India: A Climate Look Past and Forward

Looking Back 2022: Climate pledges decreed by Indian Parliament

Looking Forward 2023: Push for green hydrogen for a clean energy transition

The Government of India articulated climate concerns at the 26th and 27th sessions of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The  Indian Parliament also decreed  as legally binding the following climate action goals:

  1. Reach 500 GW Non-fossil energy capacities by 2030.
  2. 50 per cent of energy requirements from renewable energy by 2030.
  3. Reduction of total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes from now to 2030.
  4. Reduction of the carbon intensity of the economy by 45 per cent by 2030, over 2005 levels, and
  5. Achieving the target of net zero emissions by 2070.

The Indian government has emphasized that the transfer of climate finance, low-cost climate technologies and reparation for loss and damage from developed to developing economies is essential for the implementation of global climate action. India also has emphasized that just as the UNFCCC tracks the progress made in climate mitigation, it should also track climate finance, while emphasizing to developed countries their needed commitments to finance, technology and capacity building for developing economies.

India’s push for climate action also has emphasized- Lifestyle for the Environment (LIFE)>The message conveyed by India is that the world needs mindful and deliberate utilization, of resources instead of mindless and destructive consumption. It aligns the theme of LIFE with UN Sustainable Development Goal, 13, highlighting sustainable consumption and production.

India also has proposed that all countries have equitable access to the global carbon budget, a finite global resource, for keeping temperature increase within limits set by the Paris Agreement (2015). India calls on developed countries to adhere to climate justice and to undertake rapid reductions in emissions during the current decade. The seriousness of the  Indian government and its people has been articulated through a decree passed by the Indian Parliament for a time-bound and targeted tackling of the climate crisis.

Looking ahead:

Push for Green Hydrogen for Clean Energy Transition

India’s commitment to combat global warming and clean energy calls for intelligent transition routes to green energy and away from fossil fuel. Green hydrogen (GH2 or GH2) is hydrogen generated by renewable energy or from low-carbon power with significantly lower carbon emissions and can be used to decarbonize sectors which are hard to electrify, such as steel and cement production, thus helping to limit climate change. India’s institutional thinking on putting the greater impetus on green hydrogen hinges on the fact that for the country to continue to develop cleanly,  renewable energy may just not suffice given the size of the nation, its ambition to economically develop while reaching pledged climate targets backed by tangible and transparent actions.

Green hydrogen is promoted by the government both to tackle climate change and support a  green energy transition. Hard-to-abate sectors that include refinery and fertilizer, oil & gas, steel, cement, iron and chemicals need to be cleaned of the grey hydrogen that they produce and converted to the production of green hydrogen. These sectors collectively contribute to more than 20 percent of total carbon emissions in India.

Green hydrogen relies upon widespread infrastructure from pipelines to carrying capacity that takes into account needed safety and security standards. Building such an infrastructure will require large-scale funding and proactive policies by the Indian state alongside incentives for private sector investments.

With India taking over the G-20 presidency for 2023 and having set up a green hydrogen fund on January 4, with an initial USD 5 billion, the country is set to scale up efforts in setting up green hydrogen infrastructure and production in a bid to cut its carbon emissions and commercialize the green hydrogen sector.

A list of inter-ministerial coordination mechanisms on issues related to climate change and environmental protection issues directly under the prime Minister’s leadership is listed below:

Mr. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, PMO, South Block, Raisina Hill, New Delhi, Telephone: +91-11-23013040,

Mr. Amit Shah, Union Home Minister of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, North Block, New Delhi, Email: jscpg-mha@nic.in, Telephone numbers: +91-11-23092462/23094686

Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of Finance, Government of India, New Delhi, Telephone: +91-11-23793791/2, Email: appointment.fm@gov.in

Mr. Nitin Gadgari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India, New Delhi. Telephone: +91-11-23062019, Email: nitin.gadgari@nic.in

Mr. Bhupender Yadav, Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, New Delhi, Telephone: +91-11-24695132 , Email: mefcc@gov.in

Mr. Piyush Goyal, Union Commerce and Industry Minister of India, New Delhi, Telephone number: +91-11-23039110/23039111, Emil: piyush.goyal.gov.in

Mr. Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Law and Justice, New Delhi, Telephone number: +91-11-23386974, Email: mljoffice@gov.in

Mr. Santosh Gangwar, Minister of Labour and Employment (Independent Charge), Government of India. Telephone: +91-11-230621345, Email: molegangwar@yahoo.com

This Post was submitted by Climate Scorecard India Country Manager Pooran Chandra Pandey

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