• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Delhi breathes year’s cleanest air, first ever ‘good air’ day recorded in October

NEW DELHI: Monday’s heavy overnight rain achieved what this year’s monsoon couldn’t — produce a “good air” day for Delhiites, the first in 2021, and the first in October since the air quality index began in 2015. The city’s average AQI on Monday was 46, entering the “good” zone (below 50) for the first time in 14 months. The improvement in air quality in a span of 24 hours couldn’t have been more dramatic. On Sunday, Delhi’s AQI had hovered close to the “very poor” category (above 300) at 298, with a toxic haze enveloping the city the day before. As air quality usually starts falling from mid-October, experts said a clean air day during this time was highly “unusual”. Data from the Central Pollution Control Board, which started measuring AQI from 2015, shows good air days are rare in Delhi. Not a single such day was reported in 2015, 2016 and 2018. Rarer still are good air days outside the monsoon season, with just one recorded since 2015, prior to Monday. In 2017, there were two “good air” days, on July 30 and 31. Two days were reported in 2019 as well — August 18 and 19. Last year, Delhi saw five good air quality days — one in March following the total Covid lockdown and four in August. V K Soni, head, environment and research centre, India Meteorological Department (IMD), said, “Good rainfall recorded in Delhi and neighbouring states, including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Uttarakhand, helped wash out pollutants, pushing the city’s AQI in the ‘good’ category.” Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, said, “A good air day in October is unusual due to the onset of winter conditions that trap pollution. A good air day (based on AQI) is elusive in the capital and a few that occur happen largely during monsoon period.” She added, “This October, however, delayed and intense rains in the region have washed out pollutants. But pollution will bounce back soon. We need to be prepared.” System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the forecasting body under the Union ministry of earth sciences, said, “Delhi’s AQI is in the good category with PM2.5 as the main pollutant. Local land surfaces are wet and so dust re-suspension is minimum which led to low PM10. Presence of western disturbance has led to scattered rainfall over north India, leading to low biomass burning. This condition improved AQI with low PM2.5. Fire counts have reduced to 170 and its share is only 1% to PM2.5.” Experts warned that the air quality is likely to deteriorate in the next two days. SAFAR said, “Moist surfaces inhibit re-suspension of dust which will keep AQI in ‘good’ category for the next 24 hours. After that, AQI will degrade to ‘satisfactory’ for Delhi.” L S Kurinji, programme associate, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) said, “In the coming weeks, with changes in meteorological conditions, emissions from local and regional sources would only cause deterioration in air quality. The Delhi government should roll out pre-emptive measures in advance to keep the capital's air quality levels under check.”

• Climate Change and Green Economy

Target of Net zero emission against climate justice: LMDC

The Like-Minded Developing Countries — a group of developing countries which have a similar stand in the United Nations climate negotiations — have said that a net zero goal for all countries by mid-century is “anti-equity” and against “climate justice” The Like-Minded Developing Countries — a group of developing countries which have a similar stand in the United Nations climate negotiations — have said that a net zero goal for all countries by mid-century is “anti-equity” and against “climate justice”. In a strongly worded statement, the countries said, “Despite their lack of ambition shown in the pre-2020 period, as well as in their Paris Agreement NDCs (nationally determined contributions) major developed countries are now pushing to shift the goal posts of the Paris Agreement from what have already been agreed by calling for all countries to adopt net zero emissions targets by 2050.” Net zero emissions for all countries by 2050 will exacerbate existing inequities between developed and developing countries, the statement added. The Paris Agreement refers to achieving a balance between emissions and removal by sinks in the second half of this century as a global aspiration rather than as national targets for all countries. “Achieving this global aspiration is on the basis of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities, in the context of ensuring sustainable development and poverty eradication in developing countries and taking into consideration equity,” the statement endorsed by all LMDC ministers said. During their own industrialisation phase, the developed countries have overused their domestic carbon space and used those of developing countries as well, the countries said. “Developed countries should, in acknowledgement of such historical cumulative and per capita cumulative carbon emissions, leave the remaining atmospheric space for the developmental rights of the developing world and aim for their full decarbonisation within this decade. If they continue to emit and occupy more atmospheric space for the next 30 years, the Paris Agreement’s global goals and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s objective will not be met,” the statement concluded. In 2012 in Doha, developed countries agreed to revisit their emission reduction targets by the end of 2014 and to raise their ambition level. Developed countries have, in fact, increased their emissions between 1990 and 2020, the statement highlighted. On the issue of delivery of climate finance, developed countries agreed in 2010 to mobilise $100 billion per year by 2020. “Regrettably, here too they have fallen short of their agreement. In Paris, the 2020 timeline to deliver on the USD100 billion was shifted to 2025, with no assurance that it would be reached or with higher ambition, while at the same time developing countries are requested to raise their ambition on climate actions. These failures to deliver on the commitments agreed to by developed countries undermines trust and confidence in the multilateral system,” the statement said. Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav, who represented India at the LMDC ministerial meeting chaired by Bolivia on Monday, said the world needs rapid and transformative actions. “I stated that delayed climate action and lack of leadership from developed countries has increased the cost of mitigation and adaptation in developing countries… LMDC countries should closely work together to protect their interests and ensure that global efforts for net-zero should be guided by the principles of the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement, and also by national circumstances and priorities,” Yadav tweeted after his address. LMDC countries include Algeria, Bangladesh, Bolivia, China, Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mali, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Sri Lanka, among others. “2050 as a global goal for net zero is too little, too late. It buys wealthy countries time to continue to emit more, while resource-poor countries face the consequences in the short and medium term. Delayed mitigation also presents the risk of uncontrollable warming later this century. So, from both a scientific view, as well as the perspective of historical cumulative emissions, developed nations must bring emissions to zero or as close as possible, within this decade,” said Avantika Goswami of the climate change programme at the Centre for Science and Environment.

• Director General Office

Prémio Gulbenkian. Depois de Greta, volta a aposta a favor do clima Sustentabilidade Segunda edição do Prémio Gulbenkian para a Humanidade de um milhão de euros é entregue na terça-feira

