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Analysing the state of India’s environment

At an event, which has over 60 journalists participating from across India, Mr Bhupender Yadav, Indian Union minister of environment, forests and climate change, released Down To Earth’s Annual State of India’s Environment Report 2022. Speaking at an annual conclave of journalists organised by Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) called the Anil Agarwal Dialogue last week, Mr Yadav said, “Reducing consumption and forming a self-restrained society is the only way that we can live with nature harmoniously.” The SoE 2022 report, published every year by Down To Earth, is a comprehensive documentation of the year’s major developments and happenings in a wide range of subjects and issues — ranging from climate change, waste management, and the pandemic to air and water pollution, industrial contamination and food. The report has a comprehensive set of infographics and statistical analysis of how India’s states are faring in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Mr Yadav highlighted three extremely critical issues that confronts the nation today — climate change, desertification, and the sustainability-affordability linkage, according to a CSE press release. He said: “We can change people’s lives by linking affordability with sustainability. We have to link traditional knowledge with scientific temperament; we sometimes are so proud of traditional knowledge that we forget logic. But we have to think of logic and affordability along with tradition to make it work.” Answering questions addressed to him by the assembled journalists, he stressed on the fact that his ministry is keen to have an “open debate on environment”. He said: “Our goals are the same: how to ensure a good life for everybody. We should learn from each other.” Referring to India’s efforts to achieve net zero by 2070, the minister pointed out that since emissions from the energy sector were the highest, the government was putting more emphasis on it. He said: “By 2030, we plan to have 500 GW from renewable energy. Railways will be electrified by 2030 — that will reduce 80 billion tonnes of emissions. We also plan to employ LED bulbs at a large scale, which can reduce 40 billion tonnes of emissions. We are also focussing on hydrogen. If we can make hydrogen sustainable and affordable, we can bring big changes in the world.” Talking of global climate negotiations and India’s position, he said that environmental negotiations “is not about give and take — it is about saving humanity. The developed nations must take historic responsibility and consider what their ancestors have done in the past.” The 2022 report states that India is behind on at least 17 key government targets that have a deadline in 2022 and the slow progress made so far means that the deadlines are unlikely to be met. CSE director general Sunita Narain said, “In the last two years, the world has seen disruption at a scale not seen before. Both COVID-19 and climate change are the result of our ‘dystopian’ relationship with nature — call this the revenge of nature…COVID-19 happened because humans had broken the barrier between wild habitats and the way humanity produced its food. Climate change was the result of emissions needed for economic growth.” “Both are also linked and are being exacerbated because of our mismanagement of health systems and the environment…India needs to act in its own self-interest. Our climate change strategy has to be based on the principle of co-benefits — we will do something for climate change because it is good for the world, but also because it is good for us… We need a low-carbon strategy for every sector; we must also ask the developed world to pay for and give us the high-cost options so that we can leapfrog,” she added. After a pandemic-induced hiatus of almost two years, the Dialogue brought together journalists and environmental experts from all over India, as pointed out in the CSE press release. It focussed on the twin challenges of the pandemic and climate change. It had sessions on viruses in our environment; the COVID-19 pandemic and what lessons it offers us for the future; climate change and extreme weather events; how should India chart its energy roadmap to meet its climate commitments; the latest IPCC report on adaptation; climate change and urbanisation; electric mobility; the state of India’s forests; the agriculture-biodiversity-livelihood-nutrition connections; biodiversity and the Great Extinction; amendments to the Biodiversity Act; and the human impacts of climate change (as witnessed in the large-scale migration across the world).

All air pollution hotspots in NCR districts to be converted to green spots: CM Khattar

Gurugram: Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said Monday that all air pollution hotspots in the national capital region (NCR) districts of Haryana will be converted to “green spots” to fight air pollution Gurugram: Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said Monday that all air pollution hotspots in the national capital region (NCR) districts of Haryana will be converted to “green spots” to fight air pollution. In Gurugram, the state pollution control board has identified 18 areas as hotspots for vehicular air emission and traffic congestion. “After Delhi, these are the most polluted areas. We have taken several initiatives to monitor air quality in the NCR districts, one of which is installing 21 of the state’s 29 Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations here. We are also working to reduce crop burning incidents in Haryana. We have identified pollution hotspots in all these districts, and plan to convert them into green spots,” said Khattar. The chief minister made the announcement while speaking at the inaugural session of the two-day Dialogue Towards Clean Air initiative organised in Gurugram by the Commission for Air Quality Management and Union environment ministry. The event was inaugurated by Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav. Khattar said that some of the measures the government plans to take to convert air pollution hotspots into “green spots” are plantation, road topping, regulation of industrial emissions, control of vehicular pollution, and management of construction and demolition waste and solid waste. According to government officials, of the 22 districts in Haryana, 14--more than 60% of the state--are situated in the NCR. The chief minister also said the government has already put out a policy mandating the installation of online emission monitoring devices in all red category industries in the NCR districts to control industrial pollution. These devices are connected to the servers of the Central Pollution Control Board and Haryana State Pollution Control Board where officials track emission data every day. Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav said to address the issue of pollution in the NCR, authorities must focus on city-specific plans. “The Aravalli range protects the NCR and there is a need to work towards protecting its ecosystem. We also have to work towards dust management by promoting plantation while making micro action plans. We have to increase green areas in schools and urban areas,” said Yadav. Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager for sustainable cities, Centre for Science and Environment, said, “Plantation activities to increase greenery in urban spaces, or dust control measures, can definitely help reduce PM10 levels, but what we are dealing with is finer particles like PM2.5, and other pollutants such as ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide. These come from combustion and vehicular emissions, and are critical because they cause the most damage to health. To control this, there needs to be a concrete plan to control emissions from combustion sources and increase public transport. Bringing down PM10 levels is good, but to benefit public health, PM2.5 levels need to controlled.”

