Editorial: Pitching for practical approach

India has been rightly insisting on a more nuanced approach to eliminating the use of all fossil fuels — not just coal

India has pressed the right buttons at the United Nations Climate Change Conference — COP28 — in Dubai to reflect the voice of the South. While reiterating the renewable energy commitments, New Delhi has been unequivocal about the important role that coal plays in the country’s economy. Coal has been and will continue to remain an important part of India’s energy mix. Such a stand makes it clear that India will not buckle under pressure to raise its climate ambition at the cost of its development priorities. Equity and justice constitute the abiding principles of India’s climate diplomacy, a position articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the conference. The share of renewables in India’s energy basket, for instance, has been increasing for at least five years. However, coal still provides more than 70% of the country’s energy needs. With the economy bouncing back from the Covid-induced crisis, power demand in the country has been growing at a healthy pace. Vast natural gas reserves allow the United States and several European countries to move away from coal. India, China and other emerging economies like Indonesia and South Africa, on the other hand, do not have that alternative. Following a strong push from India and other countries, the COP26 declaration at Glasgow two years ago changed the final text from a ‘phase out’ of coal to a ‘phase down’ of fossil fuel. The Glasgow summit appreciated the challenge faced by countries seeking to reduce emissions while attempting to improve the standard of living of growing populations.

India has been rightly insisting on a more nuanced approach to eliminating the use of all fossil fuels — not just coal. It must be pointed out that natural gas too is a fossil fuel, though less polluting compared to coal. At the Dubai summit, India stayed away from the declaration on ‘sustainable agriculture, resilient food systems, and climate action’ because of its concerns over food security. The declaration, India argued, conflicted with its longstanding policy of not committing to climate action related to agriculture and livestock and the millions of livelihoods that depend on them. New Delhi has made it clear that it will not be a party to any commitment that involves the agricultural sector. The commitments in the declaration, signed by 134 countries, include integrating agriculture and food systems into national adaptation plans and nationally determined contributions that all countries submit to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It would be impractical for India to endorse such a declaration without making a radical policy shift that requires widespread deliberations with all stakeholders in the country. While fighting climate change is everyone’s job, the rich and developed countries must bear the bulk of that responsibility, not just because they have caused most of the emissions but also because they have greater resources and capacity to act.

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