Na primeira edição foi distinguida a ativista sueca Greta Thunberg, que em julho de 2020 foi escolhida pelo júri do prémio como a personalidade que mais se destacou na defesa do ambiente e de forma inovadora combateu as alterações climáticas. A jovem ativista reagiu rapidamente ao confirmar que ia doar metade do valor do prémio, 500 mil euros a dez organizações ambientais em vários continentes. A Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, que apoia vítimas de catástrofes em África e a Oil Change International, que apoia projetos de energias renováveis a Solar Sister, que dá formação empresarial a mulheres empreendedoras da Tanzânia e Nigéria, foram algumas das organizações apoiadas com a verba da primeira edição do Prémio Gulbenkian para a Humanidade, que anuncia esta terça-feira o vencedor da edição de 2021. O júri deste ano é composto por Miguel Bastos Araújo, Hans-Joachim Schellnhuber, Johan Rockström, Mariana Mazzucato, Miguel Aries Cañete, o príncipe Constantijn van Oranje, Runa Khan, Sandra Díaz, Sunita Narain e Rik Leemans, o líder do grupo de Análise de Sistemas Ambientais da Universidade de Wageningen, Países Baixos. Rik Leemans diz ao DInheiro Vivo que este "é um prémio dedicado a personalidades académicas e da sociedade que criaram substanciais acções no âmbito das alterações climáticas e apesar de só ter sido atribuído uma vez já tem uma visibilidade internacional muito alargada. Temos nomeações muito diversas, na área de engenharia, finanças ou ciências, mas também de organizações com soluções locais, regionais ou globais ou que estimularam pessoas e governos a fazer transições sustentáveis e a envolverem-se nas questões ambientais". Rik Leemans sublinha que "a prosperidade não é incompatível com a sustentabilidade. Prosperidade é uma combinação de pessoas lucros, planeta e prazer, todos são importantes e não são independentes. Os lucros não são possíveis sem pessoas que têm prazer e sem o planeta, a humanidade depende muito do ambiente, dos seus recursos e do seu ecossistema para sobreviver" e são esses os princípios que este prémio procura incentivar. Subscrever newsletter Subscreva a nossa newsletter e tenha as notícias no seu e-mail todos os dias O jurado dos Países Baixos refere ainda que "têm de ser todos os atores da nossa sociedade a contribuir, mas há alguns setores ainda muito dependentes dos combustíveis fósseis: a metalomecânica, os cimentos e os fertilizantes emitem muito CO2. As alternativas a estes produtos têm que ser desenvolvidas em breve e o hidrogénio pode ser uma solução". Quanto às novas tecnologias, Rik Leemans admite que a nova fase de digitalização "pode ajudar a acelerar alguns processos e a reduzir o trânsito, mas esta é uma indústria que depende muito de eletricidade para os seus servidores e para os arrefecer. A digitalização consome muita energia e muita dela verde, terá que ser uma indústria mais eficiente também", porque "os impactos sociais e ambientais continuam a ser muitas vezes ignorados, se forem incluídos nos preços finais, certamente que os produtos amigos do ambiente acabarão por ser mais baratos". "Uma sociedade sustentável é provavelmente como um Jardim do Eden biodiverso, com pessoas felizes, empreendedores responsáveis e com todas as necessidades satisfeitas em equidade. Talvez com uma macieira e uma cobra com compaixão", acrescenta.

• Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy

The nightmare of India's tallest rubbish mountain

The "mountains of garbage" dotting India's cities will soon be replaced with waste treatment plants, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised earlier this month. Author Saumya Roy reports from the country's oldest and tallest mountain of rubbish - some 18 storeys high - in the western coastal city of Mumbai. Every morning, Farha Shaikh stands on top of a more-than-a-century-old rubbish mountain in Mumbai, waiting for garbage trucks to make their way up. The 19-year-old waste picker has been scavenging through these heaps in the Deonar suburb for as long as she can remember. From the gloopy trash, she usually picks up plastic bottles, glass and wire to sell in the city's thriving waste markets. But most of all she looks out for broken mobile phones. Every few weeks, Farha finds a "dead" mobile phone in the trash. She digs into her meagre savings and gets it repaired. Once it flickers to life, she spends her evenings watching films, playing video games, texting and calling friends. When the phone stops working again days or weeks later, Farha's connection with the world outside snaps again. She is back to working long days, collecting the remains of the city to resell - and looking for another phone to restore. More than 16 million tonnes of trash make up Deonar's rubbish mountains - eight of them spread over a 300-acre sprawl - that are said to be India's largest and oldest. Waste is piled as high as 120ft (36.5m). The sea forms the outer edge of the mountains and slums have been built into the sturdy heaps of rubbish. The decomposing waste releases noxious gases such as methane, hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide. In 2016, it erupted in fires that burned for months and caused smoke in much of Mumbai. Rubbish fires at landfills contributed 11% of particulate matter, a major cause of air pollution in the city, according to a 2011 study by India's pollution regulator. The men who make money selling your trash The activist tackling Mumbai's rubbish mountain A 2020 study by a Delhi-based think tank, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), found 3,159 such mountains containing 800 million tonnes of rubbish across India. In Mumbai, a court case has been going on for 26 years to close down the Deonar grounds but the dumping of waste continues. India's waste mountains have long vexed officials and politicians. On 1 October, Mr Modi announced nearly $13bn (£9.54bn) for a national cleanliness programme that would include setting up a number of sewage treatment plants to gradually replace open air rubbish dumps such as the one in Deonar. But experts are sceptical. "While it has been done in smaller cities, it is hard to provide a remedy for waste mountains at this scale," says Siddharth Ghanshyam Singh, deputy program manager at CSE. "There is an acknowledgement that this is a problem but we have accepted that if we are to live in big cities like Mumbai or Delhi, these garbage mountains come with it," says Dharmesh Shah, country co-ordinator for the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, a coalition of groups that advocate for reduced waste. Since 2000, India has passed rules asking municipalities to process waste. But most states report only partial compliance, and there are not enough waste treatment plants. Mumbai, India's commercial and entertainment capital and home to some 20 million people, has just one such plant. There are now plans for a waste-to-energy plant at Deonar. Mr Modi said he expects the plan to create new, green jobs. But that worries waste pickers like Farha who have been doing this job all their lives. It has become much harder for them to access the waste mountains after the fires in 2016. The municipality has increased security to prevent waste pickers from going in and lighting fires - the flames melt the lighter trash, bringing up metal that fetches high prices. The waste pickers who manage to sneak in are often beaten, detained and sent back. But some bribe the guards or enter before the security patrols begin at daylight. So, little segregation happens at the grounds in Denoar now - instead, a lot of the waste is segregated in the city itself, and what arrives at Deonar has reduced over time. Farha hasn't had a phone for months. She has to bribe guards at least 50 rupees ($0.67; £0.49) every day to get in and work at the Deonar grounds. To recover this, she even thought of picking through the rubbish that began arriving from the city's Covid hospital wards last year. But her family asked her not to pick up the "harmful" Covid waste. So, she hangs close, watching pickers wear protective gear in the rain to keep collecting plastic to resell. The city was sending new trash, and as they had for years, the mountains had to accommodate it and pickers had to collect and resell it. "Hunger will kill us if not illness," Farha says.

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Delhi Pollution: रावण जलने के बाद धुआं-धुआं हुई दिल्ली, दशहरे पर बढ़ा इतना प्रदूषण तो दिवाली पर क्या होगा?