Molecules, Electrons, and Moonshots: Opening Day at CERAWeek

CERAWeek is back, live and in full force for its 40th anniversary this week. As usual, the conference started with an impressive lineup of heads of state and multinational corporations. Kicking off this year was the Hon. John Kerry, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. Setting the stage, Kerry noted that while we have made progress in getting 12 of the top 20 carbon emitter countries to sign net zero goals, we still have a long way to go. He pointed out that the effects of 1.2 degrees are impacting us now, with 5 million people per year facing extreme heat and the potential for 100M or more climate refugees in the future if we don't start seeing meaningful change. He cited huge investments that are already underway - over a trillion dollars in new energy development and $50B in startups in areas, such as carbon capture and hydrogen. Daniel Yergin, Vice Chairman, IHS Markit and Hon. John Kerry, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate The Dual Challenge Kerry noted the key goals we need to think about up front: "abundant energy, clean energy and access to energy." This is a significant problem in practice, especially for developing nations, as noted by another CERAWeek speaker, Sunita Narain, Director General, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in India, who stated some stark facts: One-third of the world's households still use dirty fuel for essentials such as cooking. She also claimed that "the world has run out of carbon space and used most of its 2030 carbon budget already. Meanwhile, 70% of this carbon budget is being claimed by 30% of world population." However, she said, "the other 70% of world population has the right to grow, the right to energy. We can't tell 70% of world's people go disappear, that we ran out of cake and the party is over." This challenge was echoed by several presentations that followed. Tengku Muhammad Taufik, President & Group Chief Executive Officer, PETRONAS noted that "emerging economies need reliable, safe, clean energy to grow." Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman of the Board & Chief Executive Officer, TotalEnergies, stated that it is imperative to "get people out of poverty in a sustainable way." Near Term Approaches With the gauntlet thrown down, there are numerous areas that companies can address in the near term. Darren Woods, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Exxon Mobil Corporation noted that often people focus on oil and gas as a challenge, whereas the real challenge is emissions associated with combustion of oil and gas. He noted that Exxon "runs some of the most efficient refineries." He pointed out as well that given we still need to make the refined products, as demand doesn't go away, it is better to run them through refineries that are the most efficient. He also noted that Exxon is focused on projects that both increase production and reduce emissions. That said, he ceded that more technology is still needed. That is why Exxon introduced low carbon business - to eventually enable new technologies at scale. Daniel Yergin, Vice Chairman, IHS Markit noted Exxon's "preference is to work with molecules versus electrons." Electrifying Opportunities The role of electrification and the grid is another hot topic at CERAWEEK. John Hess, Chief Executive Officer, Hess Corporation noted that our goals need to focus not just on how to decarbonize fuel, but also on how to make the electric grid more stable. Kerry cut to the chase on the US: "We need to address our non-existent grid. We can drive a rover around Mars but can't send an electron from California to New York." Narain emphasized the need to have decentralized grid options in developing markets. For example, the ability to support mini grids in more remote villages. Beyond the grid, the important role of electrification in the process industry was also called out. Woods noted that in the Permian Basin, their efforts on sustainability start with "electrifying our operations. Changing the equipment out. Putting in more electrification." The Road to Successful Action The good news is that the economics are also starting to tip in favor of renewable energy. From the latest IHS Markit Top 10 Cleantech Trends for 2022: "Renewables are already the cheapest source of new power generation in most markets across the world. Cost declines due to technology evolutions and rapid policy advancements have triggered new investments, leading to further capacity additions and price drops." In practical situations, we saw this sentiment as well from CERAWeek speakers. Pouyanné noted that renewables "can be profitable" and that "when you have a good business you will find bankers." Jose W. Fernandez, Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, United States Department of State, also raised the point that there does not have to be an either/or decision between clean energy and creating jobs. He noted that by 2030 there will be four times more jobs (25 million) created, as opposed to those lost, as we all try to keep up with the energy transition. With this will come a need to retrain and invest in the workforce. Meanwhile, the Hon. Iván Duque Márquez, President, Republic of Colombia, noted that creating the right environment is critical. He stated that "if you build it, they will come," noting that the right government incentives, transparency and certainty are critical to the process. The reforms he put in place in Colombia have expanded projects dramatically, and significantly boosted the percentage of nonconventional energy from 0.2% to 20% in Colombia, earning him recognition as "the energy innovation president." With all the discussions, despite the enormous task ahead, there is hope. Kerry noted that "we have done these levels of breakthroughs with space travel and with vaccines," so we can do it here and continue to make significant progress. Personally, I look forward to hearing more about this in the days ahead at CERAWeek.

A sustainable tomorrow: By women, for everyone

Today everyone is getting a first-hand experience of climate change repercussions and its impact on Mother Earth. While the world has been plunged into a pernicious pandemic, scientists and researchers continue to raise the alarm that climate change is one of the greatest threats to the global population in recorded history. As per World Meteorological Organization, if the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are to be achieved by the 2030 target, the risks posed by human-induced climate change must be understood and addressed. Nations continue their ongoing conversations on ways to salvage the environment amidst the fast-paced climate change. The question arises – ‘What’s the next step?’ Countries are finally calibrating their policies and aligning with the larger goals for a sustainable future. Ireland in 2021 for example, signed its Climate Action Act into law, making it legally binding and providing a frame of reference for achieving international and EU climate targets. This law intends to demonstrate a path to net-zero emissions by 2050 and a 51% contraction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. According to the UN Environment Program's Emission Gap Report, India is one of the major countries to be on track to accomplish its goals set out in The Paris Climate Agreement. India’s agenda is to reduce the volume of carbon emissions emitted for every unit of GDP — by around 35% by 2030. Climate change is an inconclusive phenomenon that affects the entire globe, its ramifications affect certain people and places more than others. According to the World Bank, women are more likely than men to succumb during and in the upshots of disasters, and women’s socio-economic marginalization proliferates their vulnerability after a natural calamity. The UN research elucidates that 80% of people displaced by climate change are women. Perhaps more than any other global challenge, climate change emphasizes both our interdependency and the urgency for cross-sector association and the full participation of women. Women in developing countries are usually the first to react to managing natural resources. To find sustainable solutions, it is crucial to understand the important contributions of women as caregivers, stakeholders, decision-makers, and educators across all sectors and societies. Rachel Kyte, Sunita Narain, to name a couple, are already working towards advocating climate change and devising deep-rooted solutions in their respective capacities. Amidst all of these ongoing climate change conversations, Covid-19 also shed light on the dynamism women can have in leadership roles. Data also shows that Covid-19 mortalities were much lower in countries and states with female leaders. This brings forth a very important question – Should women lead the battle to tackle climatic concerns? To a certain extent, the environmental movement, as we are aware of today, was pioneered by women. Rachel Carson’s influential bestseller, “Silent Spring”, motivated a generation of foundation action for the earth, finally leading to the founding of Earth Day. As per records available with the Goldman Environmental Prize, or the ‘Nobel Prize’ for the environment, approximately 60% of more than 200 prize winners are women. Gender equality is becoming a key discussion at climate change conferences and summits like Programme of Action on Gender, The Paris Agreement, Gender Action Plan, etc. On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2022, the United Nations came up with a theme of “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow” which is aligned with the predominant theme for the upcoming 66th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66): “Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes”. It is human nature to want to do something when we hit rock bottom—especially one as complex as climate change. Although the most effective steps we can take to combat climate disasters must happen at the grassroots level, it’s time to make this process more inclusive and uplift women’s role in the process. We have the power to effect change as a citizen, a consumer, and an employee or employers and every effort by each one of us counts.

