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GS Paper: GS1-14.Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc.,

  • What is Irrecoverable Carbon?

    Researchers have identified and mapped 139 gigatonnes (Gt) of “irrecoverable carbon” in some of the world’s major forests and peatlands — including the Amazon and the Congo — to avoid catastrophic climate change.

    What is Irrecoverable Carbon?

    • The concept of ‘irrecoverable carbon’ was introduced in 2020.
    • All kinds of ecosystems — lush rainforest, muddy peatland, shady mangroves — contain eons of stored carbon, captured by photosynthesis.
    • Per square kilometer, the forests are among the most effective carbon stores in the world; but they’re also some of the most difficult to restore.
    • If destroyed, these ecosystems could take decades or centuries to regenerate.
    • In other words, the 139 gigatons of carbon contained in these areas are effectively irrecoverable if released due to anthropogenic activities.
    • Once released in air, it can be recovered but would take centuries to fully recover or naturally reintegrate.

    What is the new research?

    • In the new study, researchers have identified and mapped carbon reserves that are “manageable, are vulnerable to disturbance” and cannot be recovered by 2050.
    • They held study of peatlands of the Congo Basin and Northern Europe; and in North America, the mangrove swamps of the Everglades and old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest.
    • 2050 has been set as the deadline for taking global carbon emissions to net zero in order for Earth to avoid warming at 1.5-2 degrees celsius above the pre-industrial levels.
    • To mitigate such a warming scenario, it is imperative to conserve the ecosystems with 139 Gt carbon.

    Key findings

    • Amazon is the biggest carbon sink on earth, holding 31.5 Gt irrecoverable carbon.
    • Brazil has the second-largest irrecoverable carbon reserves, after Russia that holds 23 per cent of the total irrecoverable carbon outlay in the world.
    • The second-largest reserve of carbon, at 132 Gt, comprise the islands of Southeast Asia, with their equatorial rainforests.
    • The Congo basin is the third-largest hotspot of irrecoverable carbon with over 8 Gt of carbon reserves, according to the study.
    • Australia, which has become a hotspot for wildfires, is home to 2.5 per cent of the world’s carbon reserve along its coastal mangroves and forests in the southeast and southwest.

    Why conserve these forests?

    • These regions are already being ravaged by wildfires and exploited for resources by mining and oil industries.
    • Since 2010, agriculture, logging and wildfire have caused emissions of at least 4 Gt of irrecoverable carbon.

     

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  • India votes against Resolution on Climate Change at UNSC

    India has voted against a draft resolution at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) linking climate to security.

    About United Nations Security Council

    • The UNSC is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security.
    • Its powers include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of international sanctions, and the authorization of military action through Security Council resolutions.
    • It is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member states.

    Its members

    • The Security Council consists of fifteen members. Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, and the United States—serve as the body’s five permanent members (P5).
    • These permanent members can veto any substantive Security Council resolution, including those on the admission of new member states or candidates for Secretary-General.
    • The Council also has 10 non-permanent members, elected on a regional basis to serve two-year terms.
    • The body’s presidency rotates monthly among its members.

    What was the recent draft about?

    • The objective of the draft was to examine how terrorism and security risks could be linked to climate change.

    Reasons cited by India

    • Deviation from UNFCCC: The draft was an attempt to shift climate talks from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to the Security Council and a “step backward” for collective action on the issue.
    • Evasion of responsibility: The attempt to discuss climate action and climate justice issues at the UNSC was “motivated by a desire to evade responsibility in the appropriate forum.”
    • Veto hegemony over Climate Action: Countries are attempting to bring climate talks to the UNSC so that decisions could be taken without consensus or the involvement of most developing countries.
    • Historic pollutants: Many of the UNSC members were the primary contributors to climate change due to historical emissions.
    • Overtly ambitious targets: Indian officials had said at the conclusion of COP26 that India alone would need a trillion dollars by 2030 to achieve its climate ambitions.

