Key Pillars in the Transition to LCS Pathways
Nidhi Madan, May 10, 2021
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that a rapid transition is required to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius i.e., staying within the cumulative carbon budget of 770 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide. The IPCC report infers that the entire world must reach net-zero carbon dioxide emissions globally around 2050, and achieve a significant reduction in the emissions of other gases—including methane and nitrous oxide.
Limiting the impact of climate change to 1.50C would mean taking comprehensive action on technological diffusion and innovation, infrastructure building, financing mechanisms, policy frameworks, institutional arrangements, business models and consumer behavior. However, these need to fit within countries’ development strategies and align with their socioeconomic and environmental goals. Each nation including India must take concerted action for a smooth transition towards Low Carbon Sustainable (LCS) pathways.
Five pillars for transitioning to LCS pathways
LCS interventions are development-centric innovations that facilitate the simultaneous achievement of national sustainability goals and global environmental objectives in a cost-effective manner. Significant opportunities exist in India for aligning sustainable development and climate actions that can deliver co-benefit in the short-term and avoid lock-ins in the long term. This involves multiple actors, institutions, processes, and resources. LCS pathways are based on the following five key pillars:
Climate Risk Atlas
Climate risk, an interplay of hazard, exposure and vulnerability, prepares communities to meet the challenges arising out of climate change by developing pragmatic response strategies to reduce vulnerability and enhance resilience. A pan India Climate Risk Atlas is a pre-requisite. However, India has a fragile ecosystem, which includes deserts, semi-arid lands, mountains, wetlands, small islands and coastal areas. Therefore, it is challenging to create a unique framework for assessing climate risks. A regional approach for developing a climate risk atlas is being advocated for India eg: the Department of Science and Technology has developed a climate vulnerability atlas for 12 states of the Indian Himalayan Region.
Evidence-based planning
Low-carbon measures must be based on reliable and scientifically sound predictions of integrated system dynamic modelling techniques. This would enhance the understanding of the impact of increasing GHG emissions on various sectors and commodities that are linked to India’s economy. This will also aid in assessing underlying ecosystem-level transition issues including jobs, just transition to clean energy pathways, air quality and health co-benefits.
Coordinated governance structure engaging all-inclusive stakeholders
The Government of India, in consultation with stakeholders such as think tanks, academic institutions and civil society organizations, makes policy decisions at the national level. However, key actors at the sub-national level who are the key stakeholders responsible for the operationalizing of major policy interventions are not always as involved in decision making processes. These actors should be engaged in suggesting the feasibility of the implementation of policy interventions and ensuring its success. This should be coordinated through a governing apex body at the central level.
Develop sector-wise LCS plans
To develop a meaningful, monitorable and trackable LCS target for the country, it is essential to truncate this target into smaller sectoral targets. Each sector has its unique technological and financing needs eg: agriculture and energy sectors use an LCS target due to the availability of technology, however, it is difficult for the harder to abate industry (e.g. steel, cement, petrochemical) and waste sectors to reduce their emissions immediately due to the non-availability of affordable or proven low-carbon technologies. Sectoral plans should delineate a low-carbon trajectory through the inclusion of key strategies, and technological and financial needs for delivering the LCS pathway.
Collaboration and partnerships
India has anchored various partnership alliances and shown thought leadership to combat the challenges of climate change eg: India hosts the International Solar Alliance and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure for promoting solar renewable resources and resilience to climate-linked disasters. Further, India has ongoing bilateral programmes with the USA, UK, and Germany on energy, waste and climate change adaptation. Similar partnership alliances or bilateral cooperation can be vitalised in the future to meet India’s technology and finance needs.