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  • Why central government schemes for discoms have not worked

    Context

    A recent report of Niti Aayog has assessed the losses of discoms to be about Rs 90,000 crore in 2020-21.

    Central government schemes for discoms

    • In 2001, the Accelerated Power Development Scheme was initiated.
    • This was followed by various other schemes with some differences between them.
    •  The government had launched the UDAY scheme in 2015.
    • UDAY did not involve any monetary assistance to the states, but only promised to help the states in reducing the cost of power through coal linkage rationalization, etc.
    • Recently, the government launched a new scheme with a total outlay of around Rs 3.03 lakh crore.
    • It seeks to improve the distribution infrastructure of the distribution companies (discoms) with the primary intention of improving their financial health.
    • The objective of the scheme is to bring down commercial losses in the range of 12-15 percent and also reduce the difference between the average cost of supply (ACS) and average revenue realized (ARR) to zero by 2024-25.
    • The problem with all these schemes (including UDAY) is that they have not been delivered and the financial position of the discoms has only worsened.

    Why did schemes fail to improve the financial health of discoms?

    • Reduction of loss is a managerial issue: Reduction of commercial losses is not really about improving infrastructure, it is more of a managerial issue.
    • The average loss (inclusive of technical and commercial) is about 22 percent today.
    • But several discoms have losses in excess of 40 percent.
    • It is possible to bring down losses from 40 percent to about 15 percent without any significant investments in infrastructure.
    • Investments, however, would be required to bring down losses further to a single-digit level.
    • The governance issues of the scheme is a complex issue.
    • The two most popular parameters which are monitored are the loss levels and the difference between the ACS and ARR.
    • There are inherent problems with these parameters since they keep fluctuating and it is very difficult to fathom their trend on a quarter-wise basis, rendering the release of funds to be tricky and cumbersome.
    • In the scheme now announced by the government, about 26 parameters will be taken into consideration and assigned a score.
    • For some of the parameters, it may be difficult to assign a score across discoms which may lead to some amount of subjectivity.

    Way forward: Alternate approach

    • Provide transitional financial support: An alternate approach that could be considered by the Centre (in lieu of such assistance schemes) is providing only transitional financial support to all discoms, which are privatized under the private-public partnership mode. 
    •  A transitional support of Rs 3,450 crore spread over five years proved to be exceedingly beneficial in the case of discoms in Delhi.
    • Promote privatization: Since in an earlier policy statement the government had mentioned that privatization of discoms is to be promoted, it would make sense to consider this transitional support as a catalyst.

    Conclusion

    Adopting this approach will ensure that the central government moves away from the micro-management of discoms, which inevitably happens if the release of funds is linked to reform-linked parameters on a quarter-wise basis.

     

  • 12th August 2021| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1   Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India

    GS-2  Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

    GS-3  Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

    GS-4  Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world.

    Questions:

    Question 1)

    Q.1 “Caste system is assuming new identities and associational forms. Hence, caste system cannot be eradicated in India”. Comment. (10 Marks)

    Question 2)

    Q.2 Quad has come a long way since its formation and over the years, the Quad’s diplomacy has waxed and waned. However, in the present context, China is deeply worried about the re-emergence and strengthening of the Quad. In light of this, examine the implications of Quad for India-China relations. (10 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 Despite many central government schemes, the financial position of discoms has not improved. What are the reasons for this? Suggest the way forward. (15 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 “Where there is righteousness in the heart, there is beauty in the character. When there is beauty in the character, there is harmony in the home. When there is harmony in the home, there is order in the nation. When there is order in the nation, there is peace in the world.” — A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. Analyse the quote from the ethical perspectives relevant to today’s contemporary world. (10 Marks)

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  • 12th August 2021 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

    [WpProQuiz 735]

    [WpProQuiz_toplist 735]

  • Webinar Alert: Mentors Mahapanchayat at Civilsdaily IAS || Why We Failed And What We Learnt || Ask Us Anything (Obviously On UPSC IAS) || An Exclusive Session on What you need to Avoid

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  • [Yojana Archive] Agriculture and Sustainable Development

    In the earlier edition about North East Region, we studied about:

    [Yojana Archive] Governance in North-East Region
    This article is an extension to the various summaries of the July edition of Yojana where all dimensions will be covered in coming weeks.

