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Why biomass burning needs to be taken head on

New Delhi: Over 630 complaints regarding open biomass burning were addressed by the agencies concerned in the past 12 days. Data compiled by the environment department shows that during the same period, over 1,000 challans were issued to violators for open burning of biomass, garbage and garden or plastic waste. Around 34,486 metric tonnes of biomass/garbage and 10,026 tonnes of plastic waste were collected between October 29 and November 8. As Delhi government begins a campaign against open biomass burning on Thursday, experts said such incidents increased during winter and it was one of the major sources of pollution in the city. A study conducted by Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), which showed the PM2.5 contribution of various sectors to Delhi’s air in winter 2020, stated that emissions from waste burning contributed 8.7% to Delhi’s PM2.5 between October 15 and November 15, 2020. The share of waste burning rose to 10% from November 15 to December 15, 2020 and 9.2% between December 15 and January 15, 2021. Tanushree Ganguly, programme lead, CEEW, said, “Our analysis suggests that biomass burning for heating constitutes a significant share of Delhi’s pollution burden between mid-November to mid-January.” “The Graded Response Action Plan already requires RWAs and individual home owners to provide electric heaters to security staff. Efforts should be made to understand why night shelters that could cater to the homeless run at low occupancy during winters,” added Ganguly. Anju Goel, fellow, earth science and climate change, The Energy and Resources Institute, said, “Biomass is used for cooking or for heating. A Teri study conducted in 2016 said 1.2 lakh households in Delhi-NCR used biomass for cooking. The authorities should ensure an adequate supply of cleaner fuels to reduce the use of biomass for cooking.” According to the Decision Support System developed by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune to forecast the sources of local and regional pollution, the contribution of waste burning to Delhi’s PM2.5 was around 2-3% for the next four days. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, said, “The authorities should strengthen municipal services with focus on 100% collection, segregation and recycling of waste.”

Govt. sprays water, uses boats to clear froth in Yamuna

The Delhi Government, to remove the froth in the Yamuna, sprayed water, used boats and rope to drag it away, and even directed its staff to beat it with sticks on Wednesday. A Government official said the decision was taken at a meeting held earlier this week and many departments were involved in the implementation. Experts, however, said it is not even a temporary solution as removing froth does not improve the quality of water. “This is desperation at its worst. The quality of water does not change even temporarily by removing or breaking up the froth. The Government is just managing the optics. This is a comedy of errors and I don’t know whether to laugh or cry,” said Manoj Misra, convener of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan, a civil society initiative for the river’s rejuvenation. Mr. Misra said frothing happens every year in Delhi and he has been seeing this for about 15 years. “Frothing happens in rivers and drains in other cities too. It is just getting more highlighted in Delhi. The high phosphate content in detergents can majorly cause it,” he said. He further said that it is the river water that is actually toxic. “The froth is not toxic, but the water is. If you come into contact with the froth, it can only cause skin irritation. But there could be problems if you ingest the froth,” he said. Suresh Kumar Rohilla, director of water programme, Centre for Science and Environment, Delhi, said, “This is a temporary solution and it will look good, but it doesn’t address the core issue of cleaning the Yamuna, which we are far away from.” “I think the Government thought that people would go and take a dip in the Yamuna on Chhath Puja and there would be photos of it and it wanted to prevent that. The Yamuna is a sewage canal after the Wazirabad barrage (upstream of Okhla),” he said. Mr. Rohilla said frothing is caused at this time of the year because almost all of the river water is taken for the city’s needs and not much is left and this increases the concentration of pollutants. Under these conditions, chemicals such as surfactants and phosphates, may be even others, cause frothing, he added. Frothing happened mainly near Okhla barrage on Wednesday. At Kalindi Kunj, the Government erected bamboo structures close to the riverbank to separate the froth. The issue has turned political with the BJP attacking the AAP Government over the Yamuna being polluted.

Delhi pollution: AQI improves to enter very poor zone

According to experts, though local meteorological conditions largely remained the same, a slight drop in the speed of wind that is bringing stubble emissions to Delhi has led to this slight improvement in the last 24 hours Delhi’s air quality improved marginally to reach the ‘very poor’ category on Wednesday as the capital recorded an overall air quality index (AQI) of 372 – a drop from Tuesday’s 404, data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed. According to experts, though local meteorological conditions largely remained the same, a slight drop in the speed of wind that is bringing stubble emissions to Delhi has led to this slight improvement in the last 24 hours. Forecasts on Wednesday showed transport-level winds will once again pick up from Thursday onwards, with two days of ‘severe’ air a possibility once again. According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (Safar), winds that transport stubble emissions from Punjab and Haryana to Delhi, are expected to pick up again over the next two days. This likely to deteriorate over the next two days. Though the number of farm fire incidents went up to 5,317 on Wednesday from 3,476 on Tuesday, their share in the overall pollution mix of Delhi stayed at 27%. Gufran Beig, founder and project director at Safar, says a combination of strong transport-level winds, along with calm wind speed over Delhi is likely to see ‘severe’ air again. “If the farm fires remain the same, the share of stubble burning will start increasing again from Thursday as winds from Punjab and Haryana will pick up speed. Meanwhile, Delhi will see calm wind conditions, which will help trap pollutants over the city,” he said. In an analysis done by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on Wednesday, the body said this smog episode is expected to last another two days, with it already matching the first smog episodes of 2018 and 2020 – each of which lasted six days. While very high concentrations of PM2.5 have hogged attention, the levels of gases – ozone, CO or NO2 -- have also remained elevated during this smog episode,” says Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager, Urban Lab, CSE, adding that if conditions do not improve, this smog episode is likely to overtake the 2019 smog episode, which lasted eight days. Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 13.4 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, the lowest so far this season. It was 13.5 degrees on Tuesday. “A gradual drop in minimum temperature is expected over the next seven days, touching 11 degrees Celsius by November 16,” a met official said.

Delhi in grip of season's 1st smog episode, could be longest in 4 yrs: Report

Compared to the first smog episode of previous four years, the current smog has matched the duration of the first smog of 2018 and 2020 season -- both lasted six days New Delhi: The first severe smog episode has hit Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) and is expected to last for another two days, green think-tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said on Wednesday. Even though the seasonal smog in Delhi is intense, the average daily contribution of smoke from farm fires from the middle of October to November 8 has been the lowest in last four years, it said. “Predictably, the season's first episode has been triggered by the combined effect of unfavourable weather conditions (cool and calm winds and inversion), stubble burning and firecrackers," said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, CSE. Compared to the first smog episode of previous four years, the current smog has matched the duration of the first smog of 2018 and 2020 season -- both lasted six days. If conditions don't improve, it might overtake the 2019 smog that lasted eight days, the CSE said. The average intensity of the smog this year so far is 329 microgram per cubic metre per day, which is lower than that of the 2020 smog (by 7 per cent) and 2019 smog (by 3 per cent). It is more intense than the 2018 smog (about 9 per cent). Lingering on of this year's smog for longer duration despite relatively windier local conditions might be due to the lack of pollution control measures in the city, the green think tank said. “While very high concentrations of PM2.5 have hogged attention, the levels of gases – ozone, CO or NO2 -- have remained elevated during this smog episode. Also, the ratio of SO2 to NO2 increased on Diwali night indicating increased pollution load from firecrackers. The PM2.5 concentration on Diwali night (8 pm to 8 am) has been the most intense since 2017," said Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager, Urban Lab, CSE. This analysis is based on the real time data available from the current working air quality monitoring stations in Delhi-NCR and the larger Indo-Gangetic Plain.

