News Analysis India

Tag: Bhupender Yadav

  • ‘We take responsibility but project will be successful’: Environment minister on cheetah deaths

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: With three cheetahs and as many cubs dying at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh in three months, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Thursday said, “We take responsibility for whatever happened.” However, he asserted that the translocation project will be a major success.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the first batch of eight spotted felines from Namibia into a quarantine enclosure at Kuno in Madhya Pradesh on September 17 last year.

    In a second such translocation, 12 cheetahs were flown in from South Africa and released into Kuno on February 18.

    Three cheetahs died in March and April.

    Of the 17 remaining adult cheetahs, seven have already been released into the wild.

    The death of three adult cheetahs and three of the four cubs born to a female Namibian cheetah, Sisaya, has prompted questions from several experts on the suitability of the habitat and wildlife management.

    ALSO READ | Residents around Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno park offer prayers for well-being of cheetah cubs

    “It’s an international project and we had anticipated mortality. It’s mentioned in our report too (cheetah introduction action plan). One of the cheetahs was unwell before it even came to India. We have provided the reasons for the deaths of the two other (adult) cheetahs. The three cubs died due to extreme heat. The temperature soared to 47 degrees Celsius. We take responsibility for whatever happened. However, the project will be a major success and the whole country will be proud of it,” said Yadav in reply to a question at Times Network’s conclave.

    Shortly after news emerged about the death of two cheetah cubs last week, the Centre set up an 11-member high-level steering committee to review and monitor the progress of the Cheetah reintroduction programme.

    The government and experts involved in the project have maintained that the mortalities are within the normal range.

    The action plan for cheetah reintroduction anticipated up to 50 per cent mortality in the first year of relocation.

    The steering committee met for the first time on Wednesday and decided to release seven more cheetahs, including two females, into the wild by the third week of June.

    NEW DELHI: With three cheetahs and as many cubs dying at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh in three months, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Thursday said, “We take responsibility for whatever happened.” However, he asserted that the translocation project will be a major success.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the first batch of eight spotted felines from Namibia into a quarantine enclosure at Kuno in Madhya Pradesh on September 17 last year.

    In a second such translocation, 12 cheetahs were flown in from South Africa and released into Kuno on February 18.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Three cheetahs died in March and April.

    Of the 17 remaining adult cheetahs, seven have already been released into the wild.

    The death of three adult cheetahs and three of the four cubs born to a female Namibian cheetah, Sisaya, has prompted questions from several experts on the suitability of the habitat and wildlife management.

    ALSO READ | Residents around Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno park offer prayers for well-being of cheetah cubs

    “It’s an international project and we had anticipated mortality. It’s mentioned in our report too (cheetah introduction action plan). One of the cheetahs was unwell before it even came to India. We have provided the reasons for the deaths of the two other (adult) cheetahs. The three cubs died due to extreme heat. The temperature soared to 47 degrees Celsius. We take responsibility for whatever happened. However, the project will be a major success and the whole country will be proud of it,” said Yadav in reply to a question at Times Network’s conclave.

    Shortly after news emerged about the death of two cheetah cubs last week, the Centre set up an 11-member high-level steering committee to review and monitor the progress of the Cheetah reintroduction programme.

    The government and experts involved in the project have maintained that the mortalities are within the normal range.

    The action plan for cheetah reintroduction anticipated up to 50 per cent mortality in the first year of relocation.

    The steering committee met for the first time on Wednesday and decided to release seven more cheetahs, including two females, into the wild by the third week of June.

  • Climate justice part of sustainable development: Bhupender Yadav

    By Express News Service

    There are many expectations from India on the global climate strategy as the country cranks up on the development front. India’s sheer size is an indication that its energy demand will grow hugely. Bhupender Yadav, the Union Cabinet Minister of Labour and Employment, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, says India stands for climate justice which entails that people are pulled out of poverty. This is in sync with the Sustainable Development Goals, he tells Rajesh Kumar Thakur in an interview.

    Excerpts:

    What specific initiatives has your ministry taken to meet the net-zero emission targets?India is among the very few nations to have submitted the long-term low emission development strategy (LT-LEDS) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which lays the path towards net-zero emission by 2070. Our LT-LEDS rests on seven key transitions. These are: low-carbon development of electricity systems consistent with development; integrated, efficient, inclusive low-carbon transport system; adaptation in urban design, energy and material-efficiency in buildings, and sustainable urbanization; economy-wide decoupling of growth from emissions; CO2 removal and other engineering solutions; enhancing the forest and vegetation cover consistent with socio-economic and ecological considerations, and economic and financial aspects of low-carbon development. 