Chasing the mirage

Much of the discourse around tackling climate change is directed towards convenient solutions that may not even exist As I write this, the world is busy with its usual shenanigans. On the one hand, the omicron wave is ebbing but we still cannot breathe; nobody is clear what new variant will emerge next and how soon. On the other hand, big nations are on to their usual war games — flexing their muscles and showing off military might. And amid all these, the news on weather disasters have been pushed to small columns in the last pages. This is despite the fact that 2021 was the year of climate change impacts. It was the hottest on record; it was the year when tropical cyclones got more unpredictable, more intense and devastating. We also know that next year will be worse. We in India find that our lifeline — the monsoon — is becoming so erratic and so extreme that we do not know if we should rejoice or cry at its arrival. The extreme weather events are becoming so frequent that there is no way people can cope — it is breaking their backs. Down To Earth in this past year has reported on these frequent weather disasters and has found that farmers are losing not one but all of their crops; households are faced with financial ruin brought on by multiple crises rolled into one — the loss of livelihood, health and assets. This is a cycle of devastation that is spiraling out of control. And fast. In a way, 2021 held the mirror up to our misdeeds — our inability to work with nature. I know it is human nature — we are all the same — to look for convenient answers. We avoid the hard changes. But what this continued and systemic disruption should teach us is that "disruption" has to be the way ahead. The only question is if we are willing to embrace it; find the road ahead that will work for all; or keep our heads buried in the sand of meaningless drivel thinking that it will pass off as a solution. Too much time has been "wasted" discussing the need for Net Zero emissions, when it is clear that countries do not even have plans to achieve this. It is based on the premise that some disruptive technologies will emerge that will sequester our emissions and make them go away. Now that the veil has been lifted, another so-called easy answer is being peddled — nature-based solutions, it is called. What it means is that the world will be able to grow enough forests so that its muck can be soaked up. The inconvenient question that nobody wants to talk about is where will these forests be grown? On whose lands? And indeed, even if planting trees is important for the environment and livelihoods of communities who live on these forest lands, will it be even half the answer to the galloping emissions from fossil fuels that are filling up the atmosphere, tipping the scales of nature against us? Then there is another buzzword in the climate corridors — market instrument. It will allow us to use finance to buy our way out of this mess. But once again, we do not want to bite the bullet — it is too inconvenient; too disruptive. We do not want to speak about how markets are the problem and that to be a part of the solution they must work under public policy. Instead of funding high-cost options that will take us to a more secure future, we are working to find the cheapest solution. This is the same strategy that my city uses to handle toxic air pollution. The only effort is to derail action — either by diluting and distracting from the real issue or by blaming somebody else. So, now in Delhi, we are only obsessed with handling dust; construction sites are shut down when pollution goes up. This when we know that dust per se is not a pollutant, but it becomes toxic when coated with combustion particles. So, action should be focused on shutting down the use of coal in the city and its vicinity and on shifting to cleaner fuels; action should be focused on alternatives to vehicles so that we can move people and not cars. But these are inconvenient; difficult to accept, particularly for the middle-class environmentalists who call for "tough" steps on combating air pollution. So, the burden of change has been shifted to dust or to farmers or to somebody who cannot shout out against the loss of their "lifestyle". We have squandered away time finding answers that did not exist, implementing strategies that do not work, or simply burying our heads in the sand. If we do not mend our ways now, let us be clear, nature will keep reminding us that tomorrow will be worse than yesterday. DTE The writer is the Director-General of CSE and editor of DownToEarth. Views expressed are personal http://www.millenniumpost.in/opinion/chasing-the-mirage-470541

WEBINAR CONDUCTED BY BHUPAL NOBLES’ SANSTHAN ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

Udaipur : The department had organized an international level webinar on the theme “Women: Champions In/of the Climate Change.” This webinar was organized on the International Women’s Day2022, by Professor Naresh Bahadur Singh President B.N.U. and Sh. Parbat Singh Rathore Registrar B.N.U. The resource person for the webinar was Mr. Anagh, project head, Bring Back Green Mentor, Green Army International Kerela. Dr. J Pavitha assist.professor Bharat institute of higher education and research Chennai, Tamilnadu. Dr. Sriranjini faculty of management SJBCMS, Mysore university. Dr. Devvrat Sharma associate professor, department of English, SPNKS Govt.P.G. college Dausa, university of Rajasthan Jaipur. Dr. Kamal Singh Rathore, associate professor, faculty of Pharmacy B.N.U. The program started with an opening remark delivered by Dr. Jayshree Singh Assosiate professor, depart.of English B.N.U and convenor as well as organizer of the webinar, followed by welcome address from her. Mr. Anagh introduced the aim and concept of the Green Army International which work towards accelerating opportunities and to help strengthen the climate innovation landscape for women entrepreneurs. Dr. Sriranjini in her presentation put forward the role of women in the conservation of environment.eg. Chipko Movement of India 1970s. She even threw a light on women as resource managers in rural side. How world’s women are the key to sustainable development, peace and security. They are chief resource managers for their families as well as play critical roles in relation to their natural environment. She spoke on the feminist radical ecosystem, which included multiple roles of women, lack of subsistence, system and health, criticism and place of women on a political scale. Discussed how we can improve efficiency of women through Incentives, credit and input access, gender specific knowledge and empowerment effect. She reminded us of the female environmentalists like Gauri Devi, Medha Patkar, Sunita Narain, Maneka Gandhi, Vandana Shiva and so on. The session ended with a round of discussion and vote of thanks by Dr. Jayshree Singh with her beautiful words as I quote her, “today’s webinar was not on women liberators, but on champions to protect and work for climate change by securing opportunity and equality, dignity of labour.