    Significance of UNFCC

    • The UN already has a specialized agency, the UNFCCC, for discussing all matters related to climate change.
    • The parties to the UNFCCC — over 190 countries — meet several times every year, including at a two-week year-ending conference like the one at Glasgow, to work on a global approach to combat climate change.
    • It is this process that has given rise to the Paris Agreement, and its predecessor the Kyoto Protocol, the international instrument that is designed to respond to the climate change crisis.

    Arguments in favor of UNSC in climate talks

    • Preventing conflicts: The UNSC exists primarily to prevent conflicts and maintain global peace.
    • International security: A few EU countries, led by Germany, have been pushing for a role for UNSC in climate change discussions citing international security dimensions.
    • Climate-led conflicts: Climate change-induced food or water shortage, loss of habitat or livelihood, or migration can exacerbate existing conflicts or even create new ones.
    • UN Peacekeeping: This can have implications for the UN field missions that are deployed across the world in peacekeeping efforts.

    Issues with UNSC

    • Veto by Russia and China: These two permanent members have always been opposed to the move to bring climate change on the Security Council agenda.
    • Lack of expertise: The opposing countries claim that the UNSC does not have the expertise as compared to UNFCCC.
    • Lack of consensus: Unlike UNFCCC, where decisions are taken by consensus of all the 190-plus countries, the UNSC would enable climate change decision-making by a handful of developed countries.

    India is in highlight again

    • This was the second time that India went against the tide to block a climate change-related proposal that it did not agree with.
    • At the Glasgow COP, India had forced a last-minute amendment in the final draft agreement to ensure that a provision calling for “phase-out” of coal was changed to “phase-down”.

     

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  • [pib] Global Methane Initiative (GMI)

    India has co-chaired along with Canada the Global Methane Initiative leadership meet held virtually.

    About Methane

    • Methane is a greenhouse gas, which is also a component of natural gas.
    • There are various sources of methane including human and natural sources.
    • The anthropogenic sources are responsible for 60 per cent of global methane emissions.
    • It includes landfills, oil and natural gas systems, agricultural activities, coal mining, wastewater treatment, and certain industrial processes.
    • The oil and gas sectors are among the largest contributors to human sources of methane.
    • These emissions come primarily from the burning of fossil fuels, decomposition in landfills and the agriculture sector.

    Global Methane Initiative (GMI)

    • GMI is a voluntary Government and an informal international partnership having members from 45 countries including the United States and Canada.
    • The forum has been created to achieve global reduction in anthropogenic methane emission through partnership among developed and developing countries having economies in transition.
    • The forum was created in 2004 and India is one of the members since its inception and has taken up Vice-Chairmanship for the first time in the Steering Leadership along with USA.
    • National governments are encouraged to join GMI as Partner Countries, while other non-State organizations may join GMI’s extensive Project Network.

    Focus areas

    The initiative currently focuses on five sectors, which are known sources of anthropogenic methane emissions:

    1. Agriculture
    2. Coal mining
    3. Municipal solid waste
    4. Municipal wastewater
    5. Oil and gas systems

    Why focus on Methane?

    • The emission of methane is a big concern as it is a greenhouse gas having 25-28 times harmful effect than carbon dioxide
    • According to the UN, 25 % of the warming that the world is experiencing today is because of methane.
    • Methane is the second-most abundant greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, after carbon dioxide.
    • According to IPCC, methane accounts for about half of the 1.0 degrees Celsius net rise in global average temperature since the pre-industrial era.