नई दिल्ली बैन के बावजूद इस बार दशहरे पर इतनी आतिशबाजी हुई कि प्रदूषण स्तर जो अब तक सामान्य चल रहा था खराब स्तर पर पहुंच गया। सवाल यह है कि आखिर दशहरे पर ही यह हाल है, तो दिवाली पर क्या होगा? साथ ही यह भी कि बैन के बावजूद इतने सारे पटाखे लोगों तक कैसे पहुंच रहे हैं और इसके लिए प्रशासनिक तौर पर क्या कार्रवाई हो रही हैं? आसान नहीं पटाखों पर बैन जानकारों के अनुसार पटाखों पर बैन के बेअसर होने की बात कुछ हद तक सही है। लेकिन इसकी कई वजहें है। दरअसल, हमेशा से दिवाली और आतिशबाजी को एक दूसरे से जोड़कर देखा गया है। ऐसे में, इस बदलाव को अपनाने में लोगों को समय लगेगा। दूसरा अभी जो कोशिशें हो रही हैं, वे बहुत ही कम है। दिवाली पर पटाखों पर बैन एक से दो महीने पहले लगाया जाता है, लेकिन फैक्ट्रियों में पटाखे बनने का काम करीब सात-आठ महीने पहले शुरू हो जाता है और पांच-छह महीने पहले तो थोक पटाखा विक्रेता आर्डर दे देते हैं। फिर एक बार पटाखे दुकानों तक पहुंच गए, तो उन्हें बिकने और जलाने से रोकना मुश्किल हो जाता है। दिल्ली में रविवार को बारिश के आसार, आसमान में छाए रहेंगे बादल 'लोगों को भी शामिल करें' इस बारे में बात करने पर ग्रीन पीस के वरिष्ठ कैंपेनर अविनाश चंचल कहते हैं, 'दशहरा दिवाली पर पटाखे जलाना लोगों की मानसिकता में है। इसे बदलने में समय लगेगा। लेकिन इसके लिए सरकारों व डिपार्टमेंट को लोगों के साथ मिलकर काम करना होगा। बैन लगाते समय वे जब एजेंडा सेट करें, तो आरडब्ल्यूए के प्रतिनिधियों के साथ भी मीटिंग लें। बड़े स्तर पर लोगों को बताया जाना चाहिए कि आखिर पटाखों पर बैन क्यों लग रहा है? कई लोग इसकी वजह धर्म से जोड़ लेते हैं। दूसरा पटाखों पर बैन लगाने के लिए उन पर सख्त कार्रवाई की जरूरत है, जो नहीं दिख रही है। हालत यह है कि आपको अपने पड़ोस की दुकानों पर बेहद आसानी से पटाखे मिल जाते हैं। अगर दशहरे पर यह हाल है, तो दिवाली पर क्या होगा।' Delhi Pollution News: डस्ट पल्यूशन के लिए 72 लोगों पर लगाया गया जुर्माना 'कड़ी कार्रवाई की जरूरत' आईपीयू की यूनिवर्सिटी स्कूल ऑफ एनवायरमेंट मैनेजमेंट के असिस्टेंट प्रोफेसर डॉ. सुमित डूकिया मानते हैं कि पटाखों पर बैन लगाने के लिए काफी सख्ती करने की जरूरत है। बकौल डूकिया, 'बैन लगाने के तुरंत बाद कड़ी कार्रवाई होनी चाहिए। बैन लगाने के बाद स्ट्रेटेजी बनाने का मतलब नहीं है। अब एक हफ्ते तक कोई एक्शन नहीं हुआ और विक्रेताओं व खरीददारों को काफी समय मिल गया कि वे अपने स्टॉक अपने पास रख लें। जिन्हें बेचने थे उन्होंने बेच दिए जिन्हें खरीदने थे उन्होंने खरीद लिए। वहीं लोगों का सहयोग इसके लिए जरूरी है। इसलिए जब तक लोगों से बात नहीं की जाएगी, अपने फैसलों में उन्हें शामिल नहीं किया जाएगा, तब तक परिणाम उतने नहीं मिलेंगे जितने मिलने चाहिए।' Delhi Pollution Report: अक्टूबर के शुरुआती 12 दिनों में प्रदूषण से मिली दिल्ली को राहत, 6 साल में पहली बार अक्टूबर में प्रदूषण सबसे कम 'पहले से लगना चाहिए बैन' वहीं सीएसई की अनुमिता रॉयचौधरी के अनुसार पटाखों पर बैन सरकार और आम लोगों दोनों के सहयोग से ही कारगर हो सकता है। बकौल चौधरी, 'अभी बैन लगाने से पहले ही उसकी बातें शुरू हो जाती हैं। इस दौरान विक्रेता अधिक मुनाफे पर अपना स्टॉक निकाल देते हैं और खरीददार खरीद लेते हैं। लेकिन लोगों को यह बताने की जरूरत है कि आतिशबाजी उनके साथ उनके बच्चों की आने वाली पीढ़ी की सेहत पर असर डाल रही है। यह बात लोगों को धीरे धीरे समझ आएगी। फिर पटाखों के लाइसेंस सख्त किए जाने चाहिए। अवैध पटाखा फैक्ट्रियों के खिलाफ सख्ती होनी चाहिए। यह काम पूरे साल किया जाना चाहिए। लेकिन अभी हम दिवाली से कुछ हफ्ते या महीने पहले ही जागते हैं।' दशहरे पर प्रदूषण में हुआ कितना इजाफा साल दशहरे पर दशहरे के अगले दिन 2021 198 253 2020 349 353 2019 112 173 2018 276 326 2017 198 196

• DTE - Web

Extreme weather events in India made women, children more vulnerable to modern slavery, flags report

Climate change-induced extreme weather events put women, children and minorities at risk of modern slavery and human trafficking. The phenomenon is on the rise in India, among other countries, warned the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and Anti-Slavery International in a recent report. Modern slavery — including debt bondage, bonded labour, early / forced marriage and human trafficking — converge with climate change, particularly climate shocks and climate-related forced displacement and migration, the report said. The report observed what happened in Sundarbans, for instance. The delta region is characterised by intense, recurrent and sudden onset disasters, as well as slow onset ecological degradation making large areas uninhabitable. Rising sea levels, erratic rainfall, increased frequency of cyclones, tidal surges and floods, mean that millions of people across the Sundarbans are unable to work for most of the year. In 2009, Cyclone Aila caused widespread damage to lives and livelihoods. In 2020, during Cyclone Amphan, 400 kilometres of embankment was breached and seawater entered the flood plains resulting in widespread displacement from homes and loss of livelihoods for more than two million people. Such events made locals vulnerable to traffickers and drove them into forced labour, it said. Human trafficking had increased following the tsunami in Indonesia in 2004 as well. Severe cyclone and flooding in Sundarbans delta had also reduced the land for agriculture, which is the major source of livelihood. While restrictions were imposed by bordering countries, smugglers and traffickers operating in the affected region targeted widows and men desperate to cross the border to India to find employment. Women were trafficked and often forced into hard labour and prostitution, with some working in sweatshops along the border. People displaced and migrating from rural to urban areas with no resources, skills or social networks at their destination, are targeted by agents and / or traffickers in Dhaka or Kolkata. A case study from Accra in Ghana showed that after drought, the young men and women in northern Ghana were forced to migrate to major cities. The women worked as porters and are at risk of trafficking, sexual exploitation and debt bondage. At the same time, climate change has made children more vulnerable, flagged the IIED report. The report established the close relationship between lack of resources, alternative livelihoods, safety nets and the protection against loss and damage as well as debt and exploitation. Scale of displacement The report has been released a month ahead of the Conference of Parties (CoP26) United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, the United Kingdom. Over 216 million people could be internally displaced by 2050 across six regions due to climate change, according to World Bank estimates. Of these, over 81 per cent will be in Sub-Saharan Africa (86 million), East Asia and the Pacific (49 million) and the South Asian region (40 million). As many as 55 million people were internally displaced within their countries due to extreme weather events in 2020. This is the highest in the last one decade. This would be in addition to the existing 40.3 million people living under slavery in the world. NICEF has repeatedly warned that climate change increases the risk of girls being pushed into unsafe migration / displacement, which can expose them to the risk of modern slavery. Global climate frameworks including the Paris Agreement in 2015 and Cancún Adaptation Framework (CAF) in 2010 have acknowledged climate-induced migration and displacement. “This research too identifies climate change as a risk multiplier that makes people who are already vulnerable due to conflict or inequality more likely to become victims of modern slavery,” said Adéla Mackie, fellow, Anti-Slavery International. Way ahead Climate and development policy-makers urgently need to recognise that millions of people displaced by climate change are being, and will be, exposed to slavery in the coming decades, the IIED report flagged. Policymakers should therefore develop targeted actions, at national and international levels, to address the issue. The global and regional discourse on development and climate policy must consider trafficking and slavery risks due to climate shocks. Several ongoing initiatives — including the Warsaw International Mechanism Task Force on Displacement (WIM TFD), the Sendai Framework, etc — should be coordinated to increase understanding of, and response to, growing risks of climate-induced migration / displacement and exposure to modern slavery.

