India is ranked highly for climate protection, taking the eighth spot: Report

As a result of its low emissions and growing reliance on renewable energy, India moved up two spots to eighth place out of 63 countries in the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2023. The report, which tracks the climate performance of 59 nations and the European Union, which together account for more than 92 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, was released on Monday by three non-governmental environmental organisations.

Based on how well the nations are doing in reducing their emissions by halving them by 2030 — a crucial component to keep the 1.5-degree Celsius goal within reach and prevent dangerous climate change — Germanwatch, NewClimate Institute, and the Climate Action Network have ranked the nations. No country "performed well enough in all index categories to achieve an overall very high rating," according to the report, leaving the top three spots vacant. Denmark comes in at number four, followed by Sweden and Chile.

India received high marks for GHG emissions and energy use, but just average marks for climate policy and renewable energy. Due to plans for new coal-fired power plants, China, which is currently the world's largest polluter, dropped 13 spots to tie for 51st in this year's CCPI and received an overall very-low grade. The US moved up three spots to claim position 52. The weakest performers were Kazakhstan (61st), Saudi Arabia (62nd), and Iran (63rd).

According to the research, India is "on pace" to fulfil its 2030 emissions objectives, which are consistent with a temperature rise of well below 2 degrees Celsius. The report noted that the renewable energy pathway "is not on track for the 2030 target." India amended its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and declared a net-zero objective for 2070 since the last CCPI. Achieving a balance between the amount of greenhouse gases added to the atmosphere and those removed is known as "net zero." According to the Paris Agreement, the NDCs are national plans to keep the increase in global temperature to far below 2 degrees Celsius, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius. India amended its NDCs in August and has pledged to cutting its GDP's emissions intensity by 45 percent from 2005 levels by 2030.

By 2030, it hopes to generate around 50% of the installed capacity for electric power derived from sources other than fossil fuels. However, the delivery of funds and the transfer of technology are prerequisites for these NDCs. The new goals and political cues for climate action in India were well received by experts. They emphasised the need of an equitable and inclusive energy transition as well as the necessity of decentralised renewable energy and rooftop photovoltaic capacity. Key demands include the need for a carbon price mechanism, increased subnational capacity, and clear action plans to meet the goals. According to the research, India is one of the nine nations that produce 90% of the world's coal, and it also has plans to enhance production of oil, gas, and coal by more than 5 percent by 2030.

(source : PTI)