "The overall pollution levels are expected to come down in February compared to the peak and average levels in winter. This has also been the warmest February in the past 17 years. The level of pollution concentration is also lesser due to changing meteorology." She added, "This is the time to ramp up action to ensure sustained improvement and reduce dependence on emergency action during winter. Focus on reducing emissions from all key sectors." According to CPCB, January and February 2023 saw 47 days when the AQI was between 301 and 500 (in the "very poor" to "severe" range). Last year, 44 such days were recorded during the same period. An AQI reading of 50 or below is classified as "good", readings between 51 and 100 on the index fall in the "satisfactory" category. Readings between 101 and 200 are considered "moderate". "Poor" air ranges from 201 to 300, "very poor" from 301 to 400 and "severe" from 401 to 500.

MP में हटेंगे 15 साल पुराने वाहन:बाइक हो या कार, फिटनेस नहीं तो कबाड़े में बेचना पड़ेगा; 24 लाख गाड़ियों का रजिस्ट्रेशन खत्म

यदि आपकी बाइक या कार 15 साल से ज्यादा पुरानी हो गई है तो आपको इसे बदलने की तैयारी कर लेनी चाहिए। मध्यप्रदेश सरकार ने 1 मार्च को विधानसभा में बजट पेश करते हुए घोषणा कर दी है कि अगले महीने 1 अप्रैल 2023 से पुराने और कंडम वाहन सड़क से बाहर होने शुरू हो जाएंगे। पहले 15 साल की उम्र पूरी कर चुके सरकारी वाहनों को कबाड़ में भेजा जाएगा। 1 हजार वाहनों की लिस्ट भी तैयार हो गई है। प्राइवेट वाहन चाहें वो बाइक हो या कार, यदि 15 साल की उम्र पूरी कर चुके हैं तो नए रजिस्ट्रेशन के लिए फिर से फिटनेस टेस्ट से गुजरना होगा। फिटनेस में फेल होने पर रजिस्ट्रेशन नहीं होगा। उस गाड़ी को सड़क पर चलाना गैरकानूनी होगा। ऐसे में स्क्रैप ही आखिरी विकल्प होगा। मध्यप्रदेश में 15 साल की उम्र पूरी कर चुकी गाड़ियों की संख्या 24 लाख है। इसमें 16 लाख से ज्यादा दो पहिया वाहन हैं, बाकी गाड़ियों में कार, ट्रैक्टर, बस और ट्रक शामिल हैं। अगले महीने से इन गाड़ियों के लिए उल्टी गिनती शुरू हो जाएगी। पुरानी गाड़ियों के रजिस्ट्रेशन का शुल्क भी सरकार ने अप्रत्याशित रूप से 10 गुना तक बढ़ा दिया है। पुरानी गाड़ी का 15 साल बाद दोबारा रजिस्ट्रेशन भी सिर्फ 5 साल के लिए ही हो सकेगा। इसके बाद फिर वही प्रक्रिया अपनानी होगी। यानी फिटनेस टेस्ट के बाद फिर नए सिरे से रजिस्ट्रेशन कराना होगा। परिवहन विभाग के प्रमुख सचिव फैज अहमद किदवई ने भास्कर से कहा- 15 साल से पुराने सरकारी वाहनों का तो अप्रैल से रजिस्ट्रेशन ही रद्द हो जाएगा। रही बात निजी गाड़ियों की तो नया रजिस्ट्रेशन कराने के लिए पहले फिटनेस टेस्ट कराना होगा। फिटनेस ओके होने पर ही 5 साल के लिए नया रजिस्ट्रेशन होगा। कंपनियों को क्या फायदा होगा? इस समय मोटर वाहन कंपनियों को स्टील एवं कुछ अन्य महंगा मेटल विदेशों से मंगवाना पड़ता है। पिछले साल करीब 23 हजार करोड़ रुपए का स्क्रैप स्टील भारत को आयात