Climate change, caused predominantly by Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, has become a focal point of international concern. The G-20 summit in Bali recently saw rich nations, including the U.S, Japan, and Canada, pledging USD 20 billion to help Indonesia transition away from coal and towards carbon neutrality by 2050. This move aligns with the goals of the Paris Agreement which aims to significantly reduce global GHG emissions.
Carbon Emissions: The Need for Compensation
The dawn of the industrial revolution ushered in a period of rapid development for many countries. Data from the Global Carbon Project reveals that between 1751 and 2017, approximately 47% of CO2 emissions originated from the U.S. and the EU-28. However, this advancement came at the cost of increased GHG emissions. Consequently, developing nations, despite being relatively late starters in economic development and contributing less to overall emissions, find themselves grappling with the adverse effects of climate change.
The Consequences of Emissions Inequality
Significant global disparities exist in the distribution and impact of these emissions. For instance, greenhouse gas emissions attributed to the U.S. from 1990-2014 led to concentrated losses of around 1-2% of per capita GDP in nations across South America, Africa, South and Southeast Asia. These regions experienced a decrease in labour productivity and agricultural yields due to temperature changes. Interestingly, some countries, such as those in Northern Europe and Canada, may have benefited from these emissions due to agriculture and labour productivity enhancements in warmer climates.
Emission Gap Report and India’s Role
On a global scale, the ‘Emissions Gap Report 2022’ ranked India among the top seven emitters, along with China, the EU-27, Indonesia, Brazil, the Russian Federation, and the U.S. These seven, plus international transport, contributed to 55% of global GHG emissions in 2020. However, it’s crucial to note that India’s per capita emissions, due to its large population, remain far below the world average.
India’s Steps Towards Carbon Neutrality
India has taken proactive steps to mitigate the impact of climate change. In addition to announcing a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2070, India has committed to increasing the generation of renewable energy to 500 GW by 2030. This goes hand-in-hand with plans to decrease the emission intensity of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) whilst ramping up forest cover.
Understanding the Paris Agreement
The Paris Agreement, adopted at the UNFCCC Meeting in 2015, serves as a landmark commitment by all member countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Its primary objective is to limit the rise in average global temperature to 2°C or even 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels by the end of this century. While the agreement came into effect on 4th November 2016, the Cancun Agreements in 2010 also pledged developed country Parties to jointly mobilize USD 100 billion per year by 2020 to assist developing countries in addressing climate change impacts.
This article provides a summary of the current state of global GHG emissions, the efforts towards their reduction, and the inequalities associated with emissions impact. It also highlights the specific case of India, showing its role in global emissions and its efforts towards sustainability and climate change mitigation.
Last Modified: February 18, 2024