    The PM says India will generate 500 GW energy through non-fossil fuel by 2030. What steps are you taking?The Indian Railways is fast electrifying its vast network. It will be fully electrified by 2030, reducing as much as 80 billion tonnes of emission. PM Modi has also initiated the National Green Hydrogen Mission for a clean and renewable energy source in the country. Budget 2023-24 has allocated a fund of Rs 19,700 crore for it. There is a major push for LED bulbs and this transition will cut down on nearly 40 billion tonnes of emissions.

    How are we doing on the forest front?Between 2019 and 2021, India’s forest and tree cover rose by 2,261 sq km. Forest and tree cover is now spread across 80.9 million hectares, which is 24.62% of India’s geographical area. When you talk of carbon sinks, you need to understand that there are other systems as well, for which our government is working. The Union Budget lays out the roadmap for MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes), PM PRANAM (Prime Minister Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth) and Amrit Dharohar, which encourages optimal use of wetlands.

    India was the third largest CO2 emitter by volume in 2020. Our target to reach net-zero emissions remains 2070, which is not in line with the Paris Agreement…It is an erroneous way of looking at progress that we have made. India’s climate actions exceed its moral and legal responsibility. India’s sheer size and scope for growth is an indication that its energy demand will also grow faster than any other economy. Even COP15, UN Biodiversity Conference, held in December 2022, recognized the ‘right to development’ for developing nations. India stands for climate justice and that entails that the people are pulled out of poverty. This is in sync with the Sustainable Development Goals. India with more than 17% of the global population has contributed only about 4% of the global cumulative greenhouse gas emissions between 1850 and 2019. India is, in fact, the only G20 nation well on track to achieve the goals mentioned under the Paris Agreement. We are not lagging; we are leading.

    Amid a dissonance between development and environment, there is a demand that developed countries do more…India doesn’t see environment protection and development as necessarily antagonistic. PM Modi has shown that both can go together. India’s stated policy is mindful resource utilization over mindless consumption. The developed countries can begin with an acceptance that the developed world precipitated the problem. They must release the promised climate finance fund without a delay, allowing the technology transfer needed for climate action. 

    India has stressed blending the traditional practices in day-to-day living for a sustainable future. How is your ministry contributing to this initiative?

    India believes ‘our solutions are in nature’. Oneness with nature is the Indian way of life and it is time to shift to this way. PM Modi has given the world the mantra of LiFE, Lifestyle for Environment. My ministry is spreading greater awareness about existing in harmony with nature through ‘Prakriti.’ This involves adopting small changes in everyday life. 

    The NCR faces AQI issues every winter. Any long-term measures to deal with it?I agree the problem is recurring. I feel it is important to underline that the situation is getting better. The Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station data for Delhi reveals that annual concentration of particulate matter has declined since 2016. We have already achieved a significant reduction in stubble burning.

    There are many expectations from India on the global climate strategy as the country cranks up on the development front. India’s sheer size is an indication that its energy demand will grow hugely. Bhupender Yadav, the Union Cabinet Minister of Labour and Employment, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, says India stands for climate justice which entails that people are pulled out of poverty. This is in sync with the Sustainable Development Goals, he tells Rajesh Kumar Thakur in an interview.

    Excerpts:

    What specific initiatives has your ministry taken to meet the net-zero emission targets?
    India is among the very few nations to have submitted the long-term low emission development strategy (LT-LEDS) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which lays the path towards net-zero emission by 2070. Our LT-LEDS rests on seven key transitions. These are: low-carbon development of electricity systems consistent with development; integrated, efficient, inclusive low-carbon transport system; adaptation in urban design, energy and material-efficiency in buildings, and sustainable urbanization; economy-wide decoupling of growth from emissions; CO2 removal and other engineering solutions; enhancing the forest and vegetation cover consistent with socio-economic and ecological considerations, and economic and financial aspects of low-carbon development. 

    The PM says India will generate 500 GW energy through non-fossil fuel by 2030. What steps are you taking?
    The Indian Railways is fast electrifying its vast network. It will be fully electrified by 2030, reducing as much as 80 billion tonnes of emission. PM Modi has also initiated the National Green Hydrogen Mission for a clean and renewable energy source in the country. Budget 2023-24 has allocated a fund of Rs 19,700 crore for it. There is a major push for LED bulbs and this transition will cut down on nearly 40 billion tonnes of emissions.

    How are we doing on the forest front?
    Between 2019 and 2021, India’s forest and tree cover rose by 2,261 sq km. Forest and tree cover is now spread across 80.9 million hectares, which is 24.62% of India’s geographical area. When you talk of carbon sinks, you need to understand that there are other systems as well, for which our government is working. The Union Budget lays out the roadmap for MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes), PM PRANAM (Prime Minister Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth) and Amrit Dharohar, which encourages optimal use of wetlands.

