India’s ‘fair share’ and its climate targets

India is doing its ‘fair share’ to meet the 2 degree Celsius goal by the end of the century, says the Climate Transparency Report 2020 launched recently.

The report found that India’s ‘fair share’ climate targets that it set under the 2015 Paris Agreement as well as the actions it has taken in the years since make it ‘compatible’ with the upper goal of curbing global warming by 2 degrees Celsius.  However, although India is fulfilling its climate goals, its efforts still fall short of the Paris Agreement’s long-term goal of limiting global warming by 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The report said that India has promised to reduce its emissions intensity by 33% to 35% by 2030 and has taken actions in its energy, waste, industry, transport and forestry sectors.  It added that India could be a ‘global leader’ if it did not build new coal-fired power and phased out the use of coal by 2040.

According to the report, other nations and the European Union’s targets do not go far enough to curb global warming between 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius, and their actions have fallen short of the targets set when the Paris agreement was ratified. Projected temperature increases under these commitments are now expected to be more than 2.7 degrees Celsius of warming by 2100.

Climate Transparency is a global partnership of 14 think tanks and non-governmental organisations that brings together experts from the majority of G20 countries. The Climate Transparency Report 2020 (previously known as ‘Brown to Green Report’) is the world’s most comprehensive annual review of G20 countries’ climate action and their transition to a net zero emissions economy. The independent, in-depth assessment draws on the latest analysis of international renowned data sets, as well as qualitative data from leading global experts in the field.

The review is based on 100 indicators for adaptation, mitigation and finance compared against 1.5°C global benchmarks and aims to make good practices and gaps transparent. The summary report and 20 country profiles allow the report to be a clear reference tool for decision makers.

The online launch of the report took place on 18 November 2020. This year’s report consists of two parts: the annual policy assessment based on data of the previous year(s) is complemented by an analysis of the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis and recovery efforts on countries’ climate ambition.

The press release states that as the world’s leading economies are directing trillions of dollars towards COVID-19 recovery packages, a significant proportion is going to fossil fuel industries without climate conditions, risking clean energy opportunities in the coming decade. 2019 has seen a remarkable departure from the long-term growth trend in energy-related emissions and a stable expansion of renewables in the G20. But researchers caution that by providing unconditional support to fossil fuels, governments’ recovery responses risk reversing, instead of locking in positive pre-COVID trends.

Dr. Kim Coetzee, Climate Policy Analyst, Climate Analytics, was quoted in the press release saying, “The country profiles show what the G20 countries did - or did not do - in 2019 to protect the climate. Now governments must align current policies, investments and recovery efforts with their long-term emissions goals. This report enables leaders to take a broader view and to find inspiration and impetus to decarbonize the sectors where they risk being left behind.”

The key findings at a glance show that COVID-19 impact on emissions: G20 CO2 emissions are projected to decrease by 7.5% in 2020.  Some countries are providing some support to green industries and some also to their domestic coal, gas and oil sectors.

The G20 countries are also experiencing the impacts of climate change. Between 1999 and 2018, G20 countries lost about 220,000 lives and 2.6 trillion US dollars to extreme weather events. They, however, are not on track for a 1.5°c world decrease. CO2 energy-related emissions were down 0.1% in 2019 but fossil fuels still 81.5% of primary energy. No country has 1.5°C aligned renewable energy targets. Some G20 members have policies to increase renewable generation and some members are making progress on mitigating climate-related financial risks.

Catrina Laura Godinho, Project Coordinator of Climate Transparency, HUMBOLDT-VIADRINA Governance Platform, pointed out, “We urgently need more ambition and leadership from the world’s biggest economies — and emitters — at the upcoming G20 Summit and next year’s UN Climate Conference.”