    The North-Eastern Region (NER) has several unique and unparalleled features; fertile land, abundant water resources, evergreen dense forests, high and dependable rainfall, flora and fauna and a mixture of socio-economic, political, ethnic and cultural diversity.

    Agriculture in NER

    • The NER comprising of eight States has a total geographical area which is nearly 9.12% of the total area of the country.
    • Rural population in the region is around 80%. In the absence of major industries except in the state of Assam, the society is agrarian and depends on agriculture and allied sector for livelihood and other support.
    • The agricultural production system is characterized by low cropping intensity (114%), subsistence level and mono-cropping.
    • Mixed farming system is the order as most of the farmers want to produce their household food and nutritional need without having to depend on outside sources.
    • The system, therefore, supports horticulture and animal husbandry partly due to a preference for non-vegetarian food.

    Cropping patterns

    • The net sown area is highest in Assam (34.12%), followed by Tripura (23.48%). Arunachal Pradesh has the lowest net sown area in the region.
    • Cropping intensity is highest in Tripura (156.5%), followed by Manipur (152.1%), Mizoram (136.36%), and Assam (123.59%).
    • About 1.6-million-hectares of area are under shifting cultivation in North East region.
    • The region receives an annual rainfall of 2000 mm accounting for around 10% of the country’s total precipitation.
    • The soil of the region is acidic to strongly acidic in reaction. The soils are however rich in organic matter.

    Key features

    • Topographical limitations: Although the landholding in the region appears to be higher, the entire holding cannot be used for agricultural purposes due to topographical disadvantages.
    • Rice as staple: Rice dominates agriculture, but the productivity is low and production risky. Farming is predominantly rice-based with a little exception in the state of Sikkim where maize is a dominating crop.
    • Unevenness: The NER is extremely diverse: uneven land, high and variable rainfall pattern and ethnicity.
    • Animal husbandry: Various combinations of crop-livestock-fish-silk are followed in the region but such diversification contributes negligibly.
    • Landholding: The preponderance of small and marginal (S&M) farmers is an important feature of the region.

    Combating poverty

    On account of complete dependence on agriculture, its vulnerability to natural calamities such as floods, submergence as well as droughts has deteriorated rural life and rural poverty has become rampant.

    The deficit in food grains especially rice in the NER is increasing over the years. The approaches and strategies to increase rice production are given below:

    1. Increasing seed replacement rate.
    2. Enhancing varietal replacement rate.
    3. Increasing cropping intensity through assured irrigation.
    4. Expansion of effective irrigation facilities.
    5. Adoption of more intensive cultivation practices.
    6. Maintaining soil health and providing judicious soil nutrients.
    7. Revisiting the extension mechanism.
    8. Facilitation of credit, finance and crop insurance.
    9. Marketing and creation of rural storage infrastructure, and
    10.  Farm mechanization

    Livestock Sector in NER

    • Assam which has the largest cattle production in the region has slow growth in milk production which may be because it has a maximum of indigenous breeds in the total cattle population.
    • Manipur and Mizoram witnessed decline in per capita availability of milk while it has increased in other states.
    • Productivity of milk in case of buffaloes shows that the buffaloes in the region are very low yielding compared to other parts of India.

    Policy Perspectives

    • Despite the abundant natural resources, congenial climate and rich human capital, the NER has failed to reap the benefits of huge opportunities for societal welfare.
    • In effect, the agricultural economies are falling back into the vicious cycle of low productivity, unemployment, low income and poverty and continue to limp, and this has increased the social threat perceptions.
    • Hence a synergy is needed among the inter-disciplinary research community, policy planners and implementers, along with civil society to deal with the multifaceted situation.

    It is felt that the region needs appropriate policy and investment to boost the development process.

