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GS Paper: GS3-18.Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.

  • China’S Climate Commitment

    Context- Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Chinese President Xi Jinping made two promises that came as a welcome surprise to climate change watchers.

    What has China announced ?

    • First, Xi said, China would become carbon net-zero by the year 2060.
      • Net-zero is a state in which a country’s emissions are compensated by absorptions and removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
      • Absorption can be increased by creating more carbon sinks such as forests, while removal involves application of technologies such as carbon capture and storage.
    • Second, the Chinese President announced a small but important change in China’s already committed target for letting its emissions “peak”, from “by 2030” to “before 2030”.
      • That means China would not allow its greenhouse gas emissions to grow beyond that point.
      • Xi did not specify how soon “before 2030” means, but even this much is being seen as a very positive move from the world’s largest emitter.

    How significant is China’s commitment?

    • China is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases. It accounts for almost 30% of global emissions, more than the combined emissions in the United States, the European Union and India, the three next biggest emitters.
    • Getting China to commit itself to a net-zero target is a big breakthrough, especially since countries have been reluctant to pledge themselves to such long term commitments.
    • So far, the European Union was the only big emitter to have committed itself to a net-zero emission status by 2050.

  • Environmentalism at the core

    The article explains the importance of focusing on the green supply chain for ensuring sustainability along with the progress of the organisations.

    Sustainability as an essential issue

    • The U.N’s. Millennium Development Goals and the World Bank Group’s global practices have recognised sustainability as an essential issue of global importance.
    • Economic, social and other forms of sustainability have evolved over the years, but it is environmental sustainability that has gained significant popularity.

    Economy and sustainability

    • Some firms have positioned environmental practices at the forefront due to legislation, and industry and government commitments.
    • Several firms have prioritised environmental practices due to compelling regulatory norms, and a potential to manage costs, risks and optimise eco-friendly practices.
    • However, organisations in the manufacturing sector focus on waste reduction and energy efficiency improvements excessively and fail to see the big picture of environmentalism.

    Adopting green supply chains for long-lasting benefits

    • Only through organisational learning can people be urged to work towards long-lasting benefits.
    • In this context, green supply chain practices are useful.
    • These include green procurement, green manufacturing, green distribution, and reverse logistics.
    • With practices starting from acquisition of eco-friendly raw material to disposal/ reuse/ recycle of used products, employees, suppliers, distributors, retailers and customers will be able to integrate environmental concerns in the daily operations of a firm.
    • Thus, green supply chain practices enable organisational learning in environmental sustainability.
    •  Research shows that the positive impacts of environmentalism can only be felt in the long term when they get embedded into organisational learning systems through green supply chain practices.
    • The resultant learning system smoothens the knowledge flow in the organisation.

    Focusing on linkages

    • Linkages between green supply chain practices, corporate environmental performance, corporate economic performance is necessary for an organisation’s progress and environmental protection.
    • When the different players of a manufacturing supply chain realise the inherent benefits associated with organisational learning dimensions, their drive towards environmentalism increases.

    Conclusion

    Policymakers should support this thinking by not merely imposing environmental practices as regulatory norms but by emphasising on the creation of green supply chain-based learning systems in manufacturing.

  • [pib] “Blue Flag” Certification

    The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has announced the first time eight beaches of India are recommended for the coveted International eco-label, the Blue flag certification.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q. At one of the places in India, if you stand on the seashore and watch the sea, you will find that the seawater recedes from the shoreline a few kilometers and comes back to the shore, twice a day, and you can actually walk on the seafloor when the water recedes. This unique phenomenon is seen at:

    (a) Bhavnagar

    (b) Bheemunipatnam

    (c) Chandipur

    (d) Nagapattinam

    Which are the eight beaches?

    The eight beaches are Shivrajpur in Gujarat, Ghoghla in Daman & Diu, Kasargod and Padubidri beach in Karnataka, Kappad in Kerala, Rushikonda in Andhra Pradesh, Golden beach of Odisha and Radhanagar beach in Andaman and Nicobar.

    About Blue Flag Certification

    • This Certification is accorded by an international agency “Foundation for Environment Education, Denmark” based on 33 stringent criteria in four major heads i.e.
    1. Environmental Education and Information,
    2. Bathing Water Quality,
    3. Environment Management and Conservation and
    4. Safety and Services on the beaches.
    • It started in France in 1985 and has been implemented in Europe since 1987, and in areas outside Europe since 2001 when South Africa joined.
    • Japan and South Korea are the only countries in South and southeastern Asia to have Blue Flag beaches.
    • Spain tops the list with 566 such beaches; Greece and France follow with 515 and 395, respectively.