Why Delhi needs to renew focus on tapping solar energy

New Delhi: The capital, which is one of the most polluted cities in the world, still has a long way to go to achieve its clean energy goals and increase its dependency on renewable sources to reduce emissions. Data showed that Delhi saw some increase in the installed capacity last year, but it was a fraction of the ambitious targets set by Delhi government’s solar power policy. As of December 2021, the installed capacity through rooftop solar plants was 221.5 MW against the target of 1,000 MW by 2020 and 2,762 MW by 2022. “Solar energy has a lot of potential in Delhi. The goal is to reduce the dependence on coal-fired electricity and, thus, reduction in greenhouse gas emissions,” said a government report. According to clean energy consulting firm Mercom India, the cumulative rooftop solar power installations as of July 31, 2021 was 184 MW. The installations rose to 201 MW by September 2021. Delhi’s discoms have a renewable power purchase obligation of 10.25% for 2021-22 and 10.5% for 2022-23. While Delhi government is promoting rooftop solar power to promote clean energy and reduce the carbon footprint, the endeavour seems to be lagging due to a slew of reasons. “Residential rooftop solar power is not picking up pace, but booming in the commercial and industrial segment because of the cost implications. Since residential users in Delhi get 200 units free, people are not very interested in solar power. This is a major roadblock,” said Binit Das, deputy programme manager, renewables, Centre for Science and Environment. Das added that higher power purchase agreements were also a roadblock as the city bought clean energy from elsewhere, thereby affecting local targets. “The existing purchase models are not fit for residential purposes in Delhi. Capital expenditure needs large investments. Another model, renewable energy service company, installs the entire setup on rooftops for free and charges for per unit of consumption. But it is done on a large scale (200 KW limit), while normal households are of 3-5KW,” he said. Ashwani Ashok from Power for All, an NGO that works in the energy and renewables sector, said, “Solar power is not doing well across the country, but there is a huge potential. The issues include rise in project cost after Covid-19, higher operational and maintenance cost and lack of funding. There is also dependence on non-indigenous panels. Also, the targets in all cities are ambitious.” Experts, however, stated that while Delhi had issues like limited land resources, during the pandemic many group housing societies were reluctant to let vendors enter their areas. “BSES Rajdhani and Yamuna have been aggressively promoting rooftop solar power in south, west, east and central Delhi. They have energised a record 4,000-plus installations with a connected load of over 120 MW. To realise its full potential, BSES is accelerating rooftop installations, besides adoption of solar power. This is a win-win proposition for both consumers and the discoms. The outreach programme is also educating consumers about the benefits of solar energy,” said a discom official.

Wildlife crimes on the rise, fund allocation on the decline

Even when poaching and other threats to wildlife remain rampant NEW DELHI: Even when poaching and other threats to wildlife remain rampant, the Centre has eaten into the funds released under three of its flagship schemes for wildlife conservation, and analysis from the State of India's Environment 2022 has said. On the one hand, as many as 2,639 leopards and 579 tigers were killed in the last 15 years; on the other, the funding for three of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) schemes for wildlife conservation has shown a decline ranging between 16 and 47 per cent, the 'State of India's Environment 2022' released by the Centre for Science & Environment (CSE) on March 1 has found out. Funding for the development of wildlife habitat, being implemented in 34 states and UTs, went down from Rs 165 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 124 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 87 crore in 2020-21. Similarly, funding for Project Tiger – implemented in 19 states with tiger ranges – went down from Rs 323.2 crore in 2018-19 281.8 crores in 2019-20 to Rs 194.5 crore in 2020-21. Even the Project Elephant – being implemented in 22 states – saw a similar slashing of funds from Rs 29.1 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 28 crore in 2019-2020 to Rs 24 crore in 2020-21. The 'State of India's Environment 2022' report also stated that there has been a 78 per cent increase in the number of environmental crimes in the country between 2019 and 2020. At the same time, the courts are disposing of cases at a rate much lower than that of new cases recorded, leading to pile-ups and delays. Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh accounted for 90 per cent of the environmental crimes. Another cause of worry for wildlife lovers is the increasing instances of human-elephant conflicts that have continued to remain high year after year. As per data from the MoEF&CC from 2014-15 till 2020-2021 (till August 9, 2021), 696 elephants were killed in those seven years. Although the number of human deaths is far more than elephants, the cause of worry about elephants is more for obvious reasons that there are roughly 3,000 elephants left in the wild in India.