    India was the third largest CO2 emitter by volume in 2020. Our target to reach net-zero emissions remains 2070, which is not in line with the Paris Agreement…
    It is an erroneous way of looking at progress that we have made. India’s climate actions exceed its moral and legal responsibility. India’s sheer size and scope for growth is an indication that its energy demand will also grow faster than any other economy. Even COP15, UN Biodiversity Conference, held in December 2022, recognized the ‘right to development’ for developing nations. India stands for climate justice and that entails that the people are pulled out of poverty. This is in sync with the Sustainable Development Goals. India with more than 17% of the global population has contributed only about 4% of the global cumulative greenhouse gas emissions between 1850 and 2019. India is, in fact, the only G20 nation well on track to achieve the goals mentioned under the Paris Agreement. We are not lagging; we are leading.

    Amid a dissonance between development and environment, there is a demand that developed countries do more…
    India doesn’t see environment protection and development as necessarily antagonistic. PM Modi has shown that both can go together. India’s stated policy is mindful resource utilization over mindless consumption. The developed countries can begin with an acceptance that the developed world precipitated the problem. They must release the promised climate finance fund without a delay, allowing the technology transfer needed for climate action. 

    India has stressed blending the traditional practices in day-to-day living for a sustainable future. How is your ministry contributing to this initiative?

    India believes ‘our solutions are in nature’. Oneness with nature is the Indian way of life and it is time to shift to this way. PM Modi has given the world the mantra of LiFE, Lifestyle for Environment. My ministry is spreading greater awareness about existing in harmony with nature through ‘Prakriti.’ This involves adopting small changes in everyday life. 

    The NCR faces AQI issues every winter. Any long-term measures to deal with it?
    I agree the problem is recurring. I feel it is important to underline that the situation is getting better. The Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station data for Delhi reveals that annual concentration of particulate matter has declined since 2016. We have already achieved a significant reduction in stubble burning.

  • Global target for pesticide reduction unnecessary: India at UN’s COP15 summit

    By PTI

    MONTREAL: A numerical global target for pesticide reduction in the agriculture sector is unnecessary and must be left for countries to decide, India has said at the UN biodiversity conference here in Canada.

    India also supported subsidies for the agriculture sector.

    Currently, more than 40 per cent of India’s total workforce is employed in agriculture, according to the World Bank data released in 2019.

    Speaking during a high-level segment of the 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said that the agriculture sector in India, like other developing countries, is the source of “life, livelihoods, and culture for hundreds of millions”.

    “Such essential support to vulnerable sections cannot be called subsidies, and targeted for elimination,” Yadav said on Friday.

    “While they are being rationalised, biodiversity must be promoted through positive investment,” he said.

    “Similarly, a numerical global target for pesticide reduction is unnecessary and must be left to countries to decide,” the minister added.

    The Target 7 of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) includes the reduction of pesticides by at least two-thirds by 2030.

    A report by Pesticide Action Network (PAN) India released in February reveals serious problems of pesticide usage in India and points to poor regulation of hazardous agrochemicals.

    The current use pattern is implicated in widespread unauthorised uses of pesticides in India, posing threat to food safety and environmental contamination, it said.

    Proponents of the target state that redirecting harmful subsidies towards biodiversity financing would go a long way towards bridging the funding gap of around USD 700 billion a year.

    Currently, India alone spends about USD 30 billion (about 2.2 lakh crore) subsidising agricultural inputs, including pesticides.

    The minister acknowledged that credible action is the source of strength and optimism in facing all global challenges including biodiversity.

    He said despite India being home to 17 per cent of the global population, but only 2.4 per cent of the land area and only 4 per cent of its water resources, the country is forging ahead in its efforts to protect biodiversity.

    “Our forest and tree cover is steadily rising together with our wildlife population. Definitive steps are being taken to return the iconic cheetah to Indian habitats,” he added.

    “India has taken a quantum jump in the number of declared Ramsar sites to the current figure of 75. As a large developing country, our forest policy is challenging to implement, but our forest surveys are testimony to its success,” said Yadav.

    The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands, signed in Iran in 1971.

    The minister said that India’s balance sheet in implementing the Aichi Targets (laid out in 2010) is proactive and forward-looking and the country is on track to meet its commitments.

    To counter the global biodiversity crisis, at the 2010 UN CBD COP10, almost 200 countries pledged to protect at least 17 per cent of their terrestrial environments and inland water, and 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas by 2020 (known as part of the Aichi Targets).

    Yadav also said that India has taken numerous steps to keep invasive alien species at bay, but a numerical target is not feasible without the necessary baselines and relevant scientific evidence.