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Delhi's Grap curbs may kick in even if air not poor

The weather will see some improvement in the air quality this week, officials said Curbs like bans on diesel generators and the use of coal-fired ovens, and activities such as routine mechanised sweeping should begin in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) on October 15 irrespective of the air quality at the time, suggested the members of an air quality commission in a meeting on Tuesday, recommending that all ‘poor’ and some ‘very poor’ protocols of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) be activated. The recommendations were by a subcommittee of the Commission for Air Quality Management in Delhi-NCR and adjoining areas (CAQM), according to documents seen by HT. The panel will take a final call on what restrictions and activities to finally activate in a meeting on Thursday. “The subcommittee was of the view that in addition to actions under ‘poor’ to the ‘moderate’ category, some of the actions under the ‘very poor’ category should also commence from October 15, though the air quality index (AQI) is expected to remain in the ‘satisfactory’ to the ‘moderate’ category range in the national capital,” said the CAQM recommendations. Grap is a set of emergency measures approved by the Supreme Court in 2016 that come into effect when the air quality index (AQI) in Delhi and the NCR breach certain thresholds. The first of these is the ‘moderate to poor’ range, when the use of coal and firewood in restaurants and open kitchens is banned, strict checks are carried out to control garbage fires and regular mechanised sweeping is done. These restrictions and pollution-control measures become stricter and more intense as the different thresholds are crossed. The Capital and its adjoining areas are plunged into a health crisis in the days leading to winter as winds bring in toxic smoke from farm fires in neighbouring Haryana and Punjab. Local pollution, such as dust and transport emissions, as well as a dip in the temperature, make the problem worse, often pushing pollution levels to alarming levels. On Tuesday, the 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) was at 171, a marginal improvement from 177 a day ago. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’. Weather officials have predicted some improvement in the air quality this week due to strong winds and rains expected later. The CAQM now monitors air pollution in the national capital and, in the meeting on Tuesday, suggested Grap measures come into force pre-emptively to avert a health hazard. A senior Union environment ministry official said the CAQM subcommittee will take a decision on which measures will finally be enforced. The CAQM’s recommendations to be implemented from October 15 also include the augmentation of bus and Metro services, strict action against open garbage burning and dumping around landfills, ensuring that brick kilns in Delhi and NCR are shut, enforcing regulations in industries and power plants, regular mechanised sweeping, action against visible pollution and drives to check pollution under control (PUC) certificates. Also, the panel suggested that constructions sites must be under scrutiny for dust suppression measures and congestion-prone stretches are manned by traffic police personnel to ensure there are no jams. “Some measures from the ‘very poor’ category have been recommended to come into force from October 15. In the meeting it was decided that considering that the air quality is still in the ‘satisfactory’ to ‘moderate’ zone, there will be a review meeting on the diesel generator set ban and there will also be a meeting with the municipalities. It will be seen how prepared they are to impose the hiked parking fees,” said a senior official, who was part of the meeting. Experts said pre-emptive action was imperative to ensure pollution sources are kept under control throughout the winter season. “We need to do everything necessary to control the local pollution sources. Now the air quality is under control because of favourable conditions, but things will get bad and we need to be prepared,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).

• Industrial Pollution

Why are some Indian states facing power shortages?

Acute shortages of coal at power plants have triggered a severe energy crisis — which threatens to hit the nation's economic recovery. India has been facing an acute shortage of coal supplies over the past few weeks, with many warning that this could lead to a severe energy crunch and power blackouts across the country. Coal-fired power stations in the South Asian nation had an average of four days' stock at the end of September, the lowest in years. Coal accounts for nearly 70% of India's electricity generation and around three-quarters of the fossil fuel is mined domestically. The next few weeks, or even months, could see severe disruptions of power supply all over the country. Given the grim situation, several state leaders have expressed worries about imminent power outages. The chief minister of Andhra Pradesh state, Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to complain about the rising prices on power exchanges, which he said had trebled, to 15 rupees (€0.17, $0.20) per unit of power from mid-September to October 8. The chief minister of the capital, New Delhi, warned on Saturday of a power crisis because of the coal shortage. Some northern Indian states, including Bihar, Rajasthan and Jharkhand, have already been forced to undertake power cuts for up to 14 hours a day. Soaring electricity demand India's federal government, however, has downplayed concerns, insisting that sufficient quantities of coal are available to meet the needs of power plants. "There is no shortage in the daily supply of coal to states and power companies, and it is maintaining its stock of five days. In a month's time, the situation will be back to normal," a senior government official who asked not to be named told DW. Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi said recently that state-run Coal India, which supplies 80% of the nation's coal needs, has 22 days' worth of coal and stressed that the government was increasing supplies. Despite the reassurances, the situation remains serious, observers say. They argue that a combination of factors has resulted in this sharp demand-supply disparity in Asia's third-largest economy. India is the world's second-largest coal producer, with the fourth-largest reserves. But, as the nation's economy rebounds following a devastating coronavirus wave, power demand has surged rapidly. The country is largely dependent on its 135 major coal-fired power plants for electricity generation. But the soaring electricity demand has meant that Coal India's supplies are no longer sufficient. Coal prices soared to record peak Monsoon rains have flooded coal mines and disrupted transport networks, aggravating the supply problems. "With the monsoon season stretching out this year, there has been a considerable delay in coal supplies returning to normal levels. Economic activity was impacted during the second wave of the pandemic earlier this year — hence, coal stocks were not accumulated to the level required," Samrat Sengupta, of the Centre for Science and Environment, a New Delhi-based think tank, told DW. The shortages have led to a sharp rise in prices for coal buyers, including power stations, with prices in India jumping by as much as 300% since January. "What's more, there has also been a sharp increase in the price of imported coal, owing to a rise in global demand. China is also grappling with an energy crunch," Sengupta said. At the same time, international coal prices have soared to a record peak because of the supply-demand mismatchcaused by soaring demand from not just India, but also China and other countries. In a move that could push up the already high global prices, India's government has asked power producers to import up to 10% of their coal needs and has warned states that their power supplies would be curbed if they were found selling electricity on power exchanges to cash in on surging prices. Underinvestment in coal production Anne Josey of the Pune-based Prayas (Energy Group), a research organization working on energy policy, blames poor planning on the part of the government for the problem. "The working-capital crunch faced by power-generating companies, especially state-owned firms, which are seldom paid on time by cash-strapped distribution companies, has also contributed to this crisis," Josey told DW. M K Venu, a prominent economic analyst, has a similar view of government responsibility. "Instead of investing money to boost coal production, much of Coal India's surplus cash reserves went to the government to meet the growing fiscal deficit," Venu told DW. "The Modi government needs to explain how this underinvestment happened, contrary to policy objectives," Venu said. "Even the private sector delayed coal production as the government also took its eye off the ball and did not give follow-up clearances for exploiting new coal blocks," Venu added. "Thus, the Modi government has created a new mess in the coal sector, and by extension, in the supply of thermal power." The rising energy prices now pose a major risk to economic recovery in India, where consumers will soon likely have to pay a higher price for expensive electricity. Nevertheless, the crisis also offers an opportunity, Sengupta said, noting that it has highlighted the country's need to develop more renewable energy sources, given that power demand is likely to continue increasing. "This well could be a turning point and a time to renew efforts for clean energy and not give in to the fossil fuel lobby further," Sengupta said.