करना पड़ा था। इससे प्रोडक्टिव स्क्रैप मिलेगा और मोटर गाड़ी बनाने वाली कंपनियों को कच्चा माल सस्ता मिलेगा। सरकार को क्या होगा फायदा जब लोग पुरानी गाड़ियां स्क्रैप करेंगे और नई गाड़ियां खरीदेंगे तो इससे सरकार को सालाना करीब 40,000 करोड़ रुपए का जीएसटी आएगा। इससे सरकार के रेवेन्यू में बढ़ोतरी होगी। स्क्रैप पॉलिसी के दायरे में 20 साल से ज्यादा पुराने लगभग 51 लाख हल्के मोटर वाहन (एलएमवी) और 15 साल से अधिक पुराने 34 लाख अन्य एलएमवी आएंगे। इसके तहत वे 15 लाख मीडियम और हैवी मोटर वाहन भी आएंगे जो 15 साल से ज्यादा पुराने हैं और इस समय इनके पास फिटनेस सर्टिफिकेट नहीं है। मध्यप्रदेश के अफसरों का कहना है कि यहां भी करीब 1 लाख गाड़ियां स्क्रैप में भेजे जाने लायक हैं, यानी ये गाड़ियां 20 साल से ज्यादा पुरानी हैं। क्या इलेक्ट्रिक व्हीकल को फायदा होगा? ई-व्हीकल के लिए तेजी से चार्जिंग स्टेशन का नेटवर्क तैयार हो रहा है। ई-व्हीकल की कीमतें और क्वालिटी दोनों ठीक हो रही है। ऐसे में व्हीकल स्क्रैप पॉलिसी से जो वाहन सड़कों से हटेंगे उनमें से एक बड़े वर्ग के इलेक्ट्रिक व्हीकल अपनाने की उम्मीद है। स्क्रैप पॉलिसी की वजह से पुराने वाहन के सड़क से हटने की वजह से प्रदूषण कम होगा। ग्राहक का फ्यूल कॉस्ट घट जाएगा। इस वजह से भारत का क्रूड इंपोर्ट भी कम होगा। नए सिरे से रजिस्ट्रेशन के लिए फिटनेस टेस्ट भी महंगा टू-व्हीलर के लिए अब पहले से 700 रुपए ज्यादा यानी एक हजार रुपए और कार के लिए 4400 रुपए ज्यादा यानी 5000 रुपए फीस चुकाना होगी। यदि आपने समय पर रजिस्ट्रेशन नहीं कराया तो देरी पर टू-व्हीलर पर 300 रुपए, जबकि फोर व्हीलर पर 500 रुपए प्रतिमाह पेनल्टी वसूली जाएगी। इसके अलावा बाइक और कार की फिटनेस जांच के लिए 1 हजार रुपए की फीस अलग चुकाना होगी। इस पॉलिसी का मकसद यह भी है कि पुराने वाहन चलन से बाहर हों, जिससे प्रदूषण में कमी आए। सबसे ज्यादा फीस फिटनेस में ली जाएगी। भारी वाहन का जो फिटनेस अब तक 800 रुपए में होता था, अब उसके लिए 13 हजार 500 रुपए देने होंगे। इसमें एक हजार रुपए फीस और 12 हजार 500 रुपए फिटनेस ग्रांट फीस के लगेंगे। 3 साल में दिल्ली से आने वाली गाड़ियों की संख्या बढ़ी 3 साल में दिल्ली से आने वाली गाड़ियों की एनओसी (अनापत्ति प्रमाण पत्र) की संख्या लगातार बढ़ी है। 2020 में 353 गाड़ियों की एनओसी आई। 2021 में यह संख्या बढ़कर 1257 हो गई। 2022 में नवंबर तक ही 1764 गाड़ियों की एनओसी आ चुकी है। ये वो नंबर है जो सरकारी रिकॉर्ड में दर्ज हैं। ऑटो डीलर्स के अनुसार दिल्ली से आने वाली गाड़ियों की संख्या इससे 10 गुना ज्यादा है। इधर, प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड की रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक भोपाल व इंदौर में दो साल में 250% से ज्यादा प्रदूषण बढ़ गया है। स्क्रैप में जिस गाड़ी के 50 हजार मिलेंगे, उसके यहां 2 लाख एमपी नगर जोन-1 में कार बाजार के संचालक बृजेश तिवारी कहते हैं कि खरीदार कम कीमत की गाड़ियां चाहते हैं, डिमांड ज्यादा होने से दिल्ली में कंडम घोषित गाड़ियां ज्यादा आ रही हैं। मप्र में सख्ती नहीं