    Back2Basics: CO2 Equivalents

    • Each greenhouse gas (GHG) has a different global warming potential (GWP) and persists for a different length of time in the atmosphere.
    • The three main greenhouse gases (along with water vapour) and their 100-year global warming potential (GWP) compared to carbon dioxide are:

    1 x – carbon dioxide (CO2)

    25 x – methane (CH4) – I.e. Releasing 1 kg of CH4into the atmosphere is about equivalent to releasing 25 kg of CO2

    298 x – nitrous oxide (N2O)

    • Water vapour is not considered to be a cause of man-made global warming because it does not persist in the atmosphere for more than a few days.
    • There are other greenhouse gases which have far greater global warming potential (GWP) but are much less prevalent. These are sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and perfluorocarbons (PFCs).
    • There are a wide variety of uses for SF6, HFCs, and PFCs but they have been most commonly used as refrigerants and for fire suppression.
    • Many of these compounds also have a depleting effect on ozone in the upper atmosphere.

     

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  • Emission caused by Nuclear Energy

    Supporters of the Nuclear Energy source say that it is a climate-friendly way to generate electricity. However, this is subjected to various considerations often not discussed.

    Why focus on Nuclear Energy?

    • The main factors for its choice were reliability and security of supply.
    • The latest figures on global carbon dioxide emissions call into question the world’s efforts to tackle the climate crisis.

    Soaring CO2 emissions

    • CO2 emissions are set to soar 4.9% in 2021, compared with the previous year, according to a study published earlier this month by the Global Carbon Project (GCP), a group of scientists that track emissions.
    • In 2020, emissions dropped 5.4% due to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns.
    • The energy sector continues to be the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, with a share of 40% — and rising.

    Is nuclear power a zero-emissions energy source?

    No. Nuclear energy is also responsible for greenhouse gas emissions.

    • Uranium mining: Uranium extraction, transport and processing produces emissions.
    • Construction of power plants: The long and complex construction process of nuclear power plants also releases CO2, as does the demolition of decommissioned sites.
    • Nuclear waste and its transportation: This also has to be transported and stored under strict conditions — here, too, emissions must be taken into account.
    • Water consumption: Power plants depend on nearby water sources to cool their reactors, and with many rivers drying up, those sources of water are no longer guaranteed.

    How much CO2 does nuclear power produce?

    • Results vary significantly, depending on whether we only consider the process of electricity generation, or take into account the entire life cycle of a nuclear power plant.
    • A report released in 2014 by the IPCC estimated a range of 3.7 to 110 grams of CO2 equivalent per kilowatt-hour (kWh).
    • It’s long been assumed that nuclear plants generate an average of 66 grams of CO2/kWh.

    How climate-friendly is nuclear compared to other energies?

    • If the entire life cycle, nuclear energy certainly comes out ahead of fossil fuels like coal or natural gas.
    • But the picture is drastically different when compared with renewable energy.
    • Nuclear power releases 3.5 times more CO2 per kilowatt-hour than photovoltaic solar panel systems.
    • Compared with onshore wind power, that figure jumps to 13 times more CO2.
    • When up against electricity from hydropower installations, nuclear generates 29 times more carbon.

    Can we rely on nuclear energy to help stop global warming?

    • Around the world, nuclear energy representatives, as well as some politicians, have called for the expansion of atomic power.
    • Other countries have also supported plans to build new nuclear plants, arguing that the energy sector will be even more damaging for the climate without it.

    Feasibility of Nuclear Energy

    • High cost of construction: Due to the high costs associated with nuclear energy, it also blocks important financial resources that could instead be used to develop renewable energy.
    • Renewables are better: Those renewables would provide more energy that is both faster and cheaper than nuclear.
    • High water consumption: During the world’s increasingly hot summers, several nuclear power plants have already had to be temporarily shut down due to water scarcity.

    Conclusion

    • Taking into account the current overall energy system, nuclear energy is by no means CO2 neutral.
    • The contribution of nuclear energy is viewed too optimistically.
    • In reality construction, times are too long and the costs too high to have a noticeable effect on climate change. It takes too long for nuclear energy to become available.

     

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  • Places in news: Majuli River Island

    Soil erosion, coupled with changing climatic conditions, has been writing a cruel destiny for the inhabitants of Majuli in Assam, the largest river island in the world.