    • Flood management: NER is typically a rain-fed system. Here flood escaping production system is required, in flood-prone areas, where Boro rice is a promising crop enterprise.
    • Modernization: Numerous aromatic and medicinal plants can be practiced with low-cost and resource conserving practices (Zero-tillage, System of Rice Intensification, etc.) to meet the growing domestic as well as international demand. Agriculture plus is required. That is, crop production should coexist with livestock, plantation, floriculture, medicinal crops and sericulture systems.
    • Diversification: The hilly terrains suit crop diversification with high value horticulture crops accompanied by livestock and sericulture. The shifting cultivation requires an innovative strategy for improving productivity of rice and other crops, flowers like orchids and livestock.
    • Agro-processing: Agro-processing sector hitherto is a neglected area but it has high potential to add value and reduce post-harvest losses. By encouraging fresh initiatives in ogre-processing, packaging and exploring of newer marketing avenues, the region can take advantages of high potential cross-border trade with surrounding countries.
    • R&D: R&D support systems for generating small and marginal farmers’ friendly new agricultural technology should be given. Therefore, there is a need for boosting R&D investment in agriculture, which already is a low key area in the region.
    • Regional Database: It is a serious constraint to effective policy analysis in the agricultural economy in the region. Basic tool of e-governance is necessary in this regard.

  • Bringing Minority Schools under RTE

    The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has recommended that Minority Schools be brought under Right to Education and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.

    What is the report?

    • The report is titled “Impact of Exemption under Article 15 (5) with regards to Article 21A of the Constitution of India on Education of Children in Minority Communities”.
    • It has assessed minority schools (schools run by minority organizations) in the country.

    Key recommendations of the report

    • Minority schools are exempt from implementing The Right to Education policy and do not fall under the government’s Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
    • Through this report, the NCPCR has recommended that these schools be brought under both RTE and SSA, amongst a host of other recommendations.

    Developments in RTE

    (1) 86th Constitutional Amendment (2002):

    • In 2002, the 86th Amendment to the Constitution provided the Right to Education as a fundamental right.
    • The same amendment inserted Article 21A, which made the RTE a fundamental right for children aged between six and 14 years.
    • The passage of the amendment was followed by the launch of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) that aimed to provide “useful and relevant, elementary education’’ to all children between six and 14 years.

    (2) 93rd Constitutional Amendment (2006):

    • In 2006, the 93rd CAA inserted Clause (5) in Article 15.
    • This enabled the State to create special provisions, such as reservations for the advancement of any backward classes of citizens like SCs and STs, in all aided or unaided educational institutes, except minority educational institutes.

    (3) RTE Act (2009):

    • The government subsequently brought the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which centers around inclusive education for all, making it mandatory to include underprivileged children in schools.
    • Specifically, Section 12(1)(c) of the Act provided for a 25 percent reservation of seats in unaided schools for admission of children from economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups.

    How are minority schools exempt from RTE and SSA?

    • Article 30 of the Constitution states the right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions.
    • This article aims to provide opportunities to children from different religious and linguistic minority communities to have and conserve a distinct culture, script, and language.
    • Subsequently, in 2012, through an amendment, the institutions imparting religious education were exempted from following the RTE Act.
    • Later on, in 2014 (Pramati judgment), while discussing the validity of exemption under Article 15 (5), the Supreme Court declared the RTE Act inapplicable to schools with minority status.
    • This was in the view that the Act should not interfere with the right of minorities to establish and administer institutions of their choice.

    Why has the NCPCR carried out the study?

    • The Commission’s objective was to assess the impact of this exemption of minority educational institutions from various guidelines that are mandatory for non-minority institutions.
    • It opined that the different sets of rules under Article 21A, Article 30, and Article 15 (5) act as creating a conflicting picture between the fundamental rights of children and the rights of minority communities.

    What are the findings of the report?

    The Commission has observed in the report that many children who are enrolled in these institutions or schools were not able to enjoy the entitlements that other children are enjoying.

    (1) Missionaries schools are elite cocoons

    • It has been said that there have been certain detrimental effects of the exemption – on the one hand, there are schools, mostly Christian Missionary schools.
    • Such schools are admitting only a certain class of students and leaving underprivileged children out of the system, thus becoming what the Commission has called “cocoons populated by elites’’.