• Industrial Pollution

Do not breathe easy on the silicosis prevention policy

The Government must make haste to prevent a killer disease that claims thousands of workers’ lives each year Long before COVID-19 hit, countless workers engaged in mines, construction and factories in India were silently dying of exposure to dust, utmost exploitation and apathy. They continue to do so.

• Industrial Pollution

Tripura Best In Northeast On Disclosure Of Information On Pollution

The Tripura State Pollution Control Board has the best performance ranking among State Pollution Control Boards in the northeastern region of India, according to a report published by the Centre for Science & Environment, New Delhi. The performances of all the State Pollution Control Boards/Pollution Control Committees in the country were rated based on public disclosure of information of various regulatory activities under the Water Act 1974, and Air Act 1981 in the report. Thirty-one boards/committees were evaluated based on essential information disclosed on their websites. Speaking with Northeast Today, Prof. B.K. Agarwala, Chairman, Tripura State Pollution Control Board said that the Tripura State Pollution Control Board ranked 17th position and this was higher than all other boards in North East India. Meghalaya, Assam, Sikkim, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur State Pollution Control Boards ranked 18, 19, 20, 21, 26, 28, and 29 positions, respectively (www. cseindia.org).

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Delhi leads NCR in clean-fuel switch

All identified industries in the capital have switched to cleaner fuels or PNG, but the neighbouring states are yet to shift to cleaner fuels completely. Experts said the use of non-cleaner fuels in the authorised or illegal industries in the region can affect Delhi’s air quality. New Delhi: All identified industries in the capital have switched to cleaner fuels or PNG, but the neighbouring states are yet to shift to cleaner fuels completely. Experts said the use of non-cleaner fuels in the authorised or illegal industries in the region can affect Delhi’s air quality. According to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), Delhi has now completely switched over to PNG or cleaner fuels for all of its 1,635 identified industries. However, NCR is lagging behind as Haryana has shifted 408 industrial units to cleaner fuels from 1,469 identified units. In Uttar Pradesh, of 2,273 identified ones, 1,167 have switched to cleaner fuels. In Rajasthan, 124 industrial units out of 436 identified industries have shifted to PNG. According to a source apportionment carried out by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) in 2018, industries' contribution to PM2.5 in Delhi was 3% and in NCR was 24%. Similarly, the share of industries to PM10 was 2% in Delhi but 28% in NCR. Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said the agencies should ensure that the banned fuels are not used in authorised or illegal industrial units. “As the use of non-cleaner fuels in the industries can cause air pollution, the agencies should enforce the ban and focus on surveillance of industrial units. A transparent inventory should be prepared on the usage of fuels in industries, including small-scale industries.” To mitigate industrial pollution and minimise the use of coal in the industries, CAQM has advised the government of Haryana, UP, and Rajasthan to prepare an action plan for shifting of industries to cleaner fuels in the NCR districts, where gas infrastructure is already available. The action plan is also being pursued to bring in PNG infrastructure to industrial areas where gas is not available. Strict vigil on the use of unapproved fuels by enforcement agencies are some of the important measures. Delhi government has also asked the neighbouring states to use cleaner fuels in the industries. Environment minister Gopal Rai said, “All industrial units in Delhi are operated on PNG. We appealed that industrial units operating in NCR be operated on PNG so that increasing pollution can be reduced. This target has been given to other states, but due to loose monitoring and inefficient transferring of work between units, we have requested them to hurriedly work on this to curb industrial pollution.”

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Delhi leads NCR cities in clean-fuel switch

EW DELHI: All identified industries in the capital have switched to cleaner fuels or PNG, but the neighbouring states are yet to shift to cleaner fuels completely. Experts said the use of non-cleaner fuels in the authorised or illegal industries in the region can affect Delhi’s air quality.Track the pollution level in your city According to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), Delhi has now completely switched over to PNG or cleaner fuels for all of its 1,635 identified industries. However, NCR is lagging behind as Haryana has shifted 408 industrial units to cleaner fuels from 1,469 identified units. In Uttar Pradesh, of 2,273 identified ones, 1,167 have switched to cleaner fuels. In Rajasthan, 124 industrial units out of 436 identified industries have shifted to PNG. According to a source apportionment carried out by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) in 2018, industries' contribution to PM2.5 in Delhi was 3% and in NCR was 24%. Similarly, the share of industries to PM10 was 2% in Delhi but 28% in NCR. Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said the agencies should ensure that the banned fuels are not used in authorised or illegal industrial units. “As the use of non-cleaner fuels in the industries can cause air pollution, the agencies should enforce the ban and focus on surveillance of industrial units. A transparent inventory should be prepared on the usage of fuels in industries, including small-scale industries.” To mitigate industrial pollution and minimise the use of coal in the industries, CAQM has advised the government of Haryana, UP, and Rajasthan to prepare an action plan for shifting of industries to cleaner fuels in the NCR districts, where gas infrastructure is already available. The action plan is also being pursued to bring in PNG infrastructure to industrial areas where gas is not available. Strict vigil on the use of unapproved fuels by enforcement agencies are some of the important measures. Delhi government has also asked the neighbouring states to use cleaner fuels in the industries. Environment minister Gopal Rai said, “All industrial units in Delhi are operated on PNG. We appealed that industrial units operating in NCR be operated on PNG so that increasing pollution can be reduced. This target has been given to other states, but due to loose monitoring and inefficient transferring of work between units, we have requested them to hurriedly work on this to curb industrial pollution.” An official of Delhi Pollution Control Committee said, “We have started a drive to ensure that no industry uses non-cleaner fuels and pollutes the air through emissions from industries. We recently served notice to two units, and our drive against non-cleaner fuel in the industries will continue till February.”

