2024-09-18 10:12:14
New Delhi: It was November 2021, when the COP26 summit was being held in Glasgow, Scotland. At that time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had come to participate in it, made such an announcement from the stage that even countries like America, China and Russia were surprised. The PM took the pledge of net zero from this stage for the first time. It was such a promise made to the world that it made headlines in the world’s leading newspapers at that time. Today is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 74th birthday. At the fourth Global Renewable Energy Investors Meet (RE-INVEST 2024) organized in Gandhinagar, the capital of Gujarat, Modi discussed the measures to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement before the deadline, achievements like more than 200 gigawatts of non-fossil fuel capacity and the target of taking it to 500 gigawatts by 2030. Modi said that words like Green Future, Net Zero are India’s need and commitment. Do you know what this Net Zero is? Will India surpass countries like America and China due to net zero?
India promises to go net zero
PM Modi promised to reduce his carbon emissions to net zero by 2070. Usually, the target of net zero in this conference is to be achieved by 2050. China announced a plan for carbon neutrality by 2060. At the same time, the US and the European Union announced to achieve net zero by 2050. At that time, many celebrities including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, US President Joe Biden and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres gave long speeches stating the goals of tackling the climate crisis. India is the fourth largest carbon dioxide emitter in the world after China, the US and the European Union.
PM remembers Gandhi amid challenges of carbon emissions at Renewable Energy Investors Meet
So what is net zero or carbon neutral
Becoming net zero or carbon neutral means not increasing the amount of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbon and carbon monoxide in the atmosphere. Net zero means that whatever carbon is emitted is balanced by removing the same amount from the atmosphere. That is, we will reach net zero when the amount of carbon we emit is removed in the same amount. Understand it like this that this goal will be achieved only when the pollution caused by human activities is balanced by removing it from the atmosphere.
How will the goal of net zero be achieved
This goal will be achieved in two ways. First, the pollution from factories, vehicles etc. should be reduced to zero as much as possible. Second, along with this, natural methods like increasing forests should be used which absorb carbon pollutants from the atmosphere. In simple words, you can plant trees that absorb CO2 and release oxygen. At the same time, along with removing CO2 from the atmosphere, it is also important that we reduce the amount of CO2 being put into the atmosphere.
What is the difference between net zero and carbon zero
Net zero means balancing or eliminating carbon emissions from human activities. We reach net zero when the amount of greenhouse gas produced by our activities does not exceed the amount of carbon removed. On the other hand, zero carbon means emissions from a product or service. That is, there is no carbon emission in zero carbon. Such as electricity obtained from windmills or solar panels.
American and Chinese are ahead in spreading pollution as per population
In terms of population, India’s huge population is much less polluting than many big countries of the world. Its per capita emissions are much lower than the major world economies. In 2019, India emitted 1.9 tonnes of CO2 per capita, while in the same year the US emitted 15.5 tonnes and Russia 12.5 tonnes of carbon pollution.
So will India really live up to its promise?
India has also promised that it will get 50% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030 and will reduce the total estimated carbon emissions by one billion tons by 2030 itself. According to Dr. Sana Rahman, Assistant Professor at Delhi University, India has put the ball in the court of developed countries by announcing 500 gigawatts of coal-based power generation capacity, half of the power from renewable energy, and a billion tons reduction in emissions.
When will the world reach net zero emissions
Under the Paris Agreement, all countries agreed to limit the increase in temperature to below 2 degrees Celsius, ideally 1.5 degrees Celsius. The current increase in temperature by 1.1 degrees Celsius is leading to dangerous consequences of global warming. For example, the ice of glaciers is melting. Destructive waves and storms are being created. If global warming is not allowed to go above 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2050 and CO2 emissions are kept net zero by 2060, then the earth will remain green. This is the biggest challenge for all the countries of the world.
Will the world achieve the net zero target on time?
In fact, even after taking action on climate change, the pace of limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius is very slow. The United Nations believes that with the climate policies currently in place, the temperature may rise to 2.8 degrees Celsius by the end of this century.
What needs to be done to achieve net zero
To achieve net zero, the temperature will have to be maintained at 1.5 degrees Celsius. For zero carbon source, 98%-100% of electricity will need to be supplied from renewable energy by 2050. At the same time, measures like battery and fuel switching will have to be taken to reduce the smoke from vehicles. At the same time, to meet the food needs, the efficiency of food production will have to be improved, dietary options will have to be changed, degraded land will have to be restored and food loss will have to be reduced. Also, the use of coal should decline 6 times faster by 2030. The world also needs to stop deforestation by 2030 and increase tree cover twice as fast.
How many countries have set net zero targets for themselves
Bhutan was the first country to set a net zero target in 2015. Now more than 90 countries, including China, the US and India, which together account for about 80% of the world’s carbon emissions, have set net zero targets. Since the Paris Agreement, many countries have set net zero targets, usually around 2050.
Can solar and wind energy become an alternative?
Solar and wind now provide the cheapest electricity in most parts of the world. Removing CO2 from the atmosphere would offset emissions from sectors where net zero emissions are extremely difficult, such as aviation.