    “The Global Biodiversity Framework must be framed in the light of science and equity and the sovereign right of nations over their resources, as provided for in the Convention on Biodiversity,” the minister said.

    “If the climate is profoundly linked to biodiversity, then the principle of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities must equally apply to biodiversity,” he added.

    Yadav said when nature itself is under stress because of the historical disproportionate and inequities in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the developed countries, the nature-based solutions to global warming and other environmental challenges are not an answer without resolute action by developed countries to measure up to their historical and current responsibilities.

    However, this principle, while accepted in the UN climate talks, has been a point of contention at the biodiversity summit.

    “Nature cannot protect if it is not itself protected; nature is a victim of global warming and its protective features can do little against unchecked temperature rise,” he added.

    Touching on the financial gap for biodiversity conservation, Yadav said added the provisions of the means of implementation must match ambition.

    “Our only source of funding remains the Global Environment Facility (GEF) which caters to multiple conventions,” he pointed out.

    “The value of biodiversity to humankind also lies in its economic dimension alongside the cultural and socially sustainable use and access and benefit sharing are key to promoting biodiversity alongside the efforts to conserve protect and restore,” he added.

    “What is needed today is mindful and deliberate utilisation instead of mindless and destructive consumption,” he added.

    During COP15, being held here from December 7 to 19 (or longer, if parties fail to come to an agreement on schedule), about 20,000 delegates from 196 countries across the world are negotiating an eight-year plan to halt biodiversity loss by 2030 and restore nature by 2050.

    The highlight of this COP would be the adoption of four goals and 22 targets as part of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework which will set the platform for biodiversity conservation.

    The Indian delegation is led by Yadav, and a team of negotiators comprising senior officials from the Government of India.

    MONTREAL: A numerical global target for pesticide reduction in the agriculture sector is unnecessary and must be left for countries to decide, India has said at the UN biodiversity conference here in Canada.

    India also supported subsidies for the agriculture sector.

    Currently, more than 40 per cent of India’s total workforce is employed in agriculture, according to the World Bank data released in 2019.

    Speaking during a high-level segment of the 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said that the agriculture sector in India, like other developing countries, is the source of “life, livelihoods, and culture for hundreds of millions”.

    “Such essential support to vulnerable sections cannot be called subsidies, and targeted for elimination,” Yadav said on Friday.

    “While they are being rationalised, biodiversity must be promoted through positive investment,” he said.

    “Similarly, a numerical global target for pesticide reduction is unnecessary and must be left to countries to decide,” the minister added.

    The Target 7 of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) includes the reduction of pesticides by at least two-thirds by 2030.

    A report by Pesticide Action Network (PAN) India released in February reveals serious problems of pesticide usage in India and points to poor regulation of hazardous agrochemicals.

    The current use pattern is implicated in widespread unauthorised uses of pesticides in India, posing threat to food safety and environmental contamination, it said.

    Proponents of the target state that redirecting harmful subsidies towards biodiversity financing would go a long way towards bridging the funding gap of around USD 700 billion a year.

    Currently, India alone spends about USD 30 billion (about 2.2 lakh crore) subsidising agricultural inputs, including pesticides.

    The minister acknowledged that credible action is the source of strength and optimism in facing all global challenges including biodiversity.

    He said despite India being home to 17 per cent of the global population, but only 2.4 per cent of the land area and only 4 per cent of its water resources, the country is forging ahead in its efforts to protect biodiversity.

    “Our forest and tree cover is steadily rising together with our wildlife population. Definitive steps are being taken to return the iconic cheetah to Indian habitats,” he added.

    “India has taken a quantum jump in the number of declared Ramsar sites to the current figure of 75. As a large developing country, our forest policy is challenging to implement, but our forest surveys are testimony to its success,” said Yadav.

    The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands, signed in Iran in 1971.

    The minister said that India’s balance sheet in implementing the Aichi Targets (laid out in 2010) is proactive and forward-looking and the country is on track to meet its commitments.

    To counter the global biodiversity crisis, at the 2010 UN CBD COP10, almost 200 countries pledged to protect at least 17 per cent of their terrestrial environments and inland water, and 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas by 2020 (known as part of the Aichi Targets).

    Yadav also said that India has taken numerous steps to keep invasive alien species at bay, but a numerical target is not feasible without the necessary baselines and relevant scientific evidence.

    “The Global Biodiversity Framework must be framed in the light of science and equity and the sovereign right of nations over their resources, as provided for in the Convention on Biodiversity,” the minister said.

    “If the climate is profoundly linked to biodiversity, then the principle of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities must equally apply to biodiversity,” he added.