Delhi-NCR Gripped by Season’s First Smog Episode, Could be Longest in 4 Years: CSE Report

Lingering on of this year's smog for longer duration despite relatively windier local conditions might be due to the lack of pollution control measures in the city, the green think tank said New Delhi: Raising major concerns about the overall health and well-being of residents, the first severe smog episode has hit Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) and is expected to last for another two days, green think-tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said on Wednesday. Though the seasonal smog in Delhi is intense, the average daily contribution of smoke from farm fires from the middle of October to November 8 has been the lowest in last four years, it said.Also Read - Nehru Place Should Not Become A Slum: Delhi HC Directs SDMC to Give Suggestions on Squatters Management Compared to the first smog episode of previous four years, the current one has matched the duration of the first smog of 2018 and 2020 season — both lasted six days. If conditions don’t improve, it might overtake the 2019 smog that lasted eight days, the CSE said. The average intensity of the smog this year so far is 329 microgram per cubic metre per day, which is lower than that of the 2020 smog (by 7 per cent) and 2019 smog (by 3 per cent). It is more intense than the 2018 smog (about 9 per cent). Also Read - IRCTC Latest News: Ranchi Rajdhani Route Changed From Tomorrow | Check Stoppage, and Other Details As predicted, the season’s first episode has been triggered by the combined effect of unfavourable weather conditions (cool and calm winds and inversion), stubble burning and firecrackers, Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, CSE was quoted as saying. Lingering on of this year’s smog for longer duration despite relatively windier local conditions might be due to the lack of pollution control measures in the city, the CSE added. Also Read - Bank Holiday Alert: Banks to Remain Shut Tomorrow For Chhath Puja in These Cities | Complete List Here “While very high concentrations of PM2.5 have hogged attention, the levels of gases ozone, CO or NO2 — have remained elevated during this smog episode. Also, the ratio of SO2 to NO2 increased on Diwali night indicating increased pollution load from firecrackers. The PM2.5 concentration on Diwali night (8 pm to 8 am) has been the most intense since 2017,” said Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager, Urban Lab, CSE. This analysis is based on the real time data available from the current working air quality monitoring stations in Delhi-NCR and the larger Indo-Gangetic Plain. More points to know for this big story on air pollution in Delhi-NCR this year: On an average, contribution of smoke to Delhi’s daily PM2.5 during middle of October to November 8 has been the lowest in the last four years. So far, it has recorded on an average 12 per cent per day in contrast to 17 per cent per day in 2020, 14 per cent per day in 2019, and 16 per cent per day in 2018 (as reported by SAFAR), the CSE said. If converted to absolute concentrations, the per day contribution of smoke stood at 26 microgram per cubic metre this year so far compared to 35 microgram per cubic metre in 2020, 40 microgram per cubic metre in 2019, and 31 microgram per cubic metre in 2018, it said. However, the peak contribution of smoke to Delhi’s PM level was recorded on 7th November when it hit 48 per cent. This the second highest daily contribution percentage recorded since such estimation was started by SAFAR in 2018. The highest single day contribution percentage has been 58 per cent recorded on November 5, 2018. “The ongoing smog episode is a public health emergency. This requires urgent emergency action on key combustion sources (vehicles, industry, waste burning) and dust sources (construction and roads) to prevent further trapping of pollution when there is no wind to blow this away. We need pollution-source-wise and hotspot-wise status of action,” Roychowdhury said..

While negotiators wrangle at COP26, South Asia chokes in toxic air

Air pollution is a cross-border problem in the northern plains of South Asia that needs to be tackled through regional cooperation, but political will is missing. As delegates from around the world engage in negotiations at COP26, South Asia is shrouded in a thick pall of air pollution. Few other examples show the distance between global ambitions and local challenges so starkly, with a lack of regional cooperation on environmental issues sabotaging chances of progress. In New Delhi, the annual additional pollution brought on by fireworks let off on Diwali, the festival of lights, drove the pollution to dangerous heights last week. But while India’s capital garners the most attention, the problem is wider and deeper in scope. A vast landlocked area from northwest Pakistan through north India all the way to Bangladesh suffers, partly because of geography. For much of the year, warm air rises, taking pollution from the plains with it. But in winter, air cools quickly near the Earth’s surface in low-lying areas surrounded by the higher, colder ranges of the Himalayas. The conditions, called winter inversion, trap cold air near the ground, where it stagnates. As pollutants released by industry, construction and transportation cannot circulate, the air becomes toxic across the region. Local authorities have reacted spasmodically to the crisis. In the cities of Pakistan, there are attempts to restrict the burning of waste and leaves, and shut down brick kilns. Air quality is unhealthy in all the country’s big cities, particularly in the area between the Jhelum and Sutlej rivers, which includes the cities of Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Gujranwala. In India in recent years, the national capital region has adopted a ‘Graded Response Action Plan’, which kicks in when air quality drops below critical thresholds. Kathmandu and New Delhi, along with its satellite cities, have even declared health emergencies in the past few years, shutting schools and institutions, and issuing alerts. Piecemeal action on South Asia’s toxic air However, most efforts to control the severe air pollution in South Asia have been piecemeal, with little or no coordinated action. The problem is pervasive, across provincial and national borders in one of the most densely populated regions of the planet, with multiple cities and innumerable human habitations affected. The extent of the problem overpowers and undermines local action, increasing the vulnerability of the people, experts told The Third Pole. “Managing air quality to keep it below health thresholds requires detailed understanding of when and how pollutants flow across borders and have impacts across borders, as well as regionally coordinated temporary emissions reductions,” said atmospheric scientist Arnico Panday, formerly of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development and advisor to Nepal’s planning commission. “This needs regional modelling, access to data from across the region, and a willingness to cut down domestic emissions in order to reduce the impacts across the border.” “The overarching goal of reducing emissions in the region must follow a coordinated approach,” said Dawar Butt, an air quality expert in Pakistan. Within countries, there are multiple policy dimensions, at the state or provincial level, which — because of their devolved nature — require piecemeal or contextualised interventions, he said. These include industrial estate regulations, thermal power emission standards, petroleum quality standards, vehicle engine specifications, among others. Initially at least, a “non-binding, trust-based cooperation needs to take place at the multilateral level, which agrees on regional goals, and the federal governments then work towards leading the provinces in designing mid- to long-term action plans, which further implement them,” Butt said. Satellite images and emerging scientific evidence show pollution builds up across airsheds that span India and South Asia, said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director at Centre for Science and Environment, a New Delhi-based advocacy group. India needs a regulatory regional framework for air quality management to control the transboundary and upwind and downwind effects of the regional flow of pollutants across states, Roychowdhury said. “When the entire region is covered in a blanket of smog, not only the big cities but also the small urban centres are affected,” she said. “This shows that massive clean-up is needed across the region.” Air pollution in South Asia a transboundary problem The nature of air pollution in South Asia at this time of the year has particular location-specific dimensions. For example, Kathmandu’s air quality is “strongly affected by outside sources, such as farm residue burning, which can cut down visibility to 2-3 km, compared with sparkling-clear mountain views on days when only local sources are present”, Panday said. When the entire region is covered in a blanket of smog, not only the big cities but also the small urban centres are affected. This shows that massive clean-up is needed across the region. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, Centre for Science and Environment A World Bank assessment published in November 2020 identified several critical airsheds with high PM2.5 concentrations in South Asia. These include the west-central Indo-Gangetic plain that extends into Pakistan and the central-east Indo-Gangetic plain that extends into Nepal and Bangladesh. At the policy level, traditional legal approaches remain confined within the boundaries of state, city, or municipal areas, which are simply not enough, experts said, especially when it comes to the seasonal problem of crop stubble burning in Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh in India and Punjab province in Pakistan, which adds to the pollution load significantly in October and November. Butt said part of the problem is self-inflicted. “There is a market for stubble in the Pothohar [north Punjab] plateau region of Pakistan,” he said. “Similarly, the stubble can be used in the cottage industry, as well as biofuel manufacture. If we can assign the right pricing for the value of stubble, it may be enough to pay for its own clearing.” In India, biochemical interventions in the rural areas of Delhi have restricted the practice of burning, and a market is emerging for compacted stubble as biofuel in Punjab and Haryana. However, a lack of coordination among the affected states has hamstrung the efforts. The science of airshed management also needs to evolve. It has to “develop further to understand the upwind and downwind movement of air and subsequent effect of pollution in the region,” Roychowdhury said. Only then we can hope to “build a regional framework for air pollution control”. There is a need to “strengthen regional institutions such as ICIMOD [the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development] and SAARC [the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation] and empower them to be the voice of science”, added Panday. That is easier said than done. What are the real chances of cross-border regional cooperation to tackle the air pollution crisis? Not great, if the experts are to be believed. Political obstacles “The South Asia region remains marred with political crises, which impacts everything from cultural to policy cooperation,” said Butt. “Regionally, this means that we are not moving forward as there are no examples to follow. Some policy interventions have been adopted without understanding specific needs and hence have largely been unsuccessful or ineffective.” Panday is more scathing. The leaders in the region are caught up in political jingoism, he said. “What is needed is for people to rise up and vote for leaders who focus on the main issues that affect long-term wellbeing: climate change and air pollution, rather than playing petty geopolitical games,” Panday said. “At the international level, intergovernmental treaties and agreements on transboundary air pollution like the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, are well known,” said Roychowdhury. Even within countries, many different state jurisdictions have the obligation to meet regional air quality requirements in the developed world, she said. “In Europe, the member states work together to control international air pollution under the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution adopted in 1979.” These are international agreements that are based on non-binding, enabling and flexible mechanisms, she said. South Asian countries can draw lessons for their own efforts. Given the magnitude of the air pollution crisis in South Asia, the time has come for a framework of regional cooperation and obligations based on mutually agreed action plans, including targets with adequate resource support, Roychowdhury said. “We need a comprehensive regional plan,” she said. Airshed approach Policymakers in these countries need to adopt an airshed approach ­— that much is obvious. “A limited understanding exists among policymakers, especially after years of activism and lobbying by researchers and civil society in these countries,” said Butt. “But air pollution is not considered an important enough agenda item because of the perceived economic impact of emission-control policies, and hence, not worth spending political capital on.” Any approach that combines technical understanding along with a method to manage the political costs of implementing collaborative reforms is likely to have more success than awareness alone, he said. “The largest impact is on the Punjab to Delhi belt, which also happens to be one of the most populated areas on the planet,” said Butt. “Therefore, it is no longer only a political issue alone, but also a human rights issue.” “The growing air pollution and public health crisis certainly builds a case for a strong regional framework for mitigating regional pollution,” said Roychowdhury. “The State of Global Air 2020 [report] shows that South Asia is one of the most adversely impacted regions in the world.”