    About Majuli Island

    • Majuli is a riverine island in the Brahmaputra River, Assam and in 2016 it became the first island to be made a district in India.
    • Majuli has shrunk as the river surrounding it has grown.
    • It had an area of 880 square kilometers (340 sq mi) at the beginning of the 20th century but having lost significantly to erosion it covers 553 square kilometers as at 2014.
    • It is the abode of the Assamese neo-Vaishnavite culture.

    Its formation

    • The island is formed by the Brahmaputra River in the south and the Kherkutia Xuti, an anabranch of the Brahmaputra, joined by the Subansiri River in the north.
    • It was formed due to course changes by the river Brahmaputra and its tributaries, mainly the Lohit.

     

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  • Glasgow Climate Pact (COP26)

    The Glasgow Agreement was finally adopted after a last-minute intervention by India to water down language on “phasing out” coal to merely “phasing down”.

    Glasgow Agreement

    • The Glasgow meeting was the 26th session of the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP26.
    • These meetings are held every year to construct a global response to climate change.
    • Each of these meetings produce a set of decisions which are given different names.
    • In the current case, this has been called the Glasgow Climate Pact.
    • Earlier, these meetings have also delivered two treaty-like international agreements, the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 and the Paris Agreement in 2015.

    What was achieved?

    [1] Mitigation:

    • The Glasgow agreement has emphasised that stronger action in the current decade was most critical to achieving the 1.5-degree target.
    • Accordingly, it has asked/decided:
    1. To strengthen their 2030 climate action plans, or NDCs (nationally-determined contributions), by next year
    2. Establish a work programme to urgently scale-up mitigation ambition and implementation
    3. To convene an annual meeting of ministers to raise ambition of 2030 climate actions
    4. Annual synthesis report on what countries were doing
    5. To convene a meeting of world leaders in 2023 to scale-up ambition of climate action
    6. Countries to make efforts to reduce usage of coal as a source of fuel, and abolish “inefficient” subsidies on fossil fuels
    7. Phase-down of coal, and phase-out of fossil fuels. This is the first time that coal has been explicitly mentioned in any COP decision.

    [2] Adaptation:

    • Most of the countries, especially the smaller and poorer ones, and the small island states, consider adaptation to be the most important component of climate action.
    • They have been demanding that at least half of all climate finance should be directed towards adaptation efforts.
    • As such, the Glasgow Climate Pact has:
    1. Asked the developed countries to at least double the money being provided for adaptation by 2025 from the 2019 levels.
    2. Created a two-year work programme to define a global goal on adaptation.

    [3] Finance:

    • Every climate action has financial implications. It is now estimated that trillions of dollars are required every year to fund all the actions necessary to achieve the climate targets.
    • Developed countries are under an obligation, due to their historical responsibility in emitting greenhouse gases.
    • They need to provide finance and technology to the developing nations to help them deal with climate change.
    • In 2009, developed countries had promised to mobilise at least $100 billion every year from 2020.
    • The 2020 deadline has long passed but the $100 billion promise has not been fulfilled.
    • The developed nations have now said that they will arrange this amount by 2023.

    [4] Accounting earlier failures

    The pact has:

    • Expressed “deep regrets” over the failure of the developed countries to deliver on their $100 billion promise.
    • It has asked them to arrange this money urgently and in every year till 2025
    • Initiated discussions on setting the new target for climate finance, beyond $100 billion for the post-2025 period
    • Asked the developed countries to provide transparent information about the money they plan to provide

    [5] Loss and Damage:

    The frequency of climate disasters has been rising rapidly, and many of these caused largescale devastation.

    • There is no institutional mechanism to compensate these nations for the losses, or provide them help in the form of relief and rehabilitation.
    • The loss and damage provision in the Paris Agreement seeks to address that.
    • Thanks to a push from many nations, substantive discussions on loss and damage could take place in Glasgow.
    • One of the earlier drafts included a provision for setting up of a facility to coordinate loss and damage activities.