है, बगैर रजिस्ट्रेशन के भी यहां गाड़ियां सालों तक चलती रही हैं। मप्र में वाहन डिस्पोज नहीं हुए, 40 साल से दौड़ रहे भोपाल में पर्यावरण पर काम कर रहे वैज्ञानिक सुभाषचंद्र पाण्डे कहते हैं कि एयर पॉल्यूशन में भोपाल और इंदौर की स्थिति ठीक नहीं है। जब से मध्यप्रदेश बना है, तब से यहां कोई वाहन डिस्पोज नहीं हुआ। पुराने भोपाल में तो ऐसे वाहन चल रहे हैं जो 40 साल पुराने हैं। हवा की बिगड़ती क्वालिटी को देखते हुए सुप्रीम कोर्ट के आदेश पर मध्यप्रदेश के भोपाल, इंदौर, देवास, ग्वालियर, उज्जैन, जबलपुर और सागर को नेशनल क्लीन एयर प्रोग्राम में शामिल किया गया है। आप सोच रहे होंगे कि ऐसा करना क्यों जरूरी इसके लिए आपको बीते सालों में मध्यप्रदेश के शहरों में बढ़ रहे प्रदूषण का ये चार्ट जरूर देखना चाहिए। यही वो वजह है, जिससे सरकार को ऐसा करना पड़ रहा है। शहरों में बढ़ती गाड़ियों की वजह से प्रदूषण की रफ्तार बढ़ रही है। चिंताजनक बात ये है कि साल दर साल ये खतरनाक होती जा रही है। पुरानी गाड़ियां इस प्रदूषण की सबसे बड़ी वजह है। डीजल गाड़ियों के धुएं के कण से सबसे ज्यादा नुकसान सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एन्वायर्नमेंट (सीएसई) की एग्जीक्यूटिव डायरेक्टर अनुमिता रॉय चौधरी कहती हैं कि वाहनों से होने वाला प्रदूषण फेफड़ों के लिए बहुत नुकसानदायक है। सीएसई के सीनियर मैनेजर अविकल सोमवंशी कहते हैं कि डीजल-पेट्रोल वाले पुराने व्हीकल प्रदूषण का बड़ा कारण होते हैं। डीजल के धुएं से हो रहा प्रदूषण कार्सेनोजोनिक होता है। ज्यादा समय तक इसका असर रहने से कैंसर भी हो सकता है। पेट्रोल का प्रदूषण भी टॉक्सिक होता है। पीएम 0.25 के कण कई बार सड़क की धूल-मिट्‌टी से भी आते हैं, लेकिन ये शरीर को बहुत ज्यादा हानि नहीं पहुंचाते। डीजल गाड़ियों के धुएं से निकले महीन कण बहुत नुकसानदेह है। शाम 6 से 8 के बीच वाहनों के धुएं में सबसे ज्यादा प्रदूषण सीएसई के मुताबिक मप्र के सभी शहरों में वायु प्रदूषण के लिए गाड़ियों का धुआं मुख्य वजह है। शाम 6 से रात 8 बजे के बीच नाइट्रोजन डाई ऑक्साइड (NO2 ) की मात्रा काफी बढ़ जाती है। ग्वालियर में दोपहर की तुलना में शाम 6 बजे NO2 का स्तर पांच गुना ज्यादा बढ़ जाता है। वहीं भोपाल, इंदौर और जबलपुर में यह 2.5 से 4.3 गुना ज्यादा होता है। इंदौर में शाम को बढ़ा हुआ NO2 का स्तर आधी रात तक बढ़ा हुआ रहता है, इसकी वजह यहां रात में ट्रकों का मूवमेंट बढ़ना है।

As The Financial Capital Struggles Through Severe Air Quality, BMC Convenes High Level Meeting To Devise Strategies For Pollution Control

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) held a meeting involving relevant departments to develop a plan of action, for addressing the issue of air pollution in the city. The meeting was chaired by Sanjeev Kumar, additional municipal commissioner (environment), who directed the officials to ensure that contractors comply with the Environment Protection Act (EPA) 1986 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981.