谁在糊弄 谁擅长“甩锅”？看这些国家的减排承诺就一目了然

刚刚庆祝完印度传统节日——排灯节的新德里，迎来了一次超级严重的雾霾。燃放烟花爆竹等庆祝活动，导致新德里市区空气质量严重下降，能见度急剧降低，污染指数达到最高的“严重”级别，也就是在401-500之间。据美联社报道称，新德里的地标性建筑尼赫鲁体育场，污染指数甚至一度飙升至惊人的999。 微信图片_20211110162253.jpg 图源：World Air Quality Index Sitemap 11月7日新德里农场燃烧秸秆产生的污染物在PM2.5污染中所占比例为48%，达到本季节最高水平。根据美国国家航空航天局卫星的记录，11月1日-6日期间旁遮普邦、哈里亚纳邦和北方邦共发生了21623起焚烧秸秆事件。 而在遥远的英国格拉斯哥，印度总理莫迪在COP26上承诺，印度在2070年前实现碳中和。 面对承诺50年后碳中和的远大目标，印度的碳中和道路在哪里？ 在走向碳中和的道路上，空气污染问题是挡在印度面前的第一只拦路虎。 据世界环保组织报告显示，全球30个空气污染最严重的城市中，印度就占了一大半，其中新德里、巴特那、瓜廖尔、赖布尔这4个城市直接包揽了“世界前四”，可见其环境问题之严重。 一项由亚洲多国科研机构合作进行的针对新德里空气污染的研究指出，新德里所在的印度北部主要城市空气污染源来自当地的工业活动、城市建设、机动车尾气、道路扬尘、发电厂排放，以及城市周围农村地区的排放活动。 由于空气污染，2020年印度新德里就有44%的儿童肺功能下降，约600万例的哮喘发作都直接与空气污染有关，印度的环境污染问题已经严重影响到了下一代，但这貌似并没有引起印度当局的注意。 位于新德里的非营利组织科学与环境中心（Centre of Science and Environment）空气污染小组负责人阿努米塔·罗伊·乔杜里（Anumita Roy Chowdhury）表示，过去10年来政府的重点行动和法院命令确实降低了空气中有害颗粒物的浓度，但总的来说AQI指数依然很高。她认为新德里需要将排放量减少60%，才能达到清洁空气的标准。 而发展必须依赖能源的支持。国际能源署（IEA）2021年2月表示，到2040年，印度的国内生产总值（GDP）预计将增至8.6万亿美元，能源消耗预计将接近翻番。这样的能源缺口，必然主要依赖传统能源填补。 根据印度新能源和可再生能源部公布的数据，2019年印度56%以上的电力能源来自燃煤。专家测算显示，按照目前的发展速度，到2030年印度仅能完成200千兆瓦左右的非化石燃料发电产能。在未来，印度能否找到可替代的绿色能源也考验着印度政府的执政能力。 又要经济发展，又要减少雾霾最终实现碳中和，印度政府的工作任重道远。 除了空气污染，污水和垃圾也是挡在印度碳中和道路上的巨大障碍。 今年6月，印度总理莫迪公布了一项雄心勃勃的计划：要在2024年前实现全国自来水管覆盖，让所有印度人都用上自来水。但管道有了，水从哪来？ 印度中央污染控制委员会2021年3月的数据显示，印度城市地区每天产生的污水超过72亿升。但综合污水处理能力略低于每天32亿升，不到总量一半。 未经处理的污水是印度水源的主要污染源，导致一系列疾病，包括腹泻（每年造成35万印度儿童死亡）、农业污染和环境恶化。城市贫民经常生活在蚊子和细菌滋生的肮脏的排水沟和运河旁。 恒河岸边的400多间制革厂，将污水直排到河里。这些水含有酸、硫化物、氯化物、防腐剂，更有致命的碱式硫酸铬——铬是一种致癌物。 更不要说居民生活污水的处理率。目前，在印度农村，依然约有1.13亿户家庭没有厕所。印度总统莫迪曾于2014年发起了为期五年的“清洁印度”运动，旨在提升城市环境卫生，改善农村公共厕所环境，消灭露天排便情况。然而，印度国家统计局报告显示，2019年，仅有71.3%的农村受访家庭表示能用上厕所。 通过仪器检测，印度恒河水的溶解性总固体（指溶解于水中的总固体含量）水平达到700以上，比安全标准数高出五倍之多。 曾是印度泰米尔纳德邦加亚电视台的台长KP·苏尼尔说，对于印度的中低收入阶层而言，每月收入只有150～250美元，却要花100美元来用水——和吃饭的花费相当。人们要到处找水、花费本可以用来打工谋生的时间排队等水、花大价钱买瓶装水用于饮用和做饭。 在印度孟买，有一座历史最久、规模最大的垃圾场——迪昂纳垃圾场。 根据印度智库科学与环境中心的估计，2020年，这个垃圾场有近247个橄榄球场那么大。据统计，该垃圾场去年堆积了约1200万吨垃圾，堆积高度最高达到了36.5米。这些垃圾还产生了甲烷、硫化氢和一氧化碳等有毒气体。2016年，垃圾场的一场大火持续了一周，烟雾迫使70多所学校关闭。 今年，印度总理莫迪发起了一项“清除垃圾”计划，他表示将清除城市里的垃圾山。他补充说：“该计划将确保未经处理的废水不会留到河流中。” 但愿这项宏伟的计划能够得以落实。 澳大利亚：不说更不做 在COP26上，澳大利亚是一个“特立独行”的存在。 “即便是澳大利亚尽了最大的努力，在全球气候问题上，澳大利亚依旧落后世界其他国家。”RENEW ECONOMY如此评价澳大利亚在气候变化上的“成果”。 在国际环保组织的应对气候变化排行榜上，澳大利亚的评价是“poor”，以发达国家身份跻身全球最差之列。 在全球各国努力携起手来共同应对全球气候变化的难题时，澳大利亚的不作为遭到了很多环保机构的尖锐批评。专门研究国际环保政策的德国观察在2019年把世界54个主要排放国家的应对政策进行了评分，澳大利亚的得分是“0”。德国观察在报告中直言：“澳大利亚就是全球环保合作框架下拖后腿的那股力量。” 甚至在美英法等西方发达国家看来，澳大利亚应对气候变化的政策可以算得上是发达国家“之耻”。英国广播公司的报道认为，澳大利亚并未遵守巴黎协定的承诺，其应对气候变化的表现可以直接说是不合格。 澳大利亚到底做了什么，让全世界群情激奋？ 作为全球第15大温室气体排放国和煤炭、液化天然气（LNG）和原油的主要出口国，近年来，澳大利亚在气候承诺上表现不佳，碳排放量不降反升。澳大利亚曾经承诺，在2030年前减排26%至28%，回到2005年的水平，但这被英国等国家认为“缺乏决心”。 澳大利亚正在实现其在2015年《巴黎协定》下的二氧化碳减排目标，但净零承诺可能要等到2022年联邦选举和政治情绪的潜在转变之后。 2000年，时任总理约翰·霍华德明确表示澳大利亚不会批准《京都议定书》。2014年，澳大利亚废除实施不到3年的“碳税”政策。 在巴黎气候大会上，澳大利亚曾经承诺，到2030年该国碳排放量与2005年水平相比要减少26%~28％。去年年底的预测显示，到2030年，澳大利亚的碳排放量将仅比2005年的水平低16％。 