    Yadav said when nature itself is under stress because of the historical disproportionate and inequities in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the developed countries, the nature-based solutions to global warming and other environmental challenges are not an answer without resolute action by developed countries to measure up to their historical and current responsibilities.

    However, this principle, while accepted in the UN climate talks, has been a point of contention at the biodiversity summit.

    “Nature cannot protect if it is not itself protected; nature is a victim of global warming and its protective features can do little against unchecked temperature rise,” he added.

    Touching on the financial gap for biodiversity conservation, Yadav said added the provisions of the means of implementation must match ambition.

    “Our only source of funding remains the Global Environment Facility (GEF) which caters to multiple conventions,” he pointed out.

    “The value of biodiversity to humankind also lies in its economic dimension alongside the cultural and socially sustainable use and access and benefit sharing are key to promoting biodiversity alongside the efforts to conserve protect and restore,” he added.

    “What is needed today is mindful and deliberate utilisation instead of mindless and destructive consumption,” he added.

    During COP15, being held here from December 7 to 19 (or longer, if parties fail to come to an agreement on schedule), about 20,000 delegates from 196 countries across the world are negotiating an eight-year plan to halt biodiversity loss by 2030 and restore nature by 2050.

    The highlight of this COP would be the adoption of four goals and 22 targets as part of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework which will set the platform for biodiversity conservation.

    The Indian delegation is led by Yadav, and a team of negotiators comprising senior officials from the Government of India.

  • Layoffs are deemed illegal if not carried as per Industrial Disputes Act: Labour Minister

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Amid reports of mass layoffs by several firms, including in the IT sector, Labour and Employment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Thursday said any retrenchment and layoffs are deemed to be illegal if not carried out as per the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act.

    The minister was replying in the Rajya Sabha to a question about whether the government has taken cognizance of the mass layoffs in various multi-national and Indian companies in the IT, social media, Edu Tech firms and related sectors.

    Matters relating to layoffs and retrenchment in industrial establishments are governed by the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 (ID Act) which also regulates various aspects of layoffs and conditions precedent to retrenchment of workmen, said Yadav in reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

    As per the ID Act, establishments employing 100 persons or more are required to seek prior permission from the appropriate government before effecting closure, retrenchment or lay-off.

    “Further, any retrenchment and lay-off are deemed to be illegal which is not carried out as per the provisions of ID Act. ID Act also provides for right of workmen laid off and retrenched for compensation and it also contains provision for re-employment of retrenched workmen,” he said.

    Based on their respective jurisdictions as demarcated in the ID Act, Central and State Governments take actions to address the issues of the workmen and protect their interests as per the provision of the Act.

    The jurisdiction in the matters with regard to multi-national and Indian companies in the IT, social media, Edu Tech firms and related sectors lie with the respective state governments, the minister said.

    He also informed that no data is maintained at the Central level on laying off and retrenchment with reference to these sectors.

    NEW DELHI: Amid reports of mass layoffs by several firms, including in the IT sector, Labour and Employment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Thursday said any retrenchment and layoffs are deemed to be illegal if not carried out as per the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act.

    The minister was replying in the Rajya Sabha to a question about whether the government has taken cognizance of the mass layoffs in various multi-national and Indian companies in the IT, social media, Edu Tech firms and related sectors.

    Matters relating to layoffs and retrenchment in industrial establishments are governed by the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 (ID Act) which also regulates various aspects of layoffs and conditions precedent to retrenchment of workmen, said Yadav in reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

    As per the ID Act, establishments employing 100 persons or more are required to seek prior permission from the appropriate government before effecting closure, retrenchment or lay-off.

    “Further, any retrenchment and lay-off are deemed to be illegal which is not carried out as per the provisions of ID Act. ID Act also provides for right of workmen laid off and retrenched for compensation and it also contains provision for re-employment of retrenched workmen,” he said.

    Based on their respective jurisdictions as demarcated in the ID Act, Central and State Governments take actions to address the issues of the workmen and protect their interests as per the provision of the Act.

    The jurisdiction in the matters with regard to multi-national and Indian companies in the IT, social media, Edu Tech firms and related sectors lie with the respective state governments, the minister said.

    He also informed that no data is maintained at the Central level on laying off and retrenchment with reference to these sectors.

  • No climate crisis would exist if world’s per capita emissions were at India’s level: Bhupender Yadav

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: There would be no climate crisis if emissions of the entire world were at the same per capita level as India, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said at the ongoing UN climate summit in Egypt on Thursday.

    Participating in a session on “Accelerating Resilient Infrastructure in Small Island Developing States” (SIDS) on the sidelines of COP27, Yadav said the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states clearly that the responsibility for warming is directly proportional to the contribution to cumulative emissions of carbon dioxide.