India’s iron and steel industry capable of emitting less and producing more: CSE

“The iron and steel industry is an emission-intensive sector. Our new analysis shows it is possible to bring down carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from our iron and steel sector drastically by 2030, while more than doubling India’s output of steel. We can emit even less than what we do today. But this will need planning, technology and adequate funds,” said Sunita Narain, director general, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), speaking at a day-long stakeholder workshop organised by CSE here today on ‘Decarbonising India’s Iron and Steel Sector by 2030 and Beyond’. The workshop discussions were based on CSE’s latest report on the subject — Decarbonizing India: Iron and Steel Sector – which gives detailed insights into GHG emissions from the sector and its future emission scenarios (for 2030). The speakers and participants included – besides Narain – Ruchika Chaudhry Govil, additional secretary, Union ministry of steel, Government of India; Richa Sharma, additional secretary, Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change, Government of India; Parmjeet Singh, additional industrial advisor, Union ministry of steel, Government of India; Andrew Purvis, director, World Steel Association; and some top industry representatives. Said Nivit Yadav, programme director, industrial pollution, CSE: “The iron and steel sector is a hard-to-abate sector in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; at the same time, it is a critical contributor to the economic development of the country. Globally, the sector accounts for some 7 per cent of total GHG emissions; in India, the sector’s share is 5 per cent (as per the latest Biennial Update Report (BUR) submitted to UNFCCC in 2016).” The workshop navigated the issues of fuel shift, low carbon technology, energy efficiency, increasing generation and usage of steel scrap and carbon capture utilisation and storage for the Indian iron and steel sector. Giving CSE’s opening presentation, Parth Kumar, programme manager, industrial pollution, CSE, said: “Countries like India need to grow and develop at a time when the world is running out of carbon budget to stay below the guardrail of 1.5°C temperature rise. Given the conundrum, the crucial question that we should all ask is how can India ensure the double benefits of reduced emissions and growth? While energy efficiency is a significant low hanging fruit for decarbonisation, we recommend a fuel shift to alternate/cleaner fuels for reducing carbon emissions from the sector. The challenge that lies ahead for us is to make cleaner fuels affordable and available.” Another prominent pathway advocated by CSE in its report is increasing the use of steel scrap. India is making efforts to increase its domestic steel scrap generation through various sources like vehicles, construction, shipping etc, especially with the passage of the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy and the Vehicular Scrappage Policy. Said Yadav: “We need to ensure effective implementation of these policies that would lead to increased generation of good quality steel scrap along with encouraging India’s steel producers to move towards optimum scrap usage in steel production.” As the sector plans to double its production by 2030 with 60-65 per cent production based on coal-intensive technology — blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) — steel players are actively considering the option of carbon capture utilisation and storage. At the workshop, the panellists elaborated on the national and international scenarios for economic and technological viability of CCUS for the sector. CSE’s recommendations for the sector Switch over to cleaner fuels – in the case of BF-BOF, the use of natural-gas injection or hydrogen to reduce the use of coal is recommended, along with shifting from coal-based DRI to gas-based completely which would have the possibility to further transform to hydrogen-based DRI production. Increase scrap use – better implementation of vehicular and steel scrap policies to generate more scrap along with increasing the amount of recycled steel in production to its optimum in both production technologies. Implement carbon capture utilisation and storage in the BF-BOF route to bring down coal-based emissions. Organise the finance – a switchover to new fuels and technologies would require finance. The government and steel industry should work towards a combined proposal for international climate finance. Speaking on the occasion, Ruchika Govil from the ministry of steel said that the ministry has welcomed CSE’s recommendations, and is willing to work with CSE to make the steel sector less carbon-intensive. “The bottom line is that it is possible to bend the CO2 curve even for a sector like iron and steel. Countries like India can develop while drastically reducing their GHG emissions. The only question is if the rich world will accept the imperative of climate justice and provide the funds for the technology transformation necessary for a future-ready industry,” said Narain while concluding the workshop.