  • India must reject the inequitable climate proposal

    The article takes stock of India’s climate action and the issue of phasing out the use of coal.

    Context

    • The UN Secretary-General called on India to give up coal immediately and reduce emissions by 45% by 2030.

    State of India’s climate action

    • India’s renewable energy programme is ambitious and its energy efficiency programme is delivering, especially in the domestic consumption sector.
    • India is one of the few countries with at least 2° Celsius warming compliant climate action.
    • India is also among one of smaller list of countries on track to fulfilling their Paris Agreement commitments.
    • India’s annual emissions, at 0.5 tonnes per capita, are well below the global average of 1.3 tonnes.
    • In terms of cumulative emissions, India’s contribution by 2017 was only 4% for a population of 1.3 billion.

    How West is performing?

    • While talking about their phasing out of coal, the global North has obscured the reality of its continued dependence on oil and natural gas, both equally fossil fuels, with no timeline for their phaseout.
    • While it is amply clear that their commitments into the future set the world on a path for almost 3°C warming, they have diverted attention by fuzzy talk of “carbon neutrality” by 2050.
    • Environmentalists in developed countries, unable to summon up the domestic political support have turned to pressure the developing countries.
    • All of these are accompanied by increasing appeals to multilateral or First World financial and development institutions to force this agenda on to developing countries.

    Implications of ending coal investment for India

    •  Currently, roughly 2 GW of coal-based generation is being decommissioned per year.
    •  But meeting the 2030 electricity consumption target of 1,580 to 1,660 units per person per year, will require anywhere between 650 GW to 750 GW of renewable energy.
    • Unlike the developed nations, India cannot substitute coal substantially by oil and gas and despite some wind potential, a huge part of this growth needs to come from solar.
    • However, renewables at best can meet residential consumption and some part of the demand from the service sector.
    • Currently, manufacturing growth powered by fossil fuel-based energy is itself a necessity.

    Conclusion

    India must unanimously reject the UN Secretary General’s call and reiterate its long-standing commitment to an equitable response to the challenge of global warming.

  • Species in news: Kalinga Frog

    Indian scientists have reported a first-of-its-kind discovery of morphological phenotypic plasticity (MPP) in the Kalinga cricket frog.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Consider the following statements:

    1. Biodiversity hotspots are located only in tropical regions.
    2. India has four biodiversity hotspots i.e., Eastern Himalayas, Western Himalayas, Western Ghats and Andaman and the Nicobar Islands.

    Which of the above statements is/ are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

    Kalinga Frog

    • The Kalinga Frog (Fejervarya Kalinga) was recently identified species which was documented in 2018.
    • The species was encountered several times during field expeditions in the Western Ghats. However, the physical characteristics vary entirely from the known species of Eastern Ghats.
    • However, it has been reported from the central Western Ghats, with the evidence of considerable MPP.
    • It was the only genetic analysis that helped prove that physically different-looking frogs from eastern and western ghats were the same.

    What is MPP?

    • The morphological phenotypic plasticity (MPP) is the ability of an organism to show drastic morphological (physical features) variations in response to natural environmental variations or stimuli.
    • The term “phenotype” refers to the observable physical properties of an organism, which include the organism’s appearance, development, and behaviour.

  • Etosha Salt Pan, Namibia

    NASA has recently captured images depicting the wet and dry cycles of Etosha Pan in Africa’s Namibia through the year.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Which of the following has/have shrunk immensely/ dried up in the recent past due to human activities?

    1. Aral Sea
    2. Black Sea
    3. Lake Baikal

    Select the correct option using the code given below:

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (c) 2 only

    (d) 1 and 3 only

    Etosha Salt Pan

    • The Etosha pan is hollow in the ground, wherein water may collect or in which a deposit of salt remains after the water has evaporated.
    • The 120-kilometre-long dry lakebed and its surroundings are protected as Etosha National Park, Namibia’s second-largest wildlife park.
    • The pan is mostly dry, but after a heavy rain, it acquires a thin layer of water that is heavily salted by the mineral deposits on the surface.