    All CO2 emissions, whenever they take place, contribute equally to warming, he said.

    “Considering per capita emissions, for an objective scale for comparison, India’s emissions are, even today, about one-third of the global average. If the entire world were to emit at the same per capita level as India, the best available science tells that there would be no climate crisis,” he added.

    At 2.4 tCO2e (tonne carbon dioxide equivalent), India’s per capita greenhouse gas emissions are far below the world average of 6.3 tCO2e, according to a report released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) last month.Per capita emissions in the US (14 tCO2e) are far above the global average, followed by Russia (13 tCO2e), China (9.7 tCO2e), Brazil and Indonesia (around 7.5 tCO2e each), and the European Union (7.2 tCO2e).

    IPCC reports and all other best available science also show that India is among those countries with high vulnerability to climate change. So, it is very sympathetic to the situation of the island states and others, the minister said.

    India, with over 7,500 km of coastline and more than 1,000 islands in the surrounding seas, and a large coastal population dependent on the sea for livelihood, is also a highly vulnerable nation on the global scale.

    India recorded 1,058 climatic disasters between 1995 and 2020, Yadav said.

    NEW DELHI: There would be no climate crisis if emissions of the entire world were at the same per capita level as India, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said at the ongoing UN climate summit in Egypt on Thursday.

    Participating in a session on “Accelerating Resilient Infrastructure in Small Island Developing States” (SIDS) on the sidelines of COP27, Yadav said the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states clearly that the responsibility for warming is directly proportional to the contribution to cumulative emissions of carbon dioxide.

    All CO2 emissions, whenever they take place, contribute equally to warming, he said.

    “Considering per capita emissions, for an objective scale for comparison, India’s emissions are, even today, about one-third of the global average. If the entire world were to emit at the same per capita level as India, the best available science tells that there would be no climate crisis,” he added.

    At 2.4 tCO2e (tonne carbon dioxide equivalent), India’s per capita greenhouse gas emissions are far below the world average of 6.3 tCO2e, according to a report released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) last month.Per capita emissions in the US (14 tCO2e) are far above the global average, followed by Russia (13 tCO2e), China (9.7 tCO2e), Brazil and Indonesia (around 7.5 tCO2e each), and the European Union (7.2 tCO2e).

    IPCC reports and all other best available science also show that India is among those countries with high vulnerability to climate change. So, it is very sympathetic to the situation of the island states and others, the minister said.

    India, with over 7,500 km of coastline and more than 1,000 islands in the surrounding seas, and a large coastal population dependent on the sea for livelihood, is also a highly vulnerable nation on the global scale.

    India recorded 1,058 climatic disasters between 1995 and 2020, Yadav said.

  • Efforts to drive low carbon development pathways in industry sector are critical for achieving Paris Agreement goals: India

    By PTI

    GLASGOW: India on Tuesday underlined that efforts to drive low carbon development pathways in the industry sector are critical for achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.

    Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, while speaking at the LeadIT (Leadership Group for Industry transition) Summit 2021, held on the sidelines of COP26 in Glasgow, highlighted that the industrial sector contributes about 30 per cent of the total carbon emissions.

    “Industry sectors together contribute about 30 per cent of the total CO2 emissions, and thus, efforts to drive low carbon development pathways in the industry sector are critical for achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement,” the minister said in his address at the LeadIT Summit presided by India and Sweden.

    Yadav also stressed that although new countries like the US, Austria and Ethiopia, and companies, including Skanska, Heidelberg Cement and Salzgitter have joined the initiative, it is necessary that more companies from the heavy industries should join the global initiative.

    LeadIT is a voluntary initiative for promoting low-carbon transition especially in the hard-to-abate sectors like Iron and Steel, Aluminium, Cement and Concrete, petrochemicals, fertilisers, bricks, heavy-duty transport, etc.

    through active participation of private sector companies.

    The environment minister mentioned the critical gaps in the global low carbon industry transition, which include technology development and transfer, ensuring the adequate flow of finance at scale and speed, capacity constraints, and policies to facilitate industry transition.

    He also stressed that any low carbon production in the heavy industry requires intervention both at the level of alternative feedstocks as well as efforts to reduce process-related emissions, which is challenging in developing countries that are yet to build the majority of a built structure.

    “Developed countries should also provide lead markets for products of green technologies and drive down costs so that these can be deployed in developing economies also, at scale,” Yadav said.

    The meeting was co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Environment of Sweden, Per Bolund, who welcomed the new members in the LeadIT Group and said that industries play an important role in the achievement of the net-zero target, leading up to the achievement of the Paris Agreement goal, and creation of new and green opportunities.

