Opinion Express View: At Dubai COP, India stands its ground
India has done well to affirm its climate commitments while underlining its development priorities
Prime Minister Narendra Modi summed up the country's standpoint in his speech at the UNFCCC meet on Friday (Representational Image) In the first two days of the COP28 in Dubai, India has affirmed its global warming mitigation commitments while underlining abiding principles of its climate diplomacy — equity and justice.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi summed up the country’s standpoint in his speech at the UNFCCC meet on Friday: “For global good, it is important that the rights of everyone are protected, and everyone has equal participation.” India achieved its emission intensity-related target 11 years ago and is on track to achieving its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) towards the Paris Pact, he said. Prime Minister Modi also reiterated the country’s renewable energy commitments. At the same time, the government has been unequivocal about coal’s important role in the country’s economy.
“Coal is and would remain an important part of India’s energy mix,” Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said on the eve of the PM’s visit to Dubai. These statements send an important message that India will not buckle under pressure to raise its climate ambition — certainly not at the cost of its development priorities.
Eliminating the use of coal is sure to be among the contentious issues at the Dubai COP. Two years ago at Glasgow, a last-minute push by India, China and other emerging economies led to a change in the final text of the COP26 declaration — from a “phase out” of coal to a “phase down” of the fossil fuel. The debate at Glasgow also framed the challenge faced by countries seeking to reduce emissions while attempting to improve the standard of living of growing populations.
The share of renewables in India’s energy basket, for instance, has been increasing for at least five years. However, coal provides more than 70 per cent of the country’s energy needs. With the economy bouncing back from the Covid-induced crisis, power demand in the country has been growing at a healthy pace. Their natural gas reserves allowed the US and several European countries to move away from coal.
India, China and other emerging economies like Indonesia and South Africa, on the other hand, do not have that alternative. However, while natural gas is less polluting, it is still a fossil fuel and the jury is out on whether it’s an effective transitory clean energy source. India has, therefore, been insisting on a nuanced approach to eliminating the use of all fossil fuels — not just coal.
That said, India’s diplomats in Dubai cannot afford to ignore the recent thaw in climate relations between the US and China. Earlier this month, the two largest GHG emitters agreed to “accelerate the substitution for coal, oil and gas generation”. John Kerry, Special Envoy of the US President for Climate Change, has talked about cooperating with China at the Dubai COP. This is a welcome development. But it could also mean more pressure on India and like-minded countries. Having taken principled positions, they must stand their ground.
Share