Strengthen environmental clearances

First, we need to accept that the system has become unnecessarily convoluted and must be streamlined I wrote in my previous column last fortnight that the bogey of green clearances feeds the false narrative of environment versus development, whereas the reality is these clearances are meant to put a check on mindless and senseless development. Let me explain. A few years ago I was member of a high-level committee, set up to examine the environmental clearances given to hydroelectric projects on the upper course of the Ganga. You could argue that the projects were held up because of forest and environmental clearances, and thus the clearances were an impediment to development. But soon it became apparent that all projects had environmental clearance, albeit with some delay. Once built, these countless, back-to-back projects would not only re-engineer the mighty Ganga, but also dry it up in several seasons. This would make the fragile Himalayas, already at risk because of climate change, more vulnerable to landslides and devastations. The problem was not with hydropower — in fact, this is a clean source of energy, renewable, and a huge resource of the Himalayas — but the mindless way these projects were being planned and given clearance, without paying attention to how many should be allowed and in what condition. So, is this a case of environment versus development, or just wilfully bad development? environment I write this also to reiterate the need for a robust, credible system of environmental scrutiny to find the balance between the environment and development, and to mitigate harm. An effective system, working for environmental integrity, would ensure these happen, both in design and implementation. So, what will make this system more effective? First, we need to accept that the system has become unnecessarily convoluted and must be streamlined. There is a need to consolidate all clearances — environment, forests, wildlife, and coastal — so that the environmental impact assessment (EIA) is comprehensive. In the Budget 2022-23, the finance minister announced a single-window clearance system. But because it is aimed solely at the ease of doing business, it will further dilute this broken system. Therefore, the clearance system needs to be part of a package that simultaneously strengthens systems of public participation and monitoring. Second, the process of public assessment must be deepened. I say this knowing that the task of listening to the community and its objections to the project can become as corrupt and compromised as the other parts of the system. Today, public hearings are held, not heard. We need to see this as a critical process; risks from projects get mitigated when community concerns are heeded and efforts are made to remediate and mitigate fallouts. So, the mandatory videography of any public hearing should be livestreamed. The committee assessing the project must be held to account that it has taken these concerns on board. To enable this, the monitoring and compliance conditions must be put in the public domain, and relayed back to the community. Third, it is necessary to review the role of the environmental assessment committees — at the Centre and in states. These committees are the weakest link in this process because they are faceless and are not responsible for the compliance of the project or its monitoring. It is a farce to say that the experts are independent. In fact, these committees make the government less accountable for the decisions that are taken during the scrutiny of the project. It is time these committees were disbanded and assessment and monitoring were done by the Central and state environment departments, which, in turn, need to be strengthened in terms of expertise. But with this, the list of projects cleared or rejected and their conditions should be made public. Then, the fourth and most critical agenda is to greatly strengthen the process of monitoring the project after clearance. For this, there is a need to integrate the functioning of all agencies — from state pollution control boards to coastal- and forest-related institutions. Currently, there are many agencies and yet enforcement is weak. The focus must be on monitoring for compliance. Otherwise, there is no point in this effort of assessing the impacts of projects. But all this will not work unless the baseline data about the project is credible and, again, publicly available. For this, the process of collecting updated information on different environmental parameters and on the ecological importance of the project site must be strengthened. This data needs to be publicly accessible so that when it is used in the EIA report, its credibility and scientific rigour can be gauged. All this, and more, is possible only if we believe that the process of project scrutiny has a value. Otherwise, these clearances will remain an exercise in futility, and government after government will take it down bit by bit to maintain the charade of environmental protection. The writer is at the Centre for Science and Environment sunita@cseindia.org Twitter: @sunitanar

International Women's Day: six female climate activists that are making a big change.

March 8th 2022 is International Women's Day, and this year the main focus is #BreakTheBias, ending discrimination against women. International Women's Day is a day of protest and activism promoting women's rights, but is also a celebration of women's achievements. To mark the event, we're looking at some inspirational female climate activists who have dedicated their lives to help fight against climate change. Greta Thunberg Over the past four years, Greta Thunberg has become a household name and is possibly one of the most influential climate activists from recent years. At only 15 years old, she started the school strikes for climate by sitting outside the Swedish parliament building every day during school hours for three weeks. This gradually grew as she was joined by more and more people, encouraging students from around the world to strike on Fridays. "The main solution, however, is so simple that even a small child can understand it. We have to stop our emissions of greenhouse gases." - taken from her Davos speech, as quoted in The Guardian. Christiana Figueres Christiana Figueres is the daughter of Costa Rican President Jose Figueres Ferrer, and she's a Costa Rican diplomat. She was appointed Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate (UNFCC) from 2010-2016. Throughout her varied career, she has worked in roles related to climate change, sustainable development, green energy and sustainable land usage. She has received a number of recognitions, honours and awards including the 2019 Dan David Prize for combatting climate change. Figueres has also written a book about tackling the climate crisis, called The Future We Choose, which shows us how we can all help to prevent further devastating changes to the climate. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim People in the Southern Hemisphere are more likely to be negatively affected by climate change, despite not producing as many emissions, than those in the Northern Hemisphere. Activists such as Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim advocate for the inclusion of indigenous peoples in international climate change discussions and agreements, as many indigenous peoples are directly involved in preserving their traditional lands and protecting biodiversity. Ibrahim comes from Chad, which is seeing the effects of climate change first-hand, as Lake Chad has lost around 90% of its surface area over the past 40 years. This is having devastating consequences for the more than 40 million people who rely on the water from the lake. "Every culture has a science. So it's really important for the indigenous voice to be there." BBC's 100 Women Indigenous climate protesters at COP26 Ibrahim has worked with UNESCO and the Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee to create a 3D map of the Sahel desert region in Chad which will help to sustainably manage the environment. Sunita Narain Sunita Narain is an Indian environmentalist and political activist who studies the relationship between sustainable development and the environment. As director general of the research institute for the Centre for Science and Environment, she exposed brands such as Coca Cola and Pepsi for having high levels of pesticides in their drinks. She was named as one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in 2016, as well as receiving numerous other accolades and awards. Yugratna Srivastava "The fact that due to the climate crisis, people are losing their homes and their lives, every moment makes me question the basic principles of justice and drives me to do everything I can." - Go For Climate Despite only being 23 years old, Yugratna Srivastava has been working towards climate justice on an international level for the past 12 years. She was the youngest person to speak before the UN at the age of 13 and demanded immediate action in response to the climate crisis. Srivastava has also served on the global youth board for Plant-for-the-Planet, an organisation which has planted around 14 billion trees globally. Yamide Dagnet Yamide Dagnet is the Director for Climate Justice at the Open Society Foundation and has more than 18 years of experience working in environmental awareness, including being the UK policy lead and negotiator for the UNFCC. She was recognised by the Ecologist as one of the 25 most influential women climate leaders of 2019 for her climate negotiation work. She began her career in chemical engineering, working with BASF, one of the biggest chemical companies in Brazil, where she began a project with local communities to restore unused land. Why tackling the climate crisis is a gender equality issue Women and girls around the world are disproportionately affected by climate change. In many countries, they are often responsible for gathering resources like water and fuel, which have become scarcer due to the climate crisis. At COP26, only two out of the UK's 12 leaders were women, with many other countries following a similar pattern. Despite this, various countries set out gender equality action plans as part of COP26's 'gender day', including the UK vowing to put £165 million of funding into addressing gender inequality and climate change. Organisations such as She Changes Climate are working to make sure all climate negotiations are gender balanced and diverse at the top levels. They held a panel event at COP26, and Good Energy was a supporting partner. Our Founder, Juliet Davenport, was also a signatory to their open letter to the UK government calling for male/female parity among the UK's COP26 leadership team, which kickstarted the campaign. To coincide with International Women's Day 2022, She Changes Climate are releasing a short documentary looking at the work of female climate activists. The short film, also titled She Changes Climate, features a range of activists including Joycelyn Longdon, founder of Climate in Colour, who has previously written a guest blog for us. You can watch the film on Waterbear Network, which is a streaming service for documentaries focused on supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Share this