    He also underlined the importance of cooperation between countries and investments for transformation to a fossil-free future, and on the need to find more friends including the private sector and civil societies.

    He said that public-private partnership and the creation of demand help in radical emission reductions and the creation of green jobs.

    During the event, John Kerry, US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, said that it is important to explore opportunities that mix technology with finance, and LeadIT will support countries in holding hands and pulling up to achieve the goals of net-zero in the industrial sector.

    Mahendra Singhi from Dalmia Cement underlined the need to decarbonise and achieve net-zero, for which, LeadIT has an important role to play and mentioned that Dalmia Cement has taken a target to achieve net-zero by 2040, which can be achieved earlier if support is received.

    The event was attended by the member countries and companies of LeadIT, including Argentina, Austria, Australia, Denmark, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden, the US, the UK, Ukraine, Dalmia Cement, Heidelberg Cement, LafargeHolcim, ThyssenKrupp, SSAB, Scania, Skanska, as well as the UN Assistant Secretary-General, World Economic Forum etc.

    Ukraine, which is not a member of the LeadIT group yet, informed that it has submitted its willingness to join the initiative.

    The Netherlands mentioned the Mission Integrated Bio-refineries that is being implemented in collaboration with the Department of Biotechnology under Mission Innovation.

    The World Economic Forum looked forward to getting the 2030 plan implemented.

    The event saw the adoption of the legal Summit Statement of LeadIT Summit 2021 by the ministers of India and Sweden.

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  • India says it expects climate finance of USD one trillion ‘at the earliest’

    By PTI

    GLASGOW: India on Wednesday highlighted the importance of climate finance and transfer of low-cost technologies and said it expects climate finance of USD one trillion “at the earliest” in view of its new commitments.

    Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav made the remarks after meeting Scotland’s Finance Minister Kate Forbes on the sidelines of the crucial international climate conference COP26 here.

    The minister, after meeting with Scotland’s Finance Minister Kate Forbes, said with Prime Minister Narendra Modi setting new benchmarks for climate action, finance and technologies become even more important.

    “Had a wonderful meeting with Her Excellency Ms @_KateForbes, Minister of Finance and Economy, Scotland. On behalf of the Indian delegation thanked the Scottish administration for holding the event so professionally and the excellent hospitality extended by the people of Scotland.”

    “With PM Shri @narendramodi ji setting new benchmarks and India resolving to move forward with a new commitment, the transfer of climate finance and low-cost climate technologies becomes more important. India expects climate finance of $1 trillion at the earliest,” he tweeted.

    Later, he also met COP 26 President Alok Sharma, the Indian-origin UK Cabinet minister, where he reiterated the importance of upscaling climate finance, technology and capacity building support to developed nations saying it is critical for developing nations to achieve higher ambitions.

    During the day, he also met Australian Minister for Energy and Emission Reduction, Angus Taylor.

    Yadav tweeted, “Had an engaging discussion with H.E., Mr @AngusTaylorMP, Minister for Energy and Emission Reduction, Australia, at @COP26. Both nations discussed furthering the partnership & exploring new opportunities to expand the relationship on climate change issues under global initiatives.”

    Yadav is in Glasgow representing India at the 26th Conference of Parties in Glasgow, UK which commenced on October 31 and will conclude on November 12.

    The UK is presiding over the conference.

    The Indian environment minister has also been maintaining a blog “COP 26 Diary” in which he said, “It is a matter of pride for us Indians to note that we have not just been fulfilling our responsibilities as a global power in the fight against climate change, we are also taking the lead in the fight, emerging as a model worth emulating.”

    In the last two days, PM Modi made significant announcements raising India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) including the bold pledge of India becoming net zero by 2070.

    Besides the net zero target, Modi also raised the NDC of achieving 450 giga watt non-fossil energy capacity to 500 giga watt.

    “India will increase its non-fossil energy capacity to 500 giga watt by 2030; India will fulfil 50 per cent of its energy requirements from renewable energy sources by 2030. Between now and 2030, India will reduce its total projected carbon emissions by 1 billion tonnes and by 2030; India will reduce the carbon intensity of its economy by 45 per cent and India will achieve the target of net zero by 2070,” the prime minister said, adding that “these five elixirs will be an unprecedented contribution by India towards climate action.”

    He also asserted that it is the only country that is delivering in “letter and spirit” the commitments on tackling climate change under the Paris Agreement.

  • Centre has got positive help from Delhi, neighbouring states on stubble burning: Environment Minister

    Some private companies too have come up with good experiments under which stubble or crop residue is turned into manure, said the minister.

  • Union Minister Bhupender Yadav holds meeting with NCR states on action plan to mitigate air pollution

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Thursday held a key meeting with the governments of Delhi and its neighbouring states of Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan on the action plan to mitigate air pollution caused by stubble burning.