    [6] Carbon Markets:

    • Carbon markets facilitate the trading of emission reductions.
    • They are considered a very important and effective instrument to reduce overall emissions.
    • A carbon market existed under Kyoto Protocol but is no longer there because the Protocol itself expired last year.
    • Developing countries like India, China or Brazil have large amounts of carbon credits left over because of the lack of demand as many countries abandoned their emission reduction targets.
    • The Glasgow Pact has offered some reprieve to the developing nations.
    • It has allowed these carbon credits to be used in meeting countries’ first NDC targets.

    Parallel Processes announced

    A lot of substantial action in Glasgow happened in parallel processes that were not a part of the official COP discussions.

    • India announced a Panchamrita (a mixture of five elements) of climate actions.
    • Brazil would advance its net-zero target year from 2060 to 2050.
    • China promised to come out with a detailed roadmap for its commitment to let emissions peak in 2030, and also for its 2060 net-zero target. Israel announced a net zero target for 2050.
    • Over 100 countries pledged to reduce methane emissions by at least 30 per cent from present levels by 2030.
    • Another set of over 100 countries promised to arrest and reverse deforestation by 2030.
    • Over 30 countries signed on to a declaration promising to work towards a transition to 100 percent zero-emission cars by the year 2040, at least in the leading car markets of the world.

     

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  • Climate Change Performance Index, 2021

    The 17th edition of the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2021 was released recently.

    It’s a very rare feat that India has performed so better in any climate-related index. We can use this data to highlight India’s dedicated efforts for Paris Agreement.

    About CCPI

    • The CCPI is an independent monitoring tool for tracking countries’ climate protection performance. It has been published annually since 2005.
    • It is compiled by Germanwatch, the New Climate Institute, and the Climate Action Network.
    • It evaluates 57 countries and the European Union, which together generate 90%+ of global greenhouse gas emissions.

    Parameters of the index

    • The CCPI looks at four categories, with 14 indicators: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (40% of the overall score), Renewable Energy (20%), Energy Use (20%), and Climate Policy (20%).
    • The CCPI’s unique climate policy section evaluates countries’ progress in implementing policies working towards achieving the Paris Agreement goals.

    Highlights of the 2021 report

    • The first three ranks of the overall rankings were kept empty because no country had performed well enough in all index categories to achieve an overall very high rating.
    • The 2021 report places Sweden on top, while countries such as Morocco and the UK are also ranked high.
    • The bottom-ranked country, the United States, therefore, was placed at 61.

    Low performers

    • Iran and Russia are ranked the lowest in this category.
    • Overall, Australia, South Korea and Russia are among the lowest performing countries along with Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia.
    • China is ranked 33 overall and has an overall rating of “low”.

    India’s performance

    • In the overall rankings, India is at number 10 with a score of 63.98.
    • It is a high performer except in the renewable energy category, in which it is ranked “medium”.
    • The report says that India is benefiting from its relatively low per-capita emissions.
    • In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, Sweden, Egypt, Chile and the UK are in the top 7. India is ranked 12.

     

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  • The long road to Net Zero

    India has joined a high-profile group of countries pledging for net-zero target by 2070.

    What does Net-Zero mean?

    • Net-zero, which is also referred to as carbon-neutrality, does not mean that a country would bring down its emissions to zero.
    • That would be gross-zero, which means reaching a state where there are no emissions at all, a scenario hard to comprehend.
    • Therefore, net-zero is a state in which a country’s emissions are compensated by absorption and removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

    What’s the difference between gross zero and net-zero?

    • Gross zero would mean stopping all emissions, which isn’t realistically attainable across all sectors of our lives and industry.
    • Even with best efforts to reduce them, there will still be some emissions.
    • Net-zero looks at emissions overall, allowing for the removal of any unavoidable emissions, such as those from aviation or manufacturing.
    • Removing greenhouse gases could be via nature, as trees take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, or through new technology or changing industrial processes.