    (2) Minorities schools become overcrowded without facilities

    • As opposed to this, other types of minority schools, in particular madrasas, have become “ghettos of underprivileged students languishing in backwardness’’ says the Commission.
    • The Commission has said that students in madrasas that do not offer a secular course along with religious studies – such as the sciences – have fallen behind and feel a sense of alienation and “inferiority’’ when they leave school.

    What are the findings with regards to madrasas?

    There are four kinds of madrasas in India:

    1. Madrasas recognized by the government, which usually impart both religious as well as secular Courses, including the sciences has four percent Mulsim students (15.3 lakh) said the Sachar Committee report.
    2. There are 10,064 such madrasas in India and the Commission points out that these were the ones taken into consideration by the Sachar Committee when it said four percent of Mulsim students (15.3 lakh) studied in madrasas.
    3. There are unrecognized madrasas, which the government hasn’t recognized because they do not impart secular education or lack physical infrastructure, including the number and quality of teachers.
    4. Then, there are unmapped madrasas that have never applied for recognition and function in a more informal setup – there is no data on how many such madrasas exist and how many students study there.

    Why bring them under RTE?

    • The Commission believes this took place as schools wanted to operate outside the legal mandate to reserve seats for backward classes.
    • RTE provides for norms pertaining to basic minimum infrastructure, a number of teachers, books, uniforms, Mid-day Meal, etc., that benefits students in minority schools have not been receiving.

  • Quality of Life for Elderly Index

    Quality of Life for Elderly Index was released by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM).

    Quality of Life for Elderly Index

    The Index has been created by the Institute for Competitiveness at the request of EAC-PM and it sheds light on an issue often not mentioned- problems faced by the elderly.

    • The report identifies the regional patterns of ageing across the Indian States and assesses the overall ageing situation in India.
    • The report presents a deeper insight into how well India is doing to support the well-being of its ageing population.
    • The Index framework includes four pillars:
    1. Financial Well-being
    2. Social Well-being
    3. Health System and
    4. Income Security
    • It has eight sub-pillars: Economic Empowerment, Educational Attainment & Employment, Social Status, Physical Security, Basic Health, Psychological Wellbeing, Social Security and Enabling Environment.

    Features of the index

    • This index broadens the way we understand the needs and opportunities of the elderly population in India.
    • It goes far beyond the adequacy of pensions and other forms of income support, which, though critical, often narrows policy thinking and debate about the needs of this age group.
    • The index highlights that the best way to improve the lives of the current and future generations of older people is by investing in health, education and employment for young people today.

    Why need such an index?

    • India is often portrayed as a young society, with a consequent demographic dividend.
    • But, as with every country that goes through a fast process of demographic transition, India also has greying cum aging problem.
    • Without a proper diagnostic tool to understand the implications of its ageing population, planning for the elderly can become a challenge for policymakers.

    Key Highlights from the Report:

    • The Health System pillar observes the highest national average, 66.97 at an all-India level, followed by 62.34 in Social Well-being.
    • Financial Well-being observes a score of 44.7, which is lowered by the low performance of 21 States across the Education Attainment & Employment pillar, which showcases scope for improvement
    • States have performed particularly worse in the Income Security pillar because over half of the States have a score below the national average, i.e., 33.03 in Income Security, which is the lowest across all pillars.

    Performance of the states

    • Among all the states, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh are top-scoring regions in the aged states and relatively aged states categories.
    • Rajasthan has a score of 54.61 in the aged states category while Himachal Pradesh has a score of 61.04 in relatively aged states.
    • Mizoram has a score of 59.79 among northeastern states while Chandigarh scored 63.78 among the Union Territories.
    • Jammu and Kashmir scored the lowest 46.16 among Union Territories.
    • Arunachal Pradesh, among the northeastern states, scored the lowest score with 46.16.
    • In the aged states and relatively aged states categories, Telangana and Gujarat scored the lowest with 38.19 and 49.00, respectively.

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  • [pib] Income Limit of OBCs and Creamy Layer

    A proposal for revision of the income criteria for determining the Creamy Layer amongst the OBCs is under consideration of the Government.

    What is the Creamy Layer?