如今，仅有2000多万人口的澳大利亚排放的温室气体总量占全球排放量的3.6％。而按人均计算，澳大利亚人的二氧化碳排放量是美国人均的四倍。 为了挽回颜面，在COP26前夕，莫里森政府终于公布了一项新的气候计划，承诺澳大利亚到2050年实现“净零碳排”目标，还为此印制了精美小册子来宣传这一目标。 但在长达126页的“净零”排放指导文件，不仅细节严重缺失、目标模糊不清，反而明确表示不会立法，甚至不会通过强制手段督促减排。 英国《卫报》援引气候专家的话指出，澳大利亚的“净零”排放计划只是重新宣布了现有的举措，并没有提出明确的目标或时间表。《独立澳大利亚》杂志则称，“莫里森政府正在用一套谎言和一本册子来糊弄澳大利亚人。” 美国：指责别人前能不能先做好自己？ 在COP26上，一场国际媒体记者会被意外打断。 “打断一下，你能不能直接用英文回答问题？”美联社记者突然发问打断了中国气候变化事务特使解振华的发言。 这种无理让在场的记者纷纷一愣，会场气氛变得紧张微妙起来。 “不如你用中文提问。”解振华哈哈一笑。幽默的话语让全场爆发出一阵大笑，美联社记者垂下头。 在随后回答这位美国记者的提问时，解振华说，正是在中美双方共同努力下，2015年联合国气候变化大会达成了《巴黎协定》。《巴黎协定》反映了世界发展的大趋势，来之不易，不能轻言放弃，但美国上届政府后来却宣布退出《巴黎协定》，“耽误全球应对气候变化多边进程长达5个年头，美国现在应该赶紧追上来，与我们一起合作”。 这位美国记者的做法与美国当前在气候变化问题上的态度如出一辙。 可以说，美国深谙“甩锅”真谛。 拜登在出席联合国气候峰会时，曾就特朗普政府退出巴黎气候协定的决定向其他国家领导人道歉。拜登表示，美国的退出使自身未能实现其气候目标，“我想我可能不应该道歉，但我确实要为美国上届政府退出巴黎协定这件事道歉”。 美国前总统特朗普2017年6月宣布美国将退出该协定，称其是一场“代价高昂的骗局”，给美国带来了巨大的财政和经济负担。 2020年11月4日，美国正式退出该协定。此举遭到美国国内和国际社会的广泛批评。 虽然今年1月20日，美国总统拜登拜登就任总统首日就签署行政令，宣布美国将重新加入巴黎气候协定。但美国近年来在气候变化领域的一些“不作为”依旧遭到国际社会的广泛指责。 11月7日，美国杂志《纽约客》刊文细数了美国政府这些年在气候问题上的不作为。文章提到，如果美国在三十年前就开始以身作则，今天的情况将会大不相同。 纵观1990年以来美国温室气体的排放趋势，及其在应对气候变化方面出台的政策、采取的行动，清晰地向世界展现了其不负责任做法。 尽管克林顿政府签订了《京都议定书》，但共和党控制的国会参议院从未批准该议定书，小布什政府上台后美国又迅速宣布“退群”。 美国曾明确的“将在第一承诺期（2008-2012年）将其温室气体排放比1990年减少7%”承诺。然而，在落实其承诺方面，美国表现让人大跌眼镜，不仅没有实现其温室气体的减排承诺，却展现出了其政府无视国际规则的另一面。美国的排放量不但没有减小7%，反而还增加了。 2019年，发达国家温室气体排放总量达到166.98亿吨二氧化碳当量（单位下同）。其中，美国排放量就达到65.58亿吨，是发达国家排放总量的39.28%；与1990年（基准年）相比，美国温室气体排放不但没有出现下降，反而增加了1.80%，不降反增！ 此次COP26上，拜登承诺，到2030年,美国温室气体排放量将较2005年的水平减少50%-52%。鉴于2005年美国人均碳排放量为20.8吨，这意味着美国提议到2030年将其人均碳排放量减少到10.4吨。但这意味着，到2030年，美国的人均碳排放量应该达到目前世界平均水平的220%。 这也意味着，到2030年，美国的人均碳排放量将比中国当前的人均碳排放量高42%。这不是领导全球气候变化，而是彻彻底底的破坏者。 说一套，做一套，最拿手的是“先下手为强”先给别人泼脏水，祸水东引。美国的“甩锅”确实玩得很溜。

दिल्ली में मौसम की पहली घनी घुंध, चार वर्षों में सबसे लंबे समय तक बने रहने का अनुमान: सीएसई

दिल्ली और राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र में मौसम की पहली घनी धुंध छा गयी है और इसके दो और दिनों तक रहने की आशंका है। विज्ञान एवं पर्यावरण केंद्र (सीएसई) ने बुधवार को यह जानकारी दी। हालांकि, दिल्ली में मौसमी धुंध घनी है लेकिन अक्टूबर के मध्य से आठ नवंबर तक पराली जलाने से होने वाले धुएं का औसत दैनिक योगदान पिछले चार वर्षों में सबसे कम रहा है। सीएसई में अनुसंधान की कार्यकारी निदेशक अनुमिता रॉय चौधरी ने कहा, ‘‘जाहिर तौर पर मौसम की प्रतिकूल परिस्थितियों (ठंडी और शांत हवाओं) के संयुक्त असर, पराली और पटाखे जलाने से मौसम की धुंध छा गयी है।’’ सीएसई ने बताया कि पिछले चार वर्षों की धुंध की पहली घटना की तुलना करने पर मौजूदा धुंध 2018 और 2020 की पहली धुंध की अवधि से मिलती है जो छह दिनों तक रही थी। अगर परिस्थितियों में सुधार नहीं होता है तो यह 2019 की धुंध से भी अधिक समय तक रह सकती है जो आठ दिनों तक रही थी। सीएसई ने कहा, ‘‘दिल्ली के औसतन दैनिक पीएम2.5 में अक्टूबर से आठ नवंबर के दौरान धुएं का योगदान पिछले चार वर्षों में सबसे कम रहा है। अभी तक यह प्रतिदिन औसतन 12 प्रतिशत दर्ज किया गया जबकि पिछले साल 17 फीसदी, 2019 में 14 फीसदी और 2018 में 16 प्रतिशत था।’’