    Briefing the media about the meeting, the minister said discussions were held over implementation of action plans by states to mitigate pollution due to agriculture stubble burning, dust, construction and demolition waste, biomass burning and vehicular pollution.

    The minister said coordination and synergy reflected in the action plan by each state under the overall framework prepared by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).

    “Outcome of action plan will significantly depend on the efficacy of the enforcement and implementation by the states,” Yadav said.

    Tweeting about the meeting later, the minister said, “Chaired a meeting with Haryana CM Shri @mlkhattar ji and Environment Ministers and senior officials from neighbouring states on the preparedness and taking ahead the multi-pronged action plan on air quality. Addressed issues requiring inter-state & inter-inisterial coordination.”

    “It was heartening to note that the spirit with which the Commission for Air Quality Management was conceived is reflected in the action plan of states. The outcome of the action plan will significantly depend on the efficacy of the enforcement and implementation by states,” he said.

    Sharing the plan for utilisation of PUSA’s bio-decomposer technology, the minister said that it will be given to farmers in Haryana free of cost for one lakh acre of land and in Delhi, it will be used in more than 4,000 acres of area under paddy, out of the total area 14,600 acres.

    He said that Uttar Pradesh will be given 10 lakh capsules of the bio-decomposer free of cost for 6.1 lakh acre land and Punjab to get it for approximately 7,413 acres of land.

    Farmers in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue left behind after harvesting and before cultivating wheat and potato.

    It is one of the main reasons for the spike in pollution in Delhi-NCR at the onset of winters.

    The paddy harvesting season is between October 15 and November 15.

  • Climate change biggest global challenge, India committed to combat it: Bhupender Yadav

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Climate change is the biggest global challenge and India is committed to combat it, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Monday.

    Speaking at the launch of Climate Action and Finance Mobilisation Dialogue (CAFMD) under India-US Climate Clean Energy Agenda 2030, Yadav said India is proactively working towards tackling climate change and reducing carbon emissions.

    The dialogue was formally launched by Yadav and US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate (SPEC), John Kerry, at an event held in the capital.

    The minister said that the dialogue will not only strengthen India-US bilateral cooperation on climate and environment but will also help to demonstrate how the world can align swift climate action with inclusive and resilient economic development, taking into account national circumstances and sustainable development priorities.

    Kerry, who arrived in New Delhi on Sunday for the launch, said, “India’s leadership is essential for our clean energy future. Looking forward to advancing climate discussions this week in New Delhi.”

    Addressing the gathering, Yadav said that the partnership between India and the US will help strengthen climate action both the countries have shared values.

    “India and the US are natural partners with shared values and our agenda encompasses all major pillars of our strategic priorities – including defence, security, energy, technology, education and healthcare,” said the environment minister.

    He said that the dialogue will provide both the countries an opportunity to renew collaborations on climate change while addressing the financing aspects.

    The minister said that India is already an attractive destination for global clean energy investments and hoped that “this dialogue will work to mobilise and deliver climate finance primarily as grants and concessional finance, as envisaged under the Paris Agreement to strengthen climate action”.

    Calling for an urgent action to address climate change, Kerry said to avoid more catastrophic consequences, action needs to be taken now.

    “Floods, forest fires, record levels of rainfall are happening everywhere and to keep 1.5 degrees warming limit in reach, and avoid more catastrophic consequences, we must act now,” he said.

    Kerry also said that it was a good time to invest in energy transition.

    “There has never been a better time to invest in energy transition. Renewable energy is cheaper than ever. Investors are flocking for clean energy all around the world.

    The transition has already rebounded after the pandemic and is now on track to smash the pre-pandemic record of 8.4 billion US dollars invested in one year,” he said.

    Terming the clean energy partnership as a major opportunity for both the countries, Kerry said it is far less expensive to deal with climate crisis now than it will be in the future.

    The CAFMD is one of the two tracks of the India-US Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 partnership launched at the Leaders’ Summit on Climate in April 2021, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden.

    During the event, Kerry applauded Modi for setting an ambitious target of achieving 450 GW renewable energy by 2030 and congratulated India for already achieving 100 GW.

    The US Climate envoy lauded India’s leadership role in demonstrating how economic development and clean energy can go hand-in-hand and stated that an urgent Global Climate Action is the need of the hour.

    He stressed that India and the US are working towards speedier deployment of clean energy.

    The launch was preceded by a bilateral meet where both the sides discussed at length a wide range of climate issues relating to COP26, Climate Ambition, Climate Finance, Global Climate Initiatives, including International Solar Alliance (ISA), Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM4C).