    • Creamy Layer is a concept that sets a threshold within which OBC reservation benefits are applicable.
    • While there is a 27% quota for OBCs in government jobs and higher educational institutions, those falling within the “creamy layer” cannot get the benefits of this quota.

    Basis of Creamy Layer

    • It is based on the recommendation of the Second Backward Classes Commission (Mandal Commission).
    • The government in 1990 had notified 27% reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs) in vacancies in civil posts and services that are to be filled on direct recruitment.
    • After this was challenged, the Supreme Court in the Indira Sawhney case (1992) upheld 27% reservation for OBCs, subject to exclusion of the creamy layer.

    How is it determined?

    • Following the order in Indra Sawhney, an expert committee headed by Justice (retired) R N Prasad was constituted for fixing the criteria for determining the creamy layer.
    • In 1993, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) listed out various categories of people of certain rank/status/income whose children cannot avail the benefit of OBC reservation.
    1. For those not in government, the current threshold is an income of Rs 8 lakh per year.
    2. For children of government employees, the threshold is based on their parents’ rank and not income.
    3. For instance, an individual is considered to fall within the creamy layer if either of his or her parents is in a constitutional post; if either parent has been directly recruited in Group-A; or if both parents are in Group-B services.
    4. If the parents enter Group-A through promotion before the age of 40, their children will be in the creamy layer.
    5. Children of a Colonel or higher-ranked officer in the Army, and children of officers of similar ranks in the Navy and Air Force, too, come under the creamy layer.
    6. Income from salaries or agricultural land is not clubbed while determining the creamy layer (2004).

    What is happening now?

    • MPs have raised questions about the pending proposal for revising the criteria.
    • They have asked whether the provision of a creamy layer for government services only for OBC candidates is rational and justified.

    Has it ever been revised?

    • Other than the income limit, the current definition of the creamy layer remains the same as the DoPT had spelled out in 1993 and 2004.
    • The income limit has been revised over the years.
    • No other orders for the definition of the creamy layer have been issued.
    • While the DoPT had stipulated that it would be revised every three years, the first revision since 1993 (Rs 1 lakh per year) happened only in 2004 (Rs 2.50 lakh), 2008 (Rs 4.50 lakh), 2013 (Rs 6 lakh), and 2017 (Rs 8 lakh).
    • It is now more than three years since the last revision.

    What does the government propose to do about the revision?

    • A draft Cabinet note has stated that the creamy layer will be determined on all income, including salary calculated for income tax, but not agriculture income.
    • The government is considering a consensus on Rs 12 lakh but salary and agriculture income are also being added to the gross annual income.

  • [pib] Forum of the Election Management Bodies of South Asia (FEMBoSA)

    The Election Commission of India has handed over the Chair of FEMBoSA to the Election Commission of Bhutan for 2021-22.

    What is FEMBoSA?

    • Forum of the Election Management Bodies of South Asia (FEMBoSA) was established at the 3rd Conference of Heads of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) of SAARC Countries in 2012.
    • The forum aims to increase mutual cooperation with respect to the common interests of the SAARC’s EMBs.
    • The Forum has eight Member Election Management Bodies from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
    • The Election Commission of India was the latest Chair of the Forum (now Bhutan).

    Its establishment

    • The first meeting of the representatives of Election Management Bodies of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Pakistan was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh in the year 2010.
    • It was then decided at the conclusion that an organization representing those countries should be established.
    • Consequently, annual meets were held in the member countries and the charter for the organization also was adopted with the aim of fulfilling the objectives of the organization.
    • Since the creation of FEMBoSA, Annual Meetings were held in Pakistan (2011), in India (2012), in Bhutan (2013), in Nepal (2014),  in Sri Lanka (2015), in Maldives (2016), in Afghanistan (2017) and in Bangladesh(2018).