• DTE - Web

From 58% to 17% market share: Why Indians don’t like diesel cars anymore

When diesel was Rs 20-25/litre cheaper than petrol in 2012-13, cars running on it accounted for 58% of the market. Now, people buy less polluting options, and experts welcome it. New Delhi: Less than a decade ago, there were as many diesel cars on Indian roads as petrol cars. In fact according to data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), diesel passenger vehicles (PVs) had a 58 per cent market share in the fiscal 2012-13, the highest proportion ever. The cheaper cost of diesel compared to petrol made consumers disregard the fact that the former causes more pollution than the latter. At the time, on average, diesel used to cost about Rs 20-25 less per litre than petrol. But now, with that difference down to Rs 7-9 per litre, according to an analysis of government data, the market share of diesel PVs has dropped to just 17 per cent in the fiscal year ending March 2021, SIAM data shows. This has had an unintended but desirable consequence — that consumers are opting for cleaner options like petrol, compressed natural gas (CNG), and electric and hybrid cars. The fall of diesel PVs’ market share occurred after the Narendra Modi government deregulated fuel prices and ended subsidies, soon after coming to power in 2014. The move was contrary to policy making through the previous two decades, as the government sought to prompt consumers to shift to cleaner alternatives and to reduce its own financial burden. The impact of those policy calls is now visible. According to experts, as India moves to a better emission standards regime over the next few years, this trend is here to stay. Policy battle against diesel India has fought a long battle against diesel vehicles, which started about three decades ago. In the 1990s, following years of industrialisation, national capital Delhi had become one of the most polluted cities in the world. The situation was so grave that a doctor could judge a person as a dweller of the city just by looking at their “blackish lungs”, environmental advocacy magazine Down To Earth reported in 1996. In the middle of that decade, following a PIL by environmental activist M.C. Mehta, the Supreme Court took drastic steps to curb pollution, and the axe fell on public transportation running on diesel first. Following the SC order issued on 28 July 1998, all Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses that were running on diesel were converted to CNG. By December 2002, diesel buses had disappeared from the city. Autorickshaws too had been upgraded to CNG. In 2016, the top court announced that only CNG taxis would run in Delhi, making an exception for diesel taxis running with an All India permit. Deregulation and its impact Until 2014, diesel was subsidised for several reasons — it was used by farmers to run tubewells, by industries to run machines, and freight and heavy commercial vehicles for transport. The benefit of the subsidies was also enjoyed by private vehicle owners, who, according to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, formed about 13.1 per cent of the total diesel consumers by 2012-13. However, after the Modi government came to power, it ended subsidies and left the pricing of fuel to the markets. This proved to be a major jolt to diesel prices, which have been racing up and are now within touching distance of petrol. Diesel prices in Mumbai crossed the Rs 100 per litre mark Saturday, touching Rs 100.66 Sunday, while petrol was at Rs 110.12. The life of diesel cars on Indian roads was also curtailed in 2015 by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which barred diesel cars older than 10 years from plying in the national capital. The latest National Scrapping Policy launched this year also aims to eliminate old and unfit vehicles from plying on India’s roads. With effect from 2020, all new cars also had to comply with Bharat Stage VI emission standards, increasing the gap between the production cost of diesel and petrol cars, disturbing the economics for the makers. India’s biggest car manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki, quit diesel manufacturing in 2020-21. Most companies in India have stopped releasing smaller diesel cars.

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Jagran Explainer: What is 'parali' and why its burning leads to air pollution in Delhi-NCR in winters

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had put a ban on the burning of stubble as it causes damage to the environment. NGT in its 2018 ruling ordered to impose a fine of Rs 2,500 and Rs 5,000 for stubble burning. With winters approaching, the issue of smog choking the national capital has risen once again. Every year the landscape of Delhi and other northern regions of the country like Harayana and Punjab turn apocalyptic due to the practice of stubble burning- which is also called 'parali' in Hindi. The burning of stubble or parali has been identified as one of the major reasons behind the environmental hazards in these areas. That is why the National Green Tribunal has put a ban on the burning of stubble. However, farmers continue to do so to clear their fields for the next sowing season. Here's everything you need to know about what is parali and why its burning is harmful and what are the alternatives: What is stubble or parali? Stubble or parali is the remaining part that is left over after harvesting the crop. When the paddy crops fully ripen, only the upper portion is harvested and the lower portion is left behind. This leftover part of the crop has no utility for the farmers. That is why farmers burn this dry stubble around October-November- which is the onset of winters- to clear the field for the next sowing season. Why is stubble burning harmful? The burning of stubble or parali releases gases like Carbon Monoxide and Carbon Dioxide which results in severe air pollution. It also has an adverse effect on human health. For example, the burning of stubble can cause health problems like skin and eye irritation, severe neurological cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchitis, lung capacity loss, emphysema, cancer, etc. Apart from the health hazards, stubble burning also affects the soil quality of the fields. It destroys the important nutrients in the soil. Therefore, it is not beneficiary for the farmers as well. What is National Green Tribunal's ruling on this? The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had put a ban on the burning of stubble as it causes damage to the environment. NGT in its 2018 ruling ordered to impose a fine of Rs 2,500 if the straw is burnt on 2 to 5 acres of land and a fine of Rs 5,000 if stubble is burnt on an area of more than 5 acres. The Tribunal has also suggested giving incentives to those farmers who do not burn stubble. The court has suggested providing CRM (Crop Residue Management) machines to farmers so that the crop residue can be converted into organic fertilizer by setting up decentralized composting. What are the alternatives? According to Anumita Roychowdhury, head of Clean Air Programme at the Centre for Science and Environment, there are three main solutions to stubble burning: in-situ treatment of stubble, ex-situ treatment, and changing cropping pattern. The last one is the deeper and more fundamental solution. For in-situ management, the government is currently giving equipment to farmers to mix the stubble back into the soil.