  • Global Biodiversity Outlook-5 Report

    The Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO) 5 report was leaked before its official release. Let’s look at the highlights of the report.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Consider the following pairs:

    Terms sometimes seen in the news- Their origin

    1. Annex-I Countries- Cartagena Protocol
    2. Certified Emissions- Nagoya Protocol Reductions
    3. Clean Development- Kyoto Protocol Mechanism

    Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (c) 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    About GBO report

    • The GBO is the flagship publication of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
    • It is a periodic report that summarizes the latest data on the status and trends of biodiversity and draws conclusions relevant to the further implementation of the Convention.
    • It summarizes progress made towards achieving the objectives of the Convention, such as the Aichi Targets and identifies key actions to achieve these.

    Highlights of the Report

    • GBO-5 is an overview of the state of nature. It is a final report card on the progress made by countries in achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.
    • What the world needed was a shift from business-as-usual, the report said. This transformation needed to take place in all human activities that were interlinked with natural resources.
    • This shift was crucial, the report added as natural resources would continue to decline and the world would not be able to meet the UN-mandated Sustainable Development Goals.
    • The GBO-5 suggested some shifts that need to be implemented to achieve the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity. These include:
    1. Transition within land and forests: The report called the restoration of all forests that had been degraded. It also urged restoring local ecosystems.
    2. Sustainable agriculture: Farmers would have to reduce the use of chemicals and instead focus more on agroecological farming practices, the report said.
    3. Sustainable food systems: The report urged people to eat healthier, plant-based food and less meat. It also called for a focus on the problem of food wastage within the supply chain and household.
    4. Climate action: The report called for nature-based solutions to reduce climate change
    5. One health: Agricultural and urban ecosystems, as well as wildlife, should be managed in an integrated manner, it said.

    Failure to meet the targets

    None of the 20 ‘Aichi Biodiversity Targets’ agreed on by national governments through the CBD has been met, according to the report. The world was supposed to meet these targets by 2020. Whatever little progress has been made, has to do with the following:

    • Aichi Biodiversity Target 1 (Creating awareness about the value of biodiversity)
    • Aichi Biodiversity Target 11 (17 per cent of terrestrial and inland water areas and 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, to be effectively and equitably managed)
    • Aichi Biodiversity Target 16 (Access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilization)
    • Aichi Biodiversity Target 17 (Creation, adoption and implementation of an effective, participatory and updated national biodiversity strategy and action plan)
    • Aichi Biodiversity Target 19 (Improvement and dissemination of knowledge, the science base and technologies relating to biodiversity).

    Back2Basics: Convention on Biological Diversity

    • The CBD, known informally as the Biodiversity Convention, is a multilateral treaty.
    • The Convention has three main goals including the conservation of biological diversity (or biodiversity); the sustainable use of its components; and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources.
    • It has two supplementary agreements:
    1. Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety- An international treaty governing the movements of living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology from one country to another
    2. Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS)
    • All UN member states—with the exception of the United States—have ratified the treaty.

  • What is Project Dolphin?

    In his Independence Day Speech this year, PM has announced the government’s plan to launch a Project Dolphin. The proposed project is aimed at saving both river and marine dolphins.

    Project Dolphin

    • The Project will be on the lines of Project Tiger, which has helped increase the tiger population.
    • So far, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), which implements the government’s flagship scheme Namami Gange, has been taking some initiatives for saving dolphins.
    • Now, Project Dolphin is expected to be implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

    About Gangetic Dolphin

    • The Gangetic river system is home to a vast variety of aquatic life, including the Gangetic dolphin (Platanista gangetica).
    • It is one of five species of river dolphin found around the world.
    • It is found mainly in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems.
    • An adult dolphin could weigh between 70 kg and 90 kg. The breeding season of the Gangetic dolphin extends from January to June.
    • They feed on several species of fishes, invertebrates etc.

    Why is it important to save dolphins?

    • The construction of dams and barrages and increasing pollution has led to a decline in the population of aquatic animals in the rivers in general and of dolphins in particular.
    • Aquatic life is an indicator of the health of river ecosystems.
    • As the Gangetic dolphin is at the top of the food chain, protecting the species and its habitat will ensure

    Aquatic life as an indicator of the health of a river system

    • Globally, there have been such examples. For instance, the Rhine Action Plan (1987) of the International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR) brought back the salmon.
    • The return of the migratory fish is taken as an indicator of the river’s improved health.
    • Salmon used to migrate from the North Sea to the Rhine every year and reproduce, but this stopped when pollution increased in the river.
    • After a chemical accident in 1986 that caused the death of fish and microorganisms, the Action Plan was launched.
    • This led to an improvement in the quality of the river water, and the salmons began to return.