IPCC report shows nations need to act

About half of the world is vulnerable to the climate crisis, which will hurt the poor disproportionately. Governments must act at the scale and speed that is necessary We know that the world is running out of carbon space, time and options to avert the catastrophic impacts of a warming climate. But what we must also realise is the United Nations (UN) and its scientific body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), are also running out of words to convey their desperate messages to us.

India Slips by three Ranks in Sustainable Development Goals From Last Year: Report

According to a new report, India has dropped three ranks from last year’s 117 to 120 on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals announced as part of the 2030 agenda by 192 UN member states in 2015. With the most recent rankings, India has fallen behind all other South Asian countries, with the exception of Pakistan, which is ranked 129th. Bhutan is ranked 75th, Sri Lanka is 87th, Nepal is 96th, and Bangladesh is 109th in South Asia. The total score for India’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was 66 out of 100. According to the State of India’s Environment Report, 2022, India’s ranking has declined due to substantial issues in 11 SDGs, including zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, gender equality, and sustainable cities and communities. In this context, let us have a look at the key findings of the State of India’s Environment Report 2022. What is State of India’s Environment Report 2022? State of India’s Environment Report is the annual publication of the Centre for Science and Environment, and Down To Earth (magazine). The report focuses on climate change, migration, health and food systems. It also covers biodiversity, forest and wildlife, energy, industry, habitat, pollution, waste, agriculture and rural development. India’s Current standing in meeting its National Targets India had set up a target to grow its GDP to at least $4 trillion by 2022-23. The report states that as of 2020, the economic growth is valued at only $2.48 trillion. It also states that the economy is likely shrunk in the last couple of years amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Foe employment, India targeted to increase the rate of its female labour force participation to at least 30 per cent by 2022-23. It stood at 17.3 per cent in January – March 2020. It was a national target of India to construct 29.5 million housing units under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)-Rural and 12 million units under PMAY-Urban. Only about 46.8% and 38% respectively of the targets under ‘Housing for All’ have been achieved. With regards to the target of providing safe piped drinking water to all by 2022-23, only 45 per cent of it has been achieved so far. One of the ambitious targets of the Indian administration was to double farmers’ income by 2022. While an agricultural household’s average monthly income has risen to Rs 10,218 from Rs 6,426, this rise is mostly owing to increases in wages and income from farming animals. In reality, the share of crop production income in an agricultural household’s average monthly income has decreased, from 48 per cent in 2012-13 to 37.2 per cent in 2018-19. With regards to air pollution, the target was to bring down Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 levels in Indian cities to less than 50 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3). In 2020, when vehicular movement was restricted due to the pandemic, 23 of the 121 cities monitored for PM2.5 exceeded 50 µg/m3. For Solid waste management, the target is to achieve 100% source segregation in all households. The overall progress of this is 78%; and while states like Kerala and Union territories like Puducherry have achieved the target, others like West Bengal and Delhi are woefully behind. Additionally, manual scavenging is targeted for eradication, but India still has 66,692 manual scavengers. India’s target with respect to forest cover was to increase it to 33.3% of the geographical area, as envisaged in the National Forest Policy, 1988. By 2019, 21.6% of India was under forest cover. With regards to energy, India’s target is to achieve 175 GW of renewable energy generation capacity by 2022. Only 56% of this target has been achieved thus far. Performance of the States of India The report has highlighted that Jharkhand and Bihar are the least prepared to meet the SDGs by the target year 2030. Kerala ranked first, followed by Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh in the second position. The third position was shared by Goa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Among the Union Territories, Chandigarh was ranked first, followed by Delhi, Lakshadweep and Puducherry in the second place and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the third.

Expert Avantika Goswami dissects IPCC's latest report: 'Every new piece of hard science about climate change is crucial'