John F. Kerry, US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, to Address CERAWeek by S&P Global 2023 in Houston

The United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John F. Kerry, will address delegates at the 41st annual CERAWeek by S&P Global, March 6-10 in Houston. The first-ever Principal to sit on the U.S. National Security Council entirely dedicated to climate change, Mr. Kerry previously served as the 68th U.S. Secretary of State and as a U.S. Senator representing Massachusetts. "We are pleased again to welcome Secretary Kerry among the distinguished speakers at CERAWeek by S&P Global," said Daniel Yergin, Vice Chairman of S&P Global and conference chair. "At a time when geopolitics are reshaping the global energy landscape like never before and concerns for energy and climate security are at the forefront, his knowledge and experience at the epicenters of international politics and global climate diplomacy will be a timely and important contribution to the critical dialogues taking place at this year's conference." Sec. Kerry will join the world's energy industry leaders, experts, government officials and policymakers, as well as leaders from the technology, financial and industrial communities addressing this year's conference. CERAWeek 2023: Navigating a Turbulent World: Energy, Climate and Security will examine how a new era of global uncertainty and change is reshaping challenges and opportunities for the energy transition. The conference will explore strategies and solutions for reducing emissions while meeting growing energy demand—all as the world grapples with shifting geopolitics, economic uncertainty and the upheaval of war. The CERAWeek 2023 conference program will explore key themes related to: The Energy Trilemma: Balancing security, transition and affordability Geopolitics and Geoeconomics: An era of volatility Competitive Landscape, Technology and Innovation Financing the Energy Future: The capital transition Supply Chains, Commodity Markets and Energy Transition Future Workforce: Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and next-generation skills The week-long event will also include the CERAWeek Innovation Agora, serving as the center of technology and innovation programming at the conference. Featuring a community of thought leaders, technologists, start-ups, investors, academics, energy companies and government officials, the Innovation Agora will showcase transformational technology platforms in the energy space ranging from digitalization, AI, cybersecurity, analytics and connectivity, robotics, blockchain, additive manufacturing, mobility and decarbonization technologies. The 2023 program will also feature expanded "Agora Hubs"—dedicated areas focused on hydrogen, carbon and climate. CERAWeek 2023 speakers will include (partial list): Jennifer Granholm – Secretary of Energy, U.S. Department of Energy Bernard Looney – CEO, bp Pedro Pizarro – President and CEO, Edison International Patrick Pouyanné – Chairman of the Board and CEO, TotalEnergies Vicki Hollub – CEO, Occidental Petroleum John Podesta – Senior Advisor for Clean Energy and Implementation and Chair of the National Climate Task Force, The White House Amin H. Nasser – President and CEO, Saudi Aramco Ryan Lance – Chairman and CEO, ConocoPhillips Hon. Lisa Murkowski – United States Senator, Alaska Mike Wirth – Chairman of the Board and CEO, Chevron Anders Opedal – President and CEO, Equinor Wael Sawan – CEO, Shell Hon. Joe Manchin – United States Senator, West Virginia Douglas Peterson – President and CEO, S&P Global Adam Selipsky – CEO, Amazon Web Services (AWS) David M. Rubenstein – Co-Founder and Co-Chairman, The Carlyle Group H.E. Haitham Al Ghais – Secretary General, OPEC H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber – Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology; Special Envoy for Climate Change, United Arab Emirates; Group CEO and managing Director, ADNOC Meg O'Neil – CEO and Managing Director, Woodside Energy Dr. Fatih Birol – Executive Director, International Energy Agency Claudio Descalzi – CEO, Eni Josu Jon Imaz – CEO, Repsol Meg Gentle – Executive Director, HIF Global Hon. Andrew Sullivan – United States Senator, Alaska Ernie Thrasher – Founder and CEO, Xcoal Energy and Resources Jose W. Fernandez -- Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment, U.S. Department of State John Ketchum – Chairman, President and CEO, NextEra Energy Willie L. Phillips – Acting Chairman, U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Jean-Pascal Tricoire – Chairman and CEO, Schneider Electric Miguel Stilwell de Andrade – Chairman of the Executive Board of Directors, EDP Zoe Yujnovich – Upstream Director, Shell Barbara Burger – Senior Advisor, Lazard Christian Bruch – President and CEO, Siemens Energy Richard Adkerson – Chairman of the Board and CEO, Freeport-McMoRan Olivier Le Peuch – CEO, Schlumberger Michael Smith – Chairman, CEO and Founder, Freeport LNG Sunita Narain – Director General, Center for Science and Environment Hon. Michael S. Regan – Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Charif Souki – Executive Chairman of the Board, Tellurian Amos Hochstein – Special Presidential Coordinator, U.S. Department of State Dan Brouillette – President, Sempra Infrastructure, former U.S. Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman – President and CEO, Centrus Energy Ernest Moniz – Founder and CEO, Energy Futures Initiative and former U.S. Secretary of Energy Felipe Bayón – CEO, Ecopetrol S.A. Walter Isaacson – Leonard Lauder Professor of American History and Values, Tulane University