• Director General Office

Sharing the pain at Glasgow

Sanjeev Ahluwalia Ahead of the upcoming COP26 Summit, India needs to redefine its transition path for achieving net zero emissions, and reconsider its dependency on coal In the run up to the COP26 Summit in Glasgow on 31st October, enthusiasm bubbles over. This is as it should be. Preserving the world as we know it requires cutting back on the 34 giga tons (2018) of annual CO2 emissions, 37 percent of which is by the 16 percent of the global population in high-income economies. To be sure, income inequality is near universal. Empowered elites, beneficiaries of the “dual economy” syndrome, particularly in developing economies, enjoy “rich world” lifestyles and cannot evade their responsibilities. Pervasive inequality is the rationale for “common” global responsibilities for reversing climate change. But the aspect of “differentiated” responsibilities is just as important, for two reasons. First, it supports differentiating between the higher institutional and fiscal capacity in the rich world to change patterns of fossil energy consumption via technology versus low capacity in the developing world. Second, it reflects “climate justice”, by urging those who have benefited from the near exhaustion of the carbon emissions envelope, to reverse emissions and grow the available emissions envelop. The salience of “differentiated responsibilities” was visible in Kyoto, 1997. But by Paris 2015, it had morphed into a “free for all” in which we all agreed to go our own ways, with the relatively light, individual responsibility of diligently sharing publicly what we were doing to green our economies—a bit like how divorcing partners treat their past responsibilities. Over the past six years, the United Nations (UN) system, green activists, concerned citizens, and select industry groups kept alive the need to take more substantive action—an imperative confirmed by the working group for the sixth IPCC Report. Preparing for Glasgow—the 26th Conference of Parties—the UN advocates that all countries commit to reducing global emissions to 45 percent below 2010 level by 2030, to meet the requirements for limiting temperature rise to 1.5oC and to work towards net zero emissions by 2050. Preparing for Glasgow—the 26th Conference of Parties—the UN advocates that all countries commit to reducing global emissions to 45 percent below 2010 level by 2030, to meet the requirements for limiting temperature rise to 1.5oC and to work towards net zero emissions by 2050. Three issues confront India at Glasgow. First, should we announce a net zero target date and, if yes, what should it be? Second, should we commit to a defined transition path to reach net zero? Third, and related to the second, should we announce a date for peaking of emissions— code for abandoning coal as our primary energy source and our most abundant domestic fossil energy source? Quo Vadis Net Zero China and Indonesia have set the pace for the developing world by committing to net zero by 2060. India should use this date as a marker for its own commitment. With less than one-third of China’s per capita emissions (2019), India is surely justified in looking beyond 2060. There is a 20-year lag between Chinese economic growth and ours. India’s per capita GDP of US $1,961 (constant 2010 $) in 2020 was achieved by China in 2001. China’s spectacular double digit growth rates over lengthy periods are based on its unique “characteristics” that privilege economic growth over equity, human rights or rule of law, which runs against-the-grain for democracies, including India. Our highest annual average growth over a period of two decades was at 6.5 percent (constant terms) during 1993-2012. This was after a liberalised, open economy architecture was inaugurated. It will take us till 2040, even at an accelerated growth rate of 8 percent per year, to get to China’s per capita GDP of US $8,405 (constant 2010) in 2020. Subsequently, applying the four-decade long transition period adopted by China, we could notionally target net zero by 2080. Indian exceptionalism The question can well be asked if Indonesia—a large, lower middle-income country with a population of 273 million and per capita CO2 emissions that is 19 percent higher than India in 2018—can target 2060 for net zero, why not India? Indonesia’s dependence on coal for electricity generation at 30 percent is similar to 28 percent for India and 20 percent for China. However, there are three reasons why India is different. First, Indonesia’s per capita GDP (2010 constant) at US $4,312 in 2020, is more than twice of India’s and is nearly half of China’s. Development needs weigh less heavily on them than on India. Second, neither Indonesia nor China are solely reliant on coal as the primary, domestic fossil energy resource. Unlike India, both Indonesia and China have significant domestic reserves of oil—2.5X and 5.6X respectively on per capita basis versus India, and similarly of gas—at 4.7X and 6.1X respectively, of India. Are well-meaning, long-terms targets, like net zero, useful? Long-term planning horizons consistent with technological obsolescence rarely go beyond 20 years. In new renewables, obsolescence strikes even earlier, in five to ten years, as older capital assets become cost uncompetitive. India’s veteran climate activist, Sunita Narain of the Centre for Science and Environment, advocates a decision horizon of not more than 10 years, to focus attention at Glasgow on an implementable strategy to reduce emissions in the medium term and firm up short-term plans for green investment, supported by cheap finance for the long-term transition. An equitable transition How best can the common responsibility, defined in the sixth IPCC report as reducing CO2 emissions by 45 percent over 2010 levels by 2030, be shared differentially across countries? A good way to think of “responsibilities” is to group countries by income, which is a proxy for fiscal and technological capacity, to fix the problem. Per capita emission of CO2 is a good metric for measuring achievement of reduction targets—since emissions relate closely to Anthropocene (human) activity. Refer to Table 1 below. Interestingly, low-income countries—with population share of 8 percent (2019) and per capita income of US $821 (Atlas Method)—reduced their share of CO2 emissions by 25 percent over 2010-2018 as larger countries exited this group. Over 1998-2018, their emissions increased by 7 percent. High-income countries— with population share of 16 percent and per capita income of US $46,036—reduced emissions over 2010-2018 by 5 percent and over 1998-2018 by 2 percent. Emissions grew in upper- and lower-middle income countries over both time periods but differentially—less in upper-middle and more in lower-middle economies. The counter factual lesson derived from this differential experience is that economic growth is good for reducing emissions possibly, because it enhances domestic capacity to access better technology and heightens citizen expectations. Emissions grew in upper- and lower-middle income countries over both time periods but differentially—less in upper-middle and more in lower-middle economies. The counter factual lesson derived from this differential experience is that economic growth is good for reducing emissions possibly, because it enhances domestic capacity to access better technology and heightens citizen expectations. This was the logic behind the unredeemed pledge at Paris to transfer US $100 billion per year to developing economies for abating climate impact. Higher conditional transfers directly help the recipients. But by enhancing the poor world’s domestic fiscal ability to mitigate climate impact, they reduce the mitigation burden on donors. Table 1 shows why low- or lower-middle-income countries like India, are unable to contribute immediately to emissions reduction. The economic burden is growth retarding, even if distributed per their share in global GDP. Consequently, reduction targets would be double, or more, of the targeted 45 percent for the richest countries. An alternative is to agree a common cap on per capita emissions with differential target dates and disincentives, as a self-regulating, dynamic mechanism to invest in green growth. India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) to reduce energy intensity of the economy by 33 to 35 percent over 2005 levels by 2030 is derived from acceptable constraints for green, future growth. It should be tweaked to reflect the new base of 2010. The coal conundrum Limiting future CO2 emissions in India—principally netting out the gross emissions from a quadrupling of GDP by 2040—will depend on substituting coal for meeting incremental electricity demand. Till 2040, the options are natural gas or nuclear power. Both have varying security and cost-related consequence. Hydrogen, blended with natural gas, is an option post 2040, once Green H2 becomes commercially viable. India is not alone in this conundrum. It ranks third after China and the US as users of coal for electricity generation. Indonesia is the tenth largest (See Table 2 below). On a per capita basis, coal generation capacity in China, United States, South Africa, and South Korea is more than 4X; Germany 3X; Japan 2X and Poland 5X of India. Coal continues to be widely used and not just in the poor world. For India, given its dependence on coal for electricity generation, emissions will continue to increase at least till 2040-2050, after which a three-decade long trend of declining emissions can start ending with net zero emissions by 2080. At Glasgow An asymmetric schedule for reducing CO2 emissions, makes for a fair transition strategy across income groups of economies. Recent technology in fuels (Green H2), carbon capture and storage, gigawatt scale battery storage to overcome the intermittency constraint in wind and solar power and supply ancillary services to the grid, metallurgical innovations to improve the efficiency of production, and use of commercial energy—all need open-source, collaborative, research and development across country silos and between financiers, buyers, and sellers. For India, the Quad opens new venues to deepen climate-related technological networks. Glasgow should focus on agreeing on mechanisms for equitable, quantifiable, differentiated responsibility for reducing emissions, whilst promoting faster economic growth in the bottom five income deciles—technology and the scale effects of global supply chains are already doing the rest.