'The mention of mental health being affected by climate change, and the confirmation that the poor are hurt the most, are very positive developments in this report,' says Avantika Goswami. Nations body that takes responsibility for advancing public knowledge about climate change – its causes, potential impacts, and response options. This knowledge is shared through reports that are freely available but the language used is often inaccessible to non-experts. The IPCC has finalised the second part of the Sixth Assessment Report, Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, the Working Group II contribution to this report. The Government of India has welcomed this report, stating that it reflects its own calls for justice and equity at the UN Climate Change Conference [COP26] in Glasgow in 2021. We bring you an interview with climate specialist Avantika Goswami to understand the key takeaways from the latest IPCC report. Goswami is the Deputy Programme Manager, Climate Change and Renewable Energy, at the Centre for Science and Environment in Delhi. She has an interdisciplinary background in climate and economic research, sustainability programme management, and management consulting. She studied at Columbia University in New York. She has worked on projects in India, the US, the UK, Ireland, and the Maldives. Her interests lie at the intersection of climate science and political economy. She focuses on transformative solutions to rapidly reduce carbon emissions while centering climate justice and equity. Excerpts from the interview: What, according to you, are five key takeaways from the newly released IPCC report? The report clearly highlights that about half the world's population is highly vulnerable to climate change. The global hotspots for climate risks are all regions in the Global South — West, Central and East Africa, South Asia, Central and South America and Small Islands Developing States. In fact, the poor are and will continue to be hurt the most in general by climate change. Low-income populations face the largest gap in adaptation action, in terms of what is happening versus what is needed. Every small degree of rise in warming will increase risks. Up to 14 percent of species face a very high risk of extinction at global warming of 1.5C, and this rises to 29 percent at 3C, and 39 percent at 4C. Some of the losses that have been incurred are irreversible — such as retreat of glaciers, and thawing of permafrost, mainly in the Arctic region. Financing for climate change adaptation, and political commitment towards adaptation action are both inadequate, and need to be galvanized urgently so as not to miss the brief window of opportunity available to protect human and planetary health. Could you point out some of the important aspects that have emerged in relation to India and, more broadly, Asia? Broadly, the report reiterates what we already know – that hotter summers are occurring due to climate change and impacts such as loss of food crops, floods, and water scarcity will worsen unless we act now. Agro-based economies like India are particularly vulnerable to threatened food security. The report also mentions that, by the mid-21st century, the international transboundary river basins of Ganges and inter-state Sabarmati river basin "could face severe water scarcity challenges with climate change acting as a stress multiplier." Rice production in India could be affected, potentially decreasing from 10 percent to 30 percent whereas maize production can decrease from 25 percent to 70 percent, for a range of 1-4 degrees C temperature rise. And climate-induced migration is likely to worsen. Already, India saw more than 4 million disaster displacements in 2019 alone. What are some of the points that you were surprised to see in the report? The mention of mental health being affected by climate change, and the confirmation that the poor are hurt the most, are very positive developments in this report. To what extent is this report likely to change things at the policy level, and on the ground in terms of implementation? IPCC publications are extremely valuable since they are collaborative efforts of the leading climate scientists across the world, and are published through multilateral engagements with country governments as well. It's hard to say what kind of change this report will galvanize, since the IPCC has been conducting this process for over 30 years, and we have still failed to rein in runaway climate change. But every new piece of hard science that spreads knowledge about climate change and its impacts is crucial to educate laypeople, and the increasing media attention that these reports are getting these days is a welcome development. India's Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has claimed that this report reaffirms India's call for equity and climate justice at COP26. What do you think, especially since you were representing CSE at COP26, and must have seen some of the robust debates between people from various countries? The argument for loss and damage finance is getting stronger, and this report has helped. That was a key failure of COP26. But it is getting harder for developed countries to shun their responsibility towards the world's poor who are suffering harsh impacts today. Expert Avantika Goswami dissects IPCCs latest report Every new piece of hard science about climate change is crucial Representational image What are some of the solutions and ways forward that the IPCC report recommends? Some of the broad solutions proposed focus on strengthening health systems to reduce the impacts of infectious diseases and heat stress. Harnessing the adaptive strengths of nature, the report recommends measures like agroforestry, the conservation, protection, and restoration of natural forests, and the planting of diverse tree species to withstand climate impacts. Groundwater depletion in agriculture can be combatted by adopting rainwater storage and other water-saving technologies, while food security can be enhanced by adopting stress-tolerant crops and livestock, promoting community-based adaptation that is locally driven, and respecting local and indigenous knowledge systems. All of this brings co-benefits for nutrition, health, and wellbeing. Cities can use nature-based engineering approaches like establishing parks, green corridors, and urban agriculture. Most of these solutions are known, and they obviously point to developing a more compassionate, less extractive relationship with nature, rooted in indigenous knowledge and collective resource management. But it's up to governments to stand up to capital and industry, and harness the political will to make these solutions a reality.

Wildlife crimes on rise in India, fund allocation on decline

Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh accounted for 90% of the environmental crimes. Even when poaching and other threats to wildlife remain rampant, the Centre has eaten into the funds released under three of its flagship schemes for wildlife conservation, an analysis from the State of India's Environment 2022 has said. On the one hand, as many as 2,639 leopards and 579 tigers were killed in last 15 years; on the other, the funding for three of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) schemes for wildlife conservation has shown decline ranging between 16-47 per cent, the 'State of India's Environment 2022' released by the Centre for Science & Environment (CSE) on March 1 has found out. Funding for the development of wildlife habitat, being implemented in 34 states and UTs, went down from Rs 165 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 124 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 87 crore in 2020-21. Similarly, funding for Project Tiger- implemented in 19 states with tiger ranges- went down from Rs 323.2 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 281.8 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 194.5 crore in 2020-21. Even the Project Elephant- being implemented in 22 states- saw a similar slashing of funds from Rs 29.1 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 28 crore in 2019-2020 to Rs 24 crore in 2020-21. The 'State of India's Environment 2022' report also stated that there has been a 78 per cent increase in the number of environmental crimes in the country between 2019 and 2020. At the same time, the courts are disposing of cases at a rate much lower than that of new cases recorded, leading to pile ups and delays. Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh accounted for 90 per cent of the environmental crimes. Human wildlife conflict Another cause of worry for the wildlife lovers is the increasing instances of human-elephant conflicts that have continued to remain high year after year. As per data from the MoEF&CC from 2014-15 till 2020-2021 (till August 9, 2021), 696 elephants were killed in those seven years. Although the number of human deaths is far more than elephants, the cause of worry about elephants is more for obvious reasons that there are roughly 3,000 elephants left in the wild in India. There are 30 elephant reserves across India encompassing 55,000 sq kms area. But 80 per cent of the elephants are outside the protected areas. Elephants, the national heritage animal, are large mammals and need long areas, they need to cross from one habitat to another. "With most of the elephants outside the elephant reserves, they come in contact with human beings and that gives rise to the human-elephant conflict cases," said an official from the Ministry. According to the last count in 2017, there were 29,964 elephants in India. The human-elephant conflict had 83 elephant deaths while 418 deaths in 2014-15; followed by 113 elephants deaths and 469 human deaths in 2015-16; 94 elephant deaths with 516 human casualties in 2016-17 and 105 elephants were killed while 516 humans lost their life in 2017-18. Similarly, in 2018-19, as many as 115 elephants died while it was 457 humans who paid for within the humans in 2019-2020, it was merely 99 elephant deaths as against 585 humans. And last was 87 elephant deaths followed by 359 human deaths. Budget 2022-23 shows higher allocation: The budget announcements this year, however, painted a little different picture. The MoEF&CC received a total of Rs 3,030.00 crore in the budget 2022-23 compared to Rs 2,869.9 crore in 2021-22 and much higher than Rs 2,630.2 crore in 2013-14. The Ministry received Rs 300 crore for 2022-23, increased from Rs 220 crore in 2021-22 for tiger conservation. The allocation is higher from Rs 195 crore in 2020-21, which, in turn was higher from Rs 175 crore in 2014-15.

