UPSC Essentials | Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 28)

QUESTION 2

India will continue to rely on coal for foreseeable future. Discuss

General points on the structure of the answers

Introduction

QUESTION 1: What is Green Credit Programme? Discuss its objectives and how it will help in carbon emission reductions.

Introduction:

— The Green Credits Programme, launched by the Environment Ministry in October of this year, aims to create a market-based incentive for a variety of environmental-friendly actions other than carbon emission reductions.

— The Government of India has launched ‘LiFE’-‘Lifestyle for Environment’-a grass-roots, mass movement for environmental protection and conservation, as well as other environmental and climate gains, by enhancing environmental actions that promote a healthy and sustainable way of life based on traditions and values of conservation and moderation, and for sustainable and environmentally friendly development.

Body:

Objectives of Green Credit programme

— It will use a market-based mechanism to incentivise environmentally positive actions and generate green credit, which