    What has been done to save Gangetic dolphins so far?

    • Although efforts to save them were started in the mid-1980s, the estimates suggest the numbers have not risen as a result.
    • The Gangetic dolphin remains listed as Endangered by the IUCN.
    • After the launch of Ganga Action Plan in 1985, the government on November 24, 1986, included Gangetic dolphins in the First Schedule of the Indian Wildlife (Protection), Act 1972.
    • This was aimed at checking hunting and providing conservation facilities such as wildlife sanctuaries. For instance, Vikramshila Ganges Dolphin Sanctuary was established in Bihar under this Act.

    Conservation so far

    • The government has prepared The Conservation Action Plan for the Ganges River Dolphin 2010-2020.
    • It identified threats to Gangetic Dolphins and impact of river traffic, irrigation canals and depletion of prey-base on Dolphins populations.
    • On October 5, 2009, the then PM declared the Gangetic river dolphin as the national aquatic animal.
    • A notification was issued by the MoEFCC the following year. Now, the National Mission for Clean Ganga celebrates October 5 as National Ganga River Dolphin Day.

  • Thinking of new recovery path

    Growth and environmental protection are not the polar opposites of each other. The article analyses the issue of balancing the two and using pandemic as an opportunity to evolve novel recovery path.

    Pandemic: opportunity to new recovery path

    • The pandemic presents an opportunity for us to think of a new recovery path, one that can decouple economic growth and environmental degradation.
    • It becomes more important as India sees opportunities on the global call to diversify the supply chain and its internal call for Atmanirbhar Bharat.
    • For that, we need to strengthen our production and manufacturing capabilities.

    Issue of regulatory infrastructure

    • Monitoring and implementing environmental regulations is the biggest challenge we face.
    • Take the municipal solid waste rules.
    • Two decades after the regulations came into effect, their status not in good shape.
    • A comparatively recent regulation, centred around Extended Producer Responsibility, has also posed challenges in monitoring and implementation.
    • In a recent ruling, the judiciary not only ruled against the industry but also blamed officials responsible for implementing the regulations.

    Focus on implementation and monitoring

    •  In the long run, diluting regulatory norms will create more adverse impacts resulting in greater community upsurge.
    • The focus has to be to improve the system’s capabilities to monitor and implement regulatory requirements.
    • There needs to be greater transparency and accountability; there is no dearth of technology to facilitate this.
    • The intention and capacity to take action, rectify and diffuse is critical.
    • The right ecosystem between the industry, community and regulator is crucial.
    • If the three stakeholders remain isolated and get activated only in a crisis, we will not make any progress towards solving the issue.

    Way forward

    • We need to couple growth and environmental protection.
    • Environmental health will be the key enabler of socio-economic growth in the future.
    • Industry needs to realise that it is a part of an ecosystem and not at the centre of it.
    • Communities get impacted, either positively or negatively,  they need to empower themselves through education, so that they are not driven by the agenda of individuals with vested interests.
    • We have a challenge in implementing environmental regulations.
    • The community does not trust that the industry is meeting its compliance requirements, so, the regulatory system’s role is to improve this trust quotient.

    Conclusion

    As we plan our recovery past the pandemic, we have a good chance to create a new normal. We need to align towards a common cause and goals. We should not miss this chance.

  • Species in news: Barn Owl

    With a thriving rat population playing havoc with its coconut yield, the UT of Lakshadweep hires barn owls for help.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.The Red Data Books published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) contains lists of:

    1. Endemic plant and animal species present in the biodiversity hotspots.
    2. Threatened plant and animal species.
    3. Protected sites for conservation of nature and natural resources in various countries.

    Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

    (a) 1 and 3

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 2 and 3

    (d) 3 only

    Barn Owl

    IUCN status: Least Concerned

    • The barn owl is the most widely distributed species of owl in the world and one of the most widespread of all species of birds.
    • It is found almost everywhere in the world except for the polar and desert regions, Asia north of the Himalayas, most of Indonesia, and some Pacific islands.

    What is Barn?

    • A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes.
    • It refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.