Delhi adds 690 tonnes plastic waste daily

NEW DELHI: A new report titled ‘State of India’s Environment 2022’ released by Centre for Science and Environment says Delhi generates 689.8 tonnes of plastic waste daily — the highest among India’s metropolitan cities. The NGO analysed data from the Central Pollution Control Board and found the country generated 25,940 tonnes of plastic waste every day. According to the report, Kolkata and Chennai occupy the second and third spot among metropolitan cities for daily plastic waste generation with 429.5 TPD and 429.4 TPD, respectively. Explaining why Delhi generates the biggest volume of plastic waste among the metros, Atin Biswas, programme director, municipal solid waste unit, CSE, said, “The main reason is population density. Delhi’s population has risen over 200% between 1951 and 2001, according to data sourced from NCR Planning Board, government of India. Besides, the municipal solid waste is disposed of with hardly any segregation.” Siddharth Ghanshyam Singh, deputy programme manager, municipal solid waste unit, CSE, said the data on plastic waste generation in metropolitan cities was compiled after analysing CPCB’s latest report published in 2021 pertaining to 2019-20. Singh said, “Waste segregation in Delhi is not as good as in certain pockets of other metropolitan cities. The level of awareness is higher among residents in Mumbai and Bengaluru.” According to the report, India produced 17 million tonnes of plastic in 2018-19 and consumed 18.5 million tonnes in the same period as per industry estimates. “In the last 28 years, our plastic consumption has increased by more than 20 times. As per the industry, the country’s per capita plastic consumption was 13.6kg in 2018-19. With the pandemic prolonging its stay, our per capita plastic consumption is set to witness considerable growth due to the increased use of plastic and single-use products,” said the report. The report said that going by India’s plastic consumption of 18. 5 million tonnes in 2018-19, close to 11 million tonnes (60%) was single-use plastic used primarily by the packaging sector, of which 3.1 million tonnes was taken care of due to its rigid nature and high monetary value and recyclability. The remaining 7.8 million tonnes of plastic waste was what caused the ecological problem and this volume is what needs to be focused on, the report said. The central government has banned 19 single-use plastic items from July 1, including plastic sticks used in balloons, flags, candies, ice cream and ear buds. Also prohibited is thermocol used for decoration, items such as plates, cups, glasses and cutlery, wrapping and packing films used in sweet boxes, invitation cards, cigarette packets, stirrers and plastic banners less than 100 microns in thickness. In its recommendations, the report suggested a uniformity in guidelines on single-use plastic across the states and Union territories. It emphasised that there was a need to push the producers, importers and brand owners (PIBOs) to invest in R&D collectively and come up with sustainable packaging and alternatives to single-use plastic. It also suggested implementation of extended producer responsibility, to not just collect and recycle plastic waste, but also reduce use of plastics in market products.

Delhi: Rain in excess, but Yamuna pollution still rises, says report

NEW DELHI: The record rainfall this January and February did nothing to dilute the pollution in the Yamuna, reveals the monthly status report. In fact, the analysis by Delhi Pollution Control Committee found the water quality worsened from December to February. In January, the city received 88.2mm of rainfall against the normal average of 21.7mm and in February, the precipitation measured 29.7mm, 65% higher than normal. Though the excess rain was expected to result in better flow and dilution of the pollutants, the river actually deteriorated in terms of parameters such as biological oxygen demand (BOD), dissolved oxygen (DO) and faecal coliform. Faecal coliform is found in human excreta contaminating the water. Higher the level higher the presence of disease-causing pathogens in the water. DO measures the presence of life in the water, while BOD is the minimum oxygen required by the river to break and manage the organic matter in the water. While BOD, which should not exceed 3 mg/l, ranged from 2.5 mg/l to 62 in the Yamuna in December, it was worse in January measuring 2-68 and in February at 1.5-70 mg/l. The faecal coliform level also worsened, indicating that sewage and effluent continued to be being discharged into the river. The February analysis showed, as in the previous months, that at the spot where the Yamuna entered the city, DO, BOD and faecal coliform were within permissible limits but were very high at the exit spot. The faecal coliform level at the entry point at Palla was 1,000 MPN/100ml, but when the Yamuna left the city limits at Asgarpur, the faecal level was 2,520 times higher than the maximum permissible limit of 2500 MPN/100ml. The faecal level at Asgarpur in January was 8,40,000 MPN/100ml and in December, 14,00,000 MPN/100 ml. The DO level at Palla was 9.1mg/l at the start of February, but at Asgarpur, it was nil against the minimum requirement of 5mg/l. BOD at the entry was 1.5mg/l and at the exit, 65mg/l against the maximum limit of 3mg/l. Experts feel unabated raw sewage flow into the river is the reason behind the low dilution of the pollutants despite rains in January and February. “Rain should have diluted the pollutants but if it didn’t, it means that a lot of raw sewage made its way into the river. This also explains the high faecal coliform reading,” said Sushmita Sengupta, senior programme manager (water), Centre for Science and Environment. “Only 50% of Delhi’s households are linked to sewage lines, while the sewage from the rest flows through the drains into the Yamuna without being treated. Also, the sewage treatment plants are running at just 60% of their capacity. This needs to be addressed if the Yamuna is to become clean.”