    Objectives of FEMBOSA

    • Promote contact among the Election Management Bodies of SAARC countries
    • Facilitate the appropriate exchange of experience and expertise among members
    • Share experiences with a view to learning from each other
    • Foster efficiency and effectiveness in conducting the free, fair, transparent, and participative election

    Significant activities under FEMBoSA

    • Member organizations celebrate National Voter’s Day in a calendar year in their respective countries
    • An initiative of establishing South Asia Institute for Democracy and Electoral Studies (SAIDES) in Nepal
    • In order to increase knowledge related to elections, take initiatives to include voter education in the school-level textbooks of their respective countries
    • Implementation of recommendations of South Asian Disabilities Organizations for the inclusion of disabled people in the electoral system and the creation of a suitable election environment

    Back2Basics: SAARC

    •  In 1985, at the height of the Cold War, leaders of South Asian nations — namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka — created a regional forum.
    • The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established with the goal of contributing “to mutual trust, understanding, and appreciation of one another’s problems.”
    • Afghanistan was admitted as a member in 2007.

  • Net-zero emission targets do little to retard carbon grab

    Context

    Earlier this week the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reported on climate science, warning against the folly of a business-as-usual development model.

    What does science say about future pathways

    • Globally, average surface temperatures have already risen by 1.09°C between 1850-1900 and 2010-2019.
    • What happens next depends on our development and technological choices.
    • High fossil fuel use path: As per the the IPCC document, if we followed high fossil fuel development (doubling emissions by 2050), temperatures would rise by 4.4°C (range of 3.3-5.7°C) by 2100.
    • Sustainable pathways: If a more sustainable pathway were pursued average global temperature rise would be 1.4°C (range of 1.0-1.8°C).
    • Regardless, it is likely that the average rise in temperatures will breach the 1.5°C barrier within the next two decades.
    • If emissions are not mitigated rapidly, we are staring at rising climate risks and catastrophic impacts.
    • Human influence is very likely the main reason behind glacial retreat since the 1990s.
    • Since observations began, glaciers have lost the maximum mass during 2010-19.
    • Sea level rise: Even with warming restricted to 1.5°C, we are still on course for more than 2 metres of sea-level rise beyond this century.

    India’s vulnerability to climate change

    • If warming exceeds 4°C, India could see about 40% increase in precipitation annually, leading to extreme rainfall events.
    • Three-quarters of India’s districts are now hotspots of extreme weather events.
    • Since 1990, more than 300 such events have resulted in damages exceeding INR 5.6 lakh crore.

    Changes needed to stabilise temperature rise

    • The IPCC says that in order to stabilise rise in temperatures, two things have to happen:
    • 1) Anthropogenic emissions must become net-zero.
    • 2) In the interim cumulative emissions cannot exceed a global carbon budget.
    • Carbon Budget: To stay within the 1.5°C limit, starting in 2020 the remaining global carbon budget is 300-500 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide (GtCO2) (with a likelihood of 50%-83%).

    Unjust climate politics and net-zero emission targets

    • Of late, several large emitters have promised net-zero emission targets. 
    • CEEW analysts calculate that despite their self-laudatory targets, China would consume 87% of the global carbon space (if it reached net-zero in 2060) and the US would eat up 26% (if it reached net-zero in 2050).
    • Mere announcements of net-zero targets do little to retard the “carbon grab” of the largest emitters.
    •  Rich countries, as a whole, emitted ~25 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2eq) more than their estimated emission allowance during 2008-20, thanks to non-participation in pre-2020 climate agreements and misuse of accounting loopholes. 
    • Climate justice demands that developed countries now take steps to free up carbon space for others.

    Way forward for India

    • India must adopt a more climate-friendly development pathway for its own sake.
    • Its per capita incomes, energy consumption and carbon footprint are well below the global average but it must deliver high rates of economic growth within a shrinking carbon budget.
    • Shift discourse to economy: The discourse must shift from energy to the economy.
    • There are very few sunrise sectors that are not low-carbon.
    • India must tap new technology frontiers (green hydrogen), new business models (distributed and digitalised services, for distributed energy, EV charging, cold chains), new construction materials (low-carbon cement, recycled plastic), new opportunities in the circular economy of minerals, municipal waste and agricultural residue, and new practices for sustainable agriculture and food systems.
    • Policy and regulatory support: Many of above technologies and business models are proven but need policy and regulatory support.

    Conclusion

    The climate crisis is a strategic threat to our development prospects. It deserves sober, continuing analysis, deliberation and action. The headlines look bad; reality will get worse.

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