New Delhi smog spikes after festival

Air quality in New Delhi worsened in the days after a grand festival and at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was attending the COP 26 climate summit in Glasgow. From "poor" air quality recorded on Nov 1, air quality in New Delhi slipped into "hazardous" by the weekend following Diwali, north India's greatest festival, according to the Central Pollution Control Board of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Air quality in New Delhi was in the "very poor" category on Nov 2 for the first time this season and the readings got worse in the following days. Despite a ban, people across the city lighted firecrackers late into Thursday night to celebrate Diwali, worsening pollution levels. A thick layer of smog blanketed New Delhi, a city of nearly 20 million people, on Friday morning, and people from several parts of the city and its suburbs complained of itchy throat and watery eyes. "People are walking into hospitals and clinics, saying they're breathless and heavy in the chest due to pollution over the past few days," said Rashmi Sama, a pulmonologist at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. The PM2.5 concentration stood at the maximum reading of 999 per cubic meter in some parts of Delhi on Friday, according to the Earth Sciences Ministry's System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research. Several places recorded figures close to or higher than 500, which is categorized as "severe". Air quality index in various areas slipped to the "severe" category on Friday morning. Farm fires, firecrackers New Delhi's Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Friday that the city's air quality had deteriorated due to a surge in farm fires and some people lighting firecrackers during Diwali despite a ban. The Delhi government banned the sales and lighting of firecrackers this year to curb pollution levels. Rampant incidents of stubble burning around New Delhi during this season have further aggravated the situation. According to air quality information service SAFAR, stubble burning accounted for 36 percent of Delhi's PM2.5 on Friday, the highest so far this season. Fire and smoke emanating from stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana states are carried by winds to Delhi, mixing with Delhi's own rising pollution. Carbon dioxide emitted by 12 million vehicles in Delhi, industrial plants and billions of dust particles from construction sites are other major pollution sources in Delhi, according to government reports. "It can be expected that smog episodes this year might have higher peak pollution if special steps are not taken to reduce pollution from the sources," stated a 2021 pre-winter analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment.

Yamuna frothing: What causes froth in the river and why is it dangerous

Froth in Yamuna: A layer of froth seen was floating over parts of the Yamuna river on Monday near Kalindi Kunj. The pictures of Chhath devotees standing in toxic foam-laden water to offer prayers is also surfacing on the internet. In this article, we explore causes of frothing in the Yamuna river, why it is dangerous and what has been done so far to clear the mess. The froth is nothing but a sign of a polluted river. According to the experts, release of untreated or poorly treated effluents could lead to the frothing. Sewage network and industrial waste also leads to toxic frothing. Giving further explanation, Sushmita Sengupta, Senior Programme Manager of the Water Programme at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said phosphates present in the river causes froth. Surfactants and phosphates found in detergent in households and industrial laundry gets dumped into rivers and all the sewage is not treated, she was quoted as saying to the Indian Express.com. Giving reason for foaming around this time of the year, Sengupta explained that the river right out is in a lean phase and the water flow is less at this time of the year. Pollutants are therefore not diluted. Except for this, the turbulence at the barrage near Okhla also forms foam from the phosphates, a Delhi Jal Board (DJB) official added. Yamuna Monitoring Committee, last year in July, had asked the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to inspect and submit reports on this matter. The report submitted by the CPCB in August last year suggests that the foam formation takes place at two locations–downstream of the ITO and Okhla barrages. The water that falls after discharge from the Okhla barrage stir the foaming agents present in the water. Who is at a major fault? Delhi Jal Board has very little to do with the frothing. The frothing is seen only near Kalindi Kunj, downstream of the Okhla barrage, said a senior DJB official. He also added if only Delhi was to be blamed for frothing, it would have been seen across the entire stretch of the river, after the Wazirabad barrage, since drains begin emptying into the river from there. The officials have also stated that a drain that comes from UP gets dumped into the river near Kalindi Kunj. The drain contains untreated sewage and thus pollutes the river. As per the Indianexpress.com, Raghav Chadha, Vice-Chairman, DJB on Monday said Okhla barrage comes under the irrigation department of the Uttar Pradesh government. The layer of foam floating in the river near the Okhla barrage is due to the detergents and toxic waste. “Around 155 MGD of water reaches the Okhla barrage with all sorts of waste, industrial discharge, chemicals and detergents. Of this, 105 MGD is released by the Haryana government into the Yamuna through the Najafgarh drain. The remaining 50 MGD is released by the UP government. The water falls from a height, so the untreated waste turns into foam. We have written multiple times to the UP government to treat the water before releasing it, but we keep seeing this,” Chadha was quoted as saying in the Indian Express. Has anything been done so far? yes. In June this year, the DPCC banned the sale, storage and transportation of soaps and detergents not meeting the quality standards set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The now disbanded Yamuna Monitoring Committee had said that such a ban can be imposed. Though BIS standards for detergents have been improved, it is still not clear whether these standards have been met eventually, the fifth report of the NGT appointed Yamuna Monitoring Committee from last year noted.Samples have also been collected from the river near Okhla barrage to check phosphate levels, a senior DJB official noted. The DJB, however, does not monitor the levels daily, though samples are taken whenever required, he added. Delhi govt deploys boats to remove froth Amid rising criticism over the formation of foam in the Yamuna, the Delhi government on Tuesday deployed 15 boats to remove the froth with the help of ropes. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) is said to conceive the plan and implement it with the help of the Irrigation Flood Control Department and Revenue Department. “Fifteen teams have been deployed to remove the foam in the river. The exercise will continue till the current frothing episode comes to an end,” an official was reported as saying to news agency PTI. Pictures and video clips of Chhath devotees offering prayers in the Yamuna with foam floating on the surface of the river are going viral on the internet. The frothing had triggered a political slugfest between the ruling AAP and Delhi’s BJP. The BJP leaders alleged that the AAP government did not allow Chhath celebrations on Yamuna banks to seal the “pathetic” state of the river, while AAP’s Gopal Rai and Raghav Chadha are blaming the Uttar Pradesh and Haryana governments for the frothing in the river.

Can India deliver on 2070 Net Zero Glasgow pledge?