    What is carbon negativity?

    • It is even possible for a country to have negative emissions if the absorption and removal exceed the actual emissions.
    • *Bhutan has negative emissions because it absorbs more than it emits.

    What is the outlook for India’s emissions?

    • Analysis of India’s growth path points to rising GDP per capita, with a rise in carbon emissions in the short term, primarily from energy.
    • There is pressure from absolute increase in population and consumption, but population growth is slowing.

    India’s major emission sources

    • In terms of sectoral GHG emissions, data from 2016 show that electricity and heat account for the highest share (1.11 billion tonnes).
    • It is followed by agriculture (704.16 million tonnes), manufacturing and construction (533.8 million tonnes), transport (265.3 million tonnes), industry (130.61 million tonnes).
    • Land-use change and forestry (126.43 million tonnes) is also a major source.
    • Other fuel use (119.04 million tonnes), buildings (109.2 million tonnes), waste (80.98 million tonnes), fugitive emissions (54.95 million tonnes) accounts for major urban sources.
    • Aviation and shipping (20.4 million tonnes) accounts for the least source of emission.

    Immediate interventions that can be made

    • Legal mechanism: India needs to create a legal mandate for climate impact assessment of all activities.
    • Investment: This can facilitate investment by dedicated green funds.
    • Wholistic participation: Public sector institutions promoted by the government, co-operatives and even market mechanisms will participate.
    • Renewable energy: The 500 GW renewables target needs a major boost, such as channeling more national and international climate funding into decentralized solar power.
    • Hydrogen economy: Another emerging sector is green hydrogen production because of its potential as a clean fuel. India has a National Hydrogen Mission now in place.
    • Waste Management: India’s urban solid waste management will need to modernise to curb methane emissions from unscientific landfills.
    • Stored carbon mitigation: Preventing the release of stored carbon in the environment, such as trees and soil, has to be a net zero priority.

    Role of developed countries

    • India’s argument is that it has historically been one of the lowest emitters of GHGs.
    • The impetus has to come from the developed economies that had the benefit of carbon-intensive development since the Industrial Revolution.

    Way forward

    • These plans need a political consensus and support from State governments.
    • Net-zero will involve industrial renewal using green innovation, green economy support and supply chains yielding new jobs.
    • It also needs low carbon technologies, zero-emission vehicles, and renewed cities promoting walking and cycling.
    • The industry will need to make highly energy-efficient goods that last longer, and consumers should be given a legal right to repair goods they buy.

     

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  • Global Methane Pledge

    The Global Methane Pledge was launched at the ongoing UN COP26 climate conference in Glasgow.

    What is the Global Methane Pledge?

    • Global Methane Pledge is an agreement to reduce global methane emissions.
    • One of the central aims of this agreement is to cut down methane emissions by up to 30 per cent from 2020 levels by the year 2030.
    • The pledge was first announced in September by the United States and the European Union.
    • So far, over 90 countries have signed this pledge.

    Why methane?

    • According to the UN, 25 % of the warming that the world is experiencing today is because of methane.
    • Methane is the second-most abundant greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, after carbon dioxide.
    • According to IPCC, methane accounts for about half of the 1.0 degrees Celsius net rise in global average temperature since the pre-industrial era.

    About Methane

    • Methane is a greenhouse gas, which is also a component of natural gas.
    • There are various sources of methane including human and natural sources.
    • The anthropogenic sources are responsible for 60 per cent of global methane emissions.
    • It includes landfills, oil and natural gas systems, agricultural activities, coal mining, wastewater treatment, and certain industrial processes.
    • The oil and gas sectors are among the largest contributors to human sources of methane.
    • These emissions come primarily from the burning of fossil fuels, decomposition in landfills and the agriculture sector.

    What is Coal-based Methane?

