A reference to coal phase-out and suggestion to end fresh investments in coal prevented India from endorsing a renewable energy pledge at the COP28 climate meeting, and a mention of health sector emissions is expected to keep it away from a declaration on health as well. The pledge was mainly about tripling global renewable energy installed capacity by 2030, something that India had already backed as part of the G20 grouping. But the pledge, taken by more than 100 countries Saturday, included references to coal phase-out and an end to fresh investments in that sector, something that India could not sign on to. India has repeatedly made it clear that it would continue to use coal for electricity generation in the near future even as it ramps up the capacity of renewable energy sources. Just ahead of the COP28 meeting, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kawatra had reiterated the same line in a press conference in New Delhi, saying India’s economic and developmental imperatives did not allow for a sudden abandonment of coal, as is often demanded. The pledge was not part of the COP discussions. It was a part of an initiative by the host country, not unusual at the COPs, to forge alliances of countries on some specific subjects in order to create a momentum for greater climate actions. These pledges or alliances have no legal sanctity and many of them fizzle out after some time. India has rarely been part of such platforms. It is unlikely to endorse a health declaration as well because of similar reasons. For the first time, COP had a dedicated health day Sunday. More than 120 countries were listed as having given their endorsement to a declaration that expressed the grave impact of climate change on human health and well being, and emphasised on urgent climate action to reduce such impacts. However, the text also was references to curbing of emissions from the health sector, and assessment of greenhouse gas emissions of health systems. India has reiterated its position it does not want to align itself with these kind of sectoral approaches outside the UNFCCC framework. Such pledges and declarations are not negotiated documents and do not contain the nuance language that comes out of negotiations. India has generally kept away from becoming a part of such initiatives, particularly those that contain issues it is sensitive to, because they could prejudice its positions at the climate change negotiations. Discussions on tripling of renewable energy are expected to be taken up within the COP process as well. It is one of the keenly awaited outcomes from COP28 meeting. Estimates from International Energy Agency suggest that a tripling of global renewable energy capacities by 2030 could avoid about one billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent of emissions every year on an average till 2030.