In the first major breakthrough since the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26) opened in the Scottish industrial city of Glasgow on November 1, 20 countries have agreed to stop funding fossil fuel projects abroad. This is expected to release $18 billion annually for clean energy. But though the conference’s India-born president, British Cabinet Office minister Alok Sharma, emphasised the importance of phasing out coal, India was not among the signatories. Neither was Australia, which said candidly that it wants to develop technology, not “wipe out industries”. Interest stirred, however, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 12-minute speech promised that all the carbon emitted into the atmosphere would be retrieved for underground storage or absorbed by trees — achieving “net zero” emission — by 2070. But the applause was mixed with censure. After all, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change had announced in August this year that all nations must reach “net zero” emissions by 2050 if global warming was not to exceed pre-industrial levels by more than 1.5°C. Most, including the United States and the European Union, have already accepted this target. Even the world’s top polluter, China, has promised to reach “net zero” levels by 2060, beating India by a decade. India’s most outspoken environmentalist, Sunita Narain, director-general of the Centre for Science and Environment, warns that global warming presents the world with an “existential threat”. It isn’t something that governments can tackle individually. They must act together in pursuit of common goals like afforestation, arresting desertification, controlling rivers, preventing floods, and saving crops. What they say and do must also be readily verifiable. At the same time, Ms Narain dismisses these targets as a “complete distraction” as she condemns the duplicity of the Western powers and the “noxious game” the Western media is playing. Their case is without equity because it equates long-standing hardened climate criminals (to coin a term!) with innocents and allows the West to pass off token payments for past (and present) misdeeds as aid or charity. Oxfam has already exposed how loans for road building and other infrastructure projects are camouflaged as climate funding. India’s finance minister, Mrs Nirmala Sitharaman, had brought this up during her visit to Washington last month, pointedly asking: “So, what constitutes $100 billion?” The absence of any reliable accounting mechanism is one major drawback in assessments by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. Another is the opacity that makes it impossible to verify the Chinese claims regarding emissions. China’s declaration a few weeks before COP26 that it would end investments in overseas coal projects may have been only a PR exercise since China is the world’s biggest public financier of coal. If true, it could mean cancelling over 40 gigawatts of pipeline projects in 20 countries. That includes at least nine coal-fired projects (out of 18 “priority” energy undertakings costing around $19.55 million) in Pakistan, which is one of the Belt and Road Initiative countries where coal is an important source of energy. Also unsolved at the time of writing is the mystery of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s complaint that the COP26 organisers did not provide a working video link for him to address the Glasgow meeting, and he had to send a written statement instead. Despite Ms Narain’s reservations about targets, some say of India’s decision that it’s better late than never. India was the last G-20 country to declare a “net zero” emission date. Although 20 years behind the recommended target, it may be more realistic than a pie-in-the-sky promise like the rich nations pledge in 2009 to channel $100 billion annually to poorer countries by 2020. Mr Modi called it a “hollow” promise in Glasgow. The G-20 — which includes 19 countries and the European Union — accounts for 80 per cent of the global gross domestic product, 60 per cent of the world’s population and about 80 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. However, while several members of the bloc are vulnerable to climate change, the group excludes a number of island nations and most of Africa. South Africa is its only African member. Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries (which have chosen Bhutan as their spokesman) are especially neglected. As Australia has boldly acknowledged, growth can mean pollution. That is also why India has so far been reluctant to accept the “net zero” concept. However, there is a way out of this dilemma -- the rich countries which polluted the atmosphere in the past in their race to industrialise can atone for the spoliation by providing the money and technology for the developing world to achieve growth without pollution. The question now is whether Third World leaders can deliver what they have promised. Seventy-eight per cent of India’s electricity is thermal and 70 per cent of its energy comes from coal and oil. Switching to renewables for 50 per cent of its power in less than 10 years, as Mr Modi promised in Glasgow, might have been easier if India had followed up on Dr Manmohan Singh’s 123 Agreement with US President George W. Bush and developed nuclear energy more seriously. Mr Modi asked the richer countries to pay $1 trillion per annum. “When we all are increasing our ambitions on climate action, the world’s ambition could not stay the same on climate finance as was agreed at the time of Paris,” he said, implying that fulfilment of even his 2070 pledge calls for increased funding by the richer nations. To quote Ms Sitharaman again: “Funding is continuing to be a question of worry for many countries, as much as even the transfer of technology.” If they do make a commitment, will it be another hollow promise? If funding and technology are available, will the developing world live up to all the expectations? Someone must ensure that both are honestly deployed for the right purpose on a global basis. There is no denying that the richer countries, meaning the Western powers, have historically cheated and exploited the Afro-Asian nations. Tragically, the current world offers many instances of Afro-Asian rulers cheating and exploiting their own people. Foolproof inspection and audit is really the only way out.

Explained: What causes frothing in Delhi’s Yamuna?

Experts say the release of untreated or poorly treated effluents, including sewage from those parts of the city that are not connected to the sewerage network and liquid waste, could lead to frothing. In what has become a repeat occurrence in the city, a layer of froth was seen floating over parts of the Yamuna river near Kalindi Kunj on Monday, with Chhath devotees standing in toxic foam-laden water to offer prayers. What causes frothing in the Yamuna? The froth is a sign of a polluted river. Experts say the release of untreated or poorly treated effluents, including sewage from those parts of the city that are not connected to the sewerage network and industrial waste, could lead to frothing. Specifically, phosphates in the river form the froth, said Sushmita Sengupta, Senior Programme Manager of the Water Programme at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Surfactants and phosphates from detergents in households and industrial laundry find their way into the river, as all the sewage is not treated, Sengupta said. Explaining the reasons for foaming around this time of the year, Sengupta said the river is in a lean phase and the water flow is less. Pollutants, therefore, are not diluted. The turbulence at the barrage near Okhla generates foam from the phosphates, a Delhi Jal Board (DJB) official added. After formation of foam in July 2020, the now-disbanded Yamuna Monitoring Committee had asked the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to inspect and submit reports on the matter. The CPCB report submitted in August last year notes that foam formation takes place at two locations – downstream of the ITO and Okhla barrages. The water falling after discharge from the Okhla barrage causes the surfactants and foaming agents present in the wastewater or in the sludge on the river bed to get agitated, forming foam. Who is responsible for cleaning up the mess? Officials of the Delhi Jal Board have been pointing to the location of the frothing to suggest that the phenomenon has little to do with the DJB itself. The frothing is seen only near Kalindi Kunj, downstream of the Okhla barrage, according to a senior DJB official, who added that if the sewage from Delhi was to blame, the frothing would have been seen across the entire stretch of the river, after the Wazirabad barrage, since drains begin emptying into the river from there. “There is a drain that comes from UP and empties into the river near Kalindi Kunj. The drain contains untreated sewage that pollutes the river,” the official said. In a briefing on Monday, Raghav Chadha, Vice-Chairman, DJB, said the Okhla barrage is maintained by the Irrigation Department of the Uttar Pradesh government, and that the layer of foam floating in the river near the Okhla barrage is due to detergents and toxic waste. “Around 155 MGD of water reaches the Okhla barrage with all sorts of waste, industrial discharge, chemicals and detergents. Of this, 105 MGD is released by the Haryana government into the Yamuna through the Najafgarh drain. The remaining 50 MGD is released by the UP government. The water falls from a height, so the untreated waste turns into foam. We have written multiple times to the UP government to treat the water before releasing it, but we keep seeing this,” Chadha said. Also Read |Ban on Chhath at banks of Yamuna to hide rising pollution: Manoj Tiwari However, it is not only near the Okhla barrage where phosphates are present in excessive quantities in the river. “It must be that the load of pollutants is high at that point near Okhla, which is why we see the foam at that point,” Sengupta said. The CPCB report submitted to the Yamuna Monitoring Committee last year said that phosphates and surfactants were not detected upstream of Wazirabad, but were observed between ITO and downstream of the Okhla barrage. The DPCC report also submitted to the committee last year said that the highest concentration of phosphates (13.42 mg/litre) and surfactants was found at Khajoori Paltoon, downstream of the Najafgarh drain. The concentration at the Okhla barrage was 12.26 mg/litre, and the level at the Nizamuddin Bridge was 11 mg/litre. The concentration at Palla was 9.78 mg/litre. In the drains, the highest phosphate level was found in the Najafgarh drain (74.5 mg/litre), followed by the ISBT drain (65.5 mg/litre), Barapulla drain (57.2 mg/litre), and Indrapuri drain (54.2 mg/litre). High phosphate levels were also found near the Bhalswa bridge. What has been done about it? In June this year, the DPCC banned the sale, storage and transportation of soaps and detergents not conforming to the quality standards set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The now disbanded Yamuna Monitoring Committee had recommended that such a ban be imposed. Newsletter | Click to get the day’s best explainers in your inbox The fifth report of the NGT-appointed Yamuna Monitoring Committee from December last year, notes that though BIS standards for detergents have been improved, it is not clear whether these standards will actually be enforced. “The role of regulatory bodies like CPCB, DPCC and PCBs is generally limited to implementing discharge/effluent standards,” the report said. A senior DJB official said samples are being collected from the river near the Okhla barrage to check phosphate levels. The DJB does not monitor the levels daily, though samples are taken when required, he said. Chadha, in his briefing, referred to DJB’s Interceptor Sewer Project (to treat the sewage being emptied into river via drains) and upgrading the technology of STPs.