    • CBM, like shale gas, is extracted from unconventional gas reservoirs — where gas is extracted directly from the rock that is the source of the gas (shale in case of shale gas and coal in case of CBM).
    • The methane is held underground within the coal and is extracted by drilling into the coal seam and removing the groundwater.
    • The resulting drop in pressure causes the methane to be released from the coal.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q. With reference to two non-conventional energy sources called ‘coalbed methane’ and ‘shale gas’, consider the following ‘statements:

    1. Coalbed methane is the pure methane gas extracted from coal seams, while shale gas is a mixture of propane and butane only that can be extracted from fi ne-grained sedimentary rocks.
    2. In India abundant coalbed methane sources exist, but so far no shale gas sources have been found.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

     

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    Why is dealing with methane important for climate change?

    • Methane has a much shorter atmospheric lifetime (12 years as compared to centuries for CO2).
    • However, it is a much more potent greenhouse gas simply because it absorbs more energy while it is in the atmosphere.
    • The UN notes that methane is a powerful pollutant and has a global warming potential that is 80 times greater than carbon dioxide, about 20 years after it has been released into the atmosphere.

    Back2Basics: CO2 Equivalents

    • Each greenhouse gas (GHG) has a different global warming potential (GWP) and persists for a different length of time in the atmosphere.
    • The three main greenhouse gases (along with water vapour) and their 100-year global warming potential (GWP) compared to carbon dioxide are:

    1 x – carbon dioxide (CO2)

    25 x – methane (CH4) – I.e. Releasing 1 kg of CH4into the atmosphere is about equivalent to releasing 25 kg of CO2

    298 x – nitrous oxide (N2O)

    • Water vapour is not considered to be a cause of man-made global warming because it does not persist in the atmosphere for more than a few days.
    • There are other greenhouse gases which have far greater global warming potential (GWP) but are much less prevalent. These are sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and perfluorocarbons (PFCs).
    • There are a wide variety of uses for SF6, HFCs, and PFCs but they have been most commonly used as refrigerants and for fire suppression.
    • Many of these compounds also have a depleting effect on ozone in the upper atmosphere.

     

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  • India offers ‘Panchamrita’ Strategy for Climate Conundrum at Glasgow

    PM Modi has proposed a five-fold strategy called the ‘Panchamrita’ for India to play its part in helping the world get closer to 1.5 degrees Celsius on the first day of the global climate meeting in Glasgow.

    What is Panchamrita?

    • ‘Panchamrita’ is a traditional method of mixing five natural foods — milk, ghee, curd, honey and jaggery. These are used in Hindu and Jain worship rituals. It is also used as a technique in Ayurveda.
    • The PM euphemistically termed his scheme as ‘Panchamrita’ meaning the ‘five ambrosia’.
    • Under Panchamrita’, India will:
    1. Get its non-fossil energy capacity to 500 gigawatts by 2030
    2. Meet 50 per cent of its energy requirements till 2030 with renewable energy
    3. Reduce its projected carbon emission by one billion tonnes by 2030
    4. Reduce the carbon intensity of its economy by 45 per cent by 2030
    5. Achieve net zero by 2070

    Key takeaways of PM’s speech

    (a) Commitment for climate action

    • India consists of 17 per cent of the world’s population but contribute only five per cent of emissions.
    • Yet, it has left no stone unturned in doing our bit to fight climate change.
    • At Paris, India was making promises not to the world but to itself and 1.3 billion Indians, PM said.

    (b) Climate finance

    • The 2015 Paris CoP where the Paris Agreement was signed was not a summit but a sentiment.
    • The promises made till now on climate finance were useless.
    • 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.

    (c) India’s track record

    • India was fourth as far as installed renewable energy capacity was concerned.
    • The Indian Railways has pledged to make itself net-zero by 2030. This will result in an annual 60 million tonnes reduction in emissions.
    • India initiated the International Solar Alliance for solar energy.
    • It has also set up the coalition for disaster resilient infrastructure for climate adaptation.

     

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