• Director General Office

नजरिया : भारत को अपने विकास की कहानी दोबारा लिखने की जरूरत

वैश्विक राजनीति में अर्थतंत्र और पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र का टकराव। इस कहानी का आधार हो सबकी जरूरत, न कि केवल कुछ ही लोगों की। उसमें पर्यावरण संरक्षण की बात हो, क्योंकि यही जीवन के अस्तित्व का आधार है। इसमें चयन के विकल्प की गुंजाइश न हो, यह आवश्यक है। अब वक्त भी बदल गया है और विश्व भी। सुनीता नारायण (सतत विकास की हरित अवधारणा की पैरोकार, सीएसई की महानिदेशक) करीब 30 साल पहले जब भारत ने आर्थिक सुधारों की घोषणा की थी तो यह भली-भांति जानता था कि आर्थिक विकास का पर्यावरण पर प्रतिकूल असर पड़ेगा। विकास के लिए प्राकृतिक संसाधनों का दोहन बढ़ेगा और जल व वायु प्रदूषित होंगे। यह तथ्य इसलिए भी विदित था क्योंकि उदारवाद और मुक्त व्यापार के जरिए आर्थिक विकास की विचारधारा लाने वाले विश्व के संपन्न राष्ट्रों को समझ आ गया था कि उनकी समृद्धि का एक ही रास्ता है कि वे सर्वाधिक प्रदूषणकारी व श्रम आधारित उद्योगों को नए उभरते देशों को निर्यात कर दें। देश के पर्यावरण को पहला झटका तब लगा जब 1990 के दशक के मध्य में दिल्ली की हवा खराब हो गई, उसमें कालिख छा गई। इसका कारण था मोटरीकरण को बढ़ावा।</p> अगले दो दशक में हमारी धरती, जल, वायु और भोजन, सब कुछ विषाक्त हो गया। तब जाकर हमें अहसास हुआ कि इससे हमारी सेहत को कितना नुकसान पहुंचा है। यह आर्थिक विकास का दुखद पहलू था। इसीलिए विकास और पर्यावरण के बीच संतुलन बिठाने का मुद्दा बार-बार उठता रहता है। यह संकल्प हर बार त्रुटिपूर्ण रह जाता है क्योंकि निर्णय लेने वाले सार्वजनिक संस्थान लगातार कमजोर और अक्षम होते जा रहे हैं।</p> इन तीस सालों में हमने यह भी सीखा है कि विकास तभी स्थायी रूप से जारी रह सकता है, जब तक कि इसकी लागत वहन की जा सके और सारे घटक शामिल हों। हम जानते हैं कि सबको स्वच्छता के साधन वहन की जाने वाली कीमतों पर मुहैया कराए बिना नदियों को साफ रखना मुश्किल है। नीला आसमान और सहज सांस लेना तभी संभव है जब हम आने-जाने के लिए खुद चलें, न कि वाहनों का इस्तेमाल करें।</p> पेड़ों और पानी जैसे प्राकृतिक संसाधनों में निवेश कर ही हम ऐसा लचीलापन पा सकेंगे जो जलवायु जोखिमों से भरे इस विश्व में जरूरी है। भारत को अपने विकास की कहानी दोबारा लिखने की जरूरत है। इस कहानी का आधार हो सबकी जरूरत, न कि केवल कुछ ही लोगों की। उसमें पर्यावरण संरक्षण की बात हो, क्योंकि यही जीवन के अस्तित्व का आधार है। इसमें चयन के विकल्प की गुंजाइश न हो, यह आवश्यक है। अब वक्त भी बदल गया है और विश्व भी। दुनिया मुक्त व्यापार और उदारीकरण से मुंह फेर संरक्षणवादी हो चली है। मुक्त वैश्विक व्यापार के वादे ने वैश्विक समीकरण बदल दिए हैं।</p> चीन के उत्थान का श्रेय विश्व व्यापार संगठन (डब्ल्यूटीओ) में इसके प्रवेश को दिया जा सकता है। विश्व व्यापार संगठन में प्रवेश पाने के बाद चीन ने अप्रत्याशित तरक्की की है। इसके बाद ही चीन ने व्यापार में बाकी देशों को पछाड़ दिया। सफलता के लिए उसके पास तुरुप का पत्ता ('ट्रम्प' कार्ड) रहा - सस्ता श्रम, सस्ता ऋण और इस दौरान बिना किसी पाबंदी को मानते हुए पर्यावरण सुरक्षा के कोई मानदंड न अपनाना। इस होड़ में चीन ने बाकी सभी देशों को पछाड़ दिया है। विश्व व्यापार को जिन पश्चिमी अर्थव्यवस्थाओं ने पहले आगे बढ़ाया, वे अब इस पर संयम बरतना चाहते हैं।</p> इसे और अधिक स्पष्ट रूप से समझते हैं। विश्व पर प्रभुत्व की लड़ाई में आज चीन अमरीका के सामने खड़ा है। इससे भारत सहित बाकी विश्व में पर्यावरण सुरक्षा और जलवायु परिवर्तन जैसी जटिलताएं उत्पन्न होंगी। बिना इधर-उधर की बात किए सही मुद्दे पर आते हैं। स्पष्ट तथ्य यह है कि आज ऐसा देश विश्व नेता है, जिसके आर्थिक विकास का मॉडल अलग ही है। इसका संविधान एक ही बात कहता है - हर वह काम करो, जो भी किया जाना है। इसके स्वच्छन्द राष्ट्राध्यक्ष का राष्ट्रीय एजेंडा यही है। इसका मकसद है निर्माण, व्यापार और वैश्विक वाणिज्य के जरिए विश्व में आर्थिक ताकत का लोहा मनवाना। अगर इसका मतलब है ज्यादा ग्रीनहाउस गैसों का उत्सर्जन और ज्यादा प्रदूषण, तो यह खेल अभी लंबा चलेगा।</p> कहने की जरूरत नहीं कि चीन पश्चिमी देशों का खेल खेलना नहीं सीखा, बल्कि बखूबी सीख गया है। स्वच्छ बिजली और ऊर्जा नवीनीकरण पर यह सही आवाज उठाता है। साथ ही इसने ऐसे कार्य किए हैं जिससे उद्योगों के ग्रीनहाउस गैसों के उत्सर्जन कम किए जा सकें। जैसे सौर ऊर्जा के उपयोग से लेकर इलेक्ट्रिक वाहन बनाना आदि। इसने 2060 तक शून्य उत्सर्जन का लक्ष्य रखा है। साथ ही अपनी अर्थव्यवस्था के लिए यह कोयले पर ही भरोसा करता आया है और इसी का उपयोग करना जारी रखे हुए है। निस्संदेह अब यह देश इतना ताकतवर हो गया है कि इसके लिए यह कहना भी मुश्किल है कि यह दुनिया को बरगला रहा है।</p> परन्तु बात सिर्फ चीन की नहीं है और न ही पर्यावरण के प्रति उसके रवैये और जलवायु परिवर्तन से निपटने के उसके तौर-तरीकों की। असल बात है - चीन और अमरीका के बीच प्रतिस्पर्धा की। इसके चलते दुनिया के देश आपस में होड़ करेंगे और दोनों में से किसी एक की तरफदारी करेंगे। समस्या यह है कि सभी पक्ष जानते हैं कि प्रभुत्व की लड़ाई जीतने के लिए आर्थिक ताकत अत्यधिक महत्त्वपूर्ण है। ज्यादा निर्माण, ज्यादा उत्पादन होने से उपभोग बढ़ेगा, व्यापार व वाणिज्य भी बढ़ेगा। पुरानी परम्परा जारी रखने का यह नया पैमाना होगा। इस प्रकार सुरक्षित जल, स्वच्छता और निकासी का 'ब्राउन एजेंडा' वापस लाया जा सकेगा। आज भारत ही नहीं, समूचा विश्व जलवायु परिवर्तन और पारिस्थितिकीय सुरक्षा की बात कर रहा है। पिछले तीस वर्षों से विश्व पर्यावरण और जलवायु परिवर्तन विषय पर लगातार थोथी बातें करके ऊब गया है।</p> बीते तीस वर्षों को छोड़, आने वाले तीस वर्षों की बात की जाए तो अब शाब्दिक चतुराई नहीं चलेगी, प्रकृति के साथ उत्पात मचा है। इसे रोकने के उपाय करना वक्त के साथ दौड़ लगाने जैसा है और वक्त हमारे साथ नहीं है।</p>