China has failed to revive the stale North-South conflict at Cop26

Beijing is instead trying to weaponise the argument of historical legacy, with help from Jair Bolsonaro’s government in Brazil and a shrinking group of business-as-usual emitters. But research released this week by Carbon Brief shows that China and Brazil account for a larger share of the accumulated carbon legacy since 1850 than claimed, once you include deforestation and land abuse. The US is still the great emitter. It has gobbled up a fifth of the carbon budget used so far. China is at 11.4pc, Russia 6.9pc, Brazil 4.5pc, and Indonesia 4.1pc, with the UK well behind at 3pc and drifting down each year. Crucially, India is no longer going along with China’s script, even though they are nominally in the same Cop negotiating bloc with Russia and Brazil known as Basic. It has an extremely low share of per capita legacy emissions – a quarter of Chinese levels – yet Narendra Modi has committed to a drastic change in India’s mid-term CO2 trajectory with a target of 50pc renewable power by the end of this decade. Lord Stern says it is possible that India will achieve peak emissions before 2030 despite a fast-growing population, and even though it is still in the early catch-up phase of economic growth. This is the under-appreciated miracle of Glasgow. But it also reshuffles climate geopolitics. “We cannot compare India and China. It’s time we de-hyphenated the two,” Sunita Narain from New Delhi’s Centre for Science and Environment. China has become Glasgow’s awkward customer. While legacy emissions matter – and may end up at the International Court of Justice – current emissions have greater moral potency. What grates is the pattern of China’s behaviour since the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned in late 2018 that critical tipping points are closer than previously supposed. It is worth viewing the Cop26 press conference on the ‘Ten New Insights in Climate Science 2021’ for a quick tour d’horizon of what is going on at the cutting edge of global research. Basically, everything experts were worried about last year, they are even more worried about a year later. The risks are hardening. The warming threshold deemed likely to trigger feedback loops and unstoppable ‘cascade’ effects keeps falling as the science evolves, with a “very high risk” at barely above two degrees.

Times New Roman: Modi’s Meeting With Pope And The Message For Indian Christians

PM Narendra Modi’s personal equation with the Pope relieves India’s Christians; at the G20 summit he promises jabs for the world; at COP26 in Glasgow the premier pledges that the country would attain net zero emissions by 2070 If a photograph can gladden the hearts of Indians of a particular religious faith, it has to be this. Images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, in a warm embrace during their meeting at the Vatican last weekend has spread hope among Christians, particularly Catholics. The PM has invited the Pope for a visit to India. The Vatican has indicated that considering the pontiff’s tight itinerary, a visit could only materialise in the latter part of 2022. The meeting is significant, considering the West’s concern about religious freedom in India since Modi took office in 2014. The PM was in Rome for the G-20 summit when he called on the Pope. Reports of sporadic attacks on churches by hard-line fringe groups, who accuse Christians for converting Hindus, has led to disquiet in the community. In 2020, a US panel on religious freedom had pinpointed India as a “country of particular concern” and had provoked the Indian government to accuse them of bias and a “new level of misrepresentation”. In 2017, when Pope Francis was planning his visit to neighbouring Bangladesh and Myanmar, he also wanted to visit India. For reasons unknown, that didn’t happen. When in Rome, Western leaders often meet the Pope. US President Joe Biden, a practising Catholic, met the Pontiff a day before Modi. Biden is under fire from US Catholics for his support of abortion. In a signal to conservative Catholics back home, Biden said that the Pope had called him a “good Catholic”. Indian premiers like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and I.K. Gujral had called on earlier Popes. But for Modi to do so is more significant. Moreover, there was speculation that the Vatican could raise the prickly subject of religious freedom. The meeting between Pope Francis and Modi cleared all doubts. The meeting, scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to an hour, as the two shared views about the pandemic and climate cha­­nge. The Argentine born Pope is a climate activist and speaks out against the unbridled capitalism. Like all South Americans, he is also a football fan. Prime Minister Modi presented the Pope with a silver candelabra and a book, The Climate Climb: India’s strategy, actions and achievement, detailing the government’s environmental act­ion. Francis gave Modi a collection of his teachings and a bronze medallion with the Italian inscription, ‘The desert will become a garden’. From Archives Attacks On Hindus In Bangladesh A Blow To PM Sheikh Hasina’s Secular Credentials At the G20, Modi sold the India story and stated that the country would produce five billion vaccine jabs by the end of 2022. Both India and the world would benefit. From the Vatican, Modi drove to the G-20 summit venue, the first in-person meet since the pandemic. The grouping generally deals with the economy, but this time around, Covid-19 was at the front and centre of the conference. The disruptive pandemic has devastated economies, sparing neither rich nor developing nations. Supply chain economics, which broke down during the pandemic and made the world aware of how everyone depended on China, was also an imp­ortant element of the G-20 discussions. Missing the mega gathering was Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. US relations with both China and Russia are in the doldrums, with Biden following former president Trump’s lead and regarding Beijing as the main threat to American supremacy. The US’ jousting with Russia continues apace. As the world hopes to repair economies and ens­ure equitable distribution of the vaccine, opening up countries for travel was also discussed. The pandemic led to countries closing borders, but a habit of protectionism persisted even after vaccines became available. Richer nations cornered more shots than required, leaving large parts of the developing world, including countries in Africa, woefully short of vaccines. At the G-20 summit, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres made a strong pitch for vaccine equity. He later tweeted: “Vaccine inequality is prolonging the pandemic at great human and economic cost. Today...I urged leader at #G20Rome­Summit to show leadership to save lives, prevent further suffering, and enable a full global recovery.” Riding on the back of one billion vaccinations administered in India, PM Modi sold the India story in Rome. Reminding G-20 leaders that India was the pharmacy of the world, Modi explained how the country had ramped up production capacity and was in a position to produce five billion vaccine jabs by the end of 2022 for India and the world. This, he said, would solve the problem of limited supplies. India produces vaccines and markets them at prices affordable to poorer nati­ons, unlike major Western pharmaceutical firms. During the AIDS epidemic in Africa, it was Indian pharmas’ cheaper drugs that helped save lives. On the heels of the G20 summit comes the UN Climate Change Conference, or COP 26, in Glasgow. It is organised by the UK’s Boris Johnson together with Italy’s Mario Draghi to review progress of commitments made by countries at the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement. In Glasgow, Modi had a bilateral meeting with Johnson ahead of the COP 26. The big-ticket item up for discussion here is the free trade agreement between India and the UK. But the focus in Glasgow will be on climate change. China, US, India, Russia and Japan are the world’s largest polluters. But it is an unfair grouping, for the US and other Western industrialised nations have been offenders for far, far longer periods, when India and China had little industrial development. The argument has always been about the richer nations providing funds for developing nations to switch to clean technology. In Paris, they promised $100 billion annually for the transition, but it has not been kept. Climate activists demand that countries agree on a ‘net zero’ emission target by 2030. India had flatly refused till now, saying it is in no position to do so when it is trying to change the lives of a billion citizens. Finally, on November 1 in Glasgow, Modi pledged a net zero emissions goal for India by 2070. Admittedly, coal, that satiates much of our energy needs, is a foremost polluter. Modi has been championing a solar alliance. Wind is ano­ther source. But new technologies are expensive. “India needs to do more in its self-interest, not because of its contribution or responsibility,’’ says environmentalist Sunita Narain. Despite sol­­emn promises made by the Centre on protecting the environment, state governments care little for fragile ecosystems and trample upon them in the name of development. Forests are destro­yed for minerals and stubble burning by farmers continues unabated. Climate change has caused devastation in India, and frequent floods, drou­g­hts, and high temperatures are the norm. It is to be seen how India goes about to keep its promise of zero carbon emissions in 50 years time. “We need development and energy access, but given that the world has run out of carbon space, we must in our self-interest do more. But for this we need global leadership and transfer of finance and technology,” she adds. The rich world, ins­tead of lecturing developing nations, needs to put their money where their mouth is. (This appeared in the print edition as "Marked In Carbon")

COP26 And India: How Digitalization Could Be The Gamechanger

The COP26 summit held in Glasgow last week was of critical importance to the human race. Countries reiterated their commitments to the Paris Climate change agreement and many of the countries improved over their previous commitments. Nations of the world collectively acknowledged the tell-tale signs of climate change and came together to formulate and commit to a global action plan with concrete deliverables in 2015 under the Paris Climate Change agreement. The agreement targeted various deliverables including a committed effort to keep the global average temperature increase well below 2 degrees Celsius and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. However, the efforts have not been seeing much success since then. The two key reasons for the less-than-expected success were the lack of the technology transfer from the western world and the failure of the developed world to deliver on its decade-old promise of mobilizing at least US $100 billion every year from 2020. While some of the countries including India have taken a conscious decision to pursue the self-driven path of sustainability and ecological balance, the larger world has slowly been becoming more and more vulnerable to man-made events related to climate change. The threat of submergence looms large on about 570 cities of the world by 2050 and out of these 12 cities may belong to India alone. In this perspective, the COP26 summit held in Glasgow last week was of critical importance to the human race. Countries reiterated their commitments to the Paris Climate change agreement and many of the countries improved over their previous commitments. India stood out in terms of undertaking various goals, some of which were overdue and some others being very inspiring and exemplary. India, despite having 17 per cent population, contributes only 5 per cent to global emissions. This point was profoundly brought out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while presenting the world with ‘Panchamrit’ – the five solutions. The Panchamrit includes - By 2070, India will achieve the target of net-zero emissions. India will reach its non-fossil energy capacity to 500 GW by 2030. India will meet 50 per cent of its energy requirements from renewable energy by 2030. The country’s emissions intensity, or emissions per unit GDP, will be reduced by at least 45 per cent by the year 2030 from the 2005 levels. In its existing target, India had promised to reduce its emissions intensity by 33 to 35 per cent by that date. By 2030, India will reduce the carbon intensity of its economy to less than 45 per cent. A deeper look into ‘Panchamrit’ would indicate that the success of these five goals would impinge on the implementation blueprint of the first one which is about achieving the target of net zero emissions by the year 2070. Net-zero basically refers to the equation of equilibrium between the greenhouse gases emitted into the ecosystem and the greenhouse gases being taken out of the ecosystem. In the case of India the fossil fuel-based power generation, which is about 210 GW of coal-based capacity and about 65 more gigawatts under various stages of construction, is one of the key contributors to the greenhouse gases emission along with large fossil fuel-based vehicular load. On India’s strategic and conscious drive towards decarbonization through renewables augurs well to the cause. India has shown at least a clear commitment to transition from fossil fuel to green energy. Our current target is 225 GW renewables by 2022 with the next key milestone being the installed capacity to generate 450GW by 2030. This target of 450 GW now stands enhanced to 500 GW under renewed COP 26 targets. The Central Electricity Authority’s projection indicated that the country would need to have an installed capacity of about 1130 GW by 2030. Further, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has done a projection for the country’s energy mix for 2030 which shows that out of the required capacity of 1130 GW by 2030, the country will need to have solar energy installed capacity of 280GW and wind energy installed capacity of 140GW. The rest of the energy needs will come from nuclear. Similarly, the CEEW also estimated that solar capacity shall be ramped to 5,630 GW by 2070, and the wind capacity shall be 792GW by 2070. India must start swiftly moving to electric cars and to biofuels for heavier vehicles for meeting Glasgow targets. Similarly, it is expected that the industry may have to fast drive hydrogen as reliant fuel. Heavier dependence on renewables, increased penetration of green energy in the grid and mass adoption of EVs cast a significant unbalancing threat to the grid. As we stand today, 70% of energy need in the country is met from fossil fuel, and the renewables other than hydro contribute to less than double-digit share in the energy sense. Meeting a commitment of 50% of energy from renewables would have significant grid balancing concerns on account of energy variability these sources bring to the grid, particularly in view of the fact that the share of hydro and gas-based energy has been dwindling in recent times. Further, more penetration of EVs would enhance local grid imbalances as our distribution network at the last mile is certainly not in the best of shapes. The meticulous demand-side management of the grid based on granular demand-side data and building the digitalization components of the grid for having universal smart grid has to be the imperative requirement for meeting such steep commitments on decarbonization. The country has been positioning on the digital transformation of the grid for some time now. The biggest single commitment towards digitalization comes from the drive for smart metering and smart grid. India has very timely come out with Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) which has placed a financial commitment of more than 3 lac crores from the central government towards various digitalization initiatives. The country has already installed about 3 million smart meters and targets to install about 100 million meters by 2023 and complete transitioning to smart metering by 2025 had 250 million smart meters. The granular data coming from smart meters and deeper data analytics along with Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools shall provide the strong means in the hands of the grid operators to manage the demand side of the energy. The AI based intervention in the grid can help the management of energy peaks in the wake of variability issues of renewables and also shall solve the grid balancing requirements. India’s renewed commitment under COP 26 shall trigger the massive wave of fast forward digitalization in the Indian grid, which provides a significant revenue upside for the Indian power sector. The digitalization process would also help plugging the ever-increasing losses of Indian Discoms leading to expected savings of about Rs 10 lakh crores and also have a massive further potential upside of revenue through value-added services based on big data analytics and AI initiatives.

Environment Policy draft prepared 3 years ago still crying for govt’s approval

SRINAGAR: Every now and then, the government through its public information department disburses information about its seriousness of keeping the environment safe. More than a dozen departments are at work for the purpose, implementing scores of laws meant for saving the environment. But the government is yet to clear the Environmental Policy, the file of which is making rounds for many years to get the needed approval. And this is despite the fact that degradation of the environment is on a large scale everywhere. The draft of the Environment Policy which was prepared by the Department of Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing more than three years back, remains hanging, shifting from one department to the other. The policy was drafted to direct efforts towards environmental issues and four weeks’ time was given to seek comments and suggestions from stakeholders, Non-Governmental Organisations, civil society groups and government departments. “The process has all happened, but the approval is still awaited,” said officials in the know of the status of the policy. “The absence of policy means that the government doesn’t have any action plan to address the causes of degradation.” This approach is the same as that of the previous political government towards the issue. Sources said, “What to talk of previous governments when even the present administration is not paying any attention towards the necessity of having an Environment Policy.” From the government’s media blitzkrieg of actions taken to conserve water bodies, forests, and mountains, one can make a guess of how much the government wants to advertise its concern for the environment. But not even a single environment report prepared by any leading research body suggests any improvement in the health of the environment in Jammu and Kashmir. According to the well-known Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), all the 10 glaciers in Jammu and Kashmir are among the 39 glaciers in India that have been found to be at high risk. As per the report, these glaciers are melting fast, with a 40 percent increase in their water levels recorded in the last decade. What can this change in glacier conditions do to life on earth? Researchers have found that it can first fill up the glacial lakes with earth, which can cause floods beyond control of the existing infrastructure. “The glaciers need to be monitored closely to avoid any disasters,” the report warns. In this case a clear environmental policy could have speeded up the work towards the protection of the glaciers. Officials said that the non-serious approach of the forest department is the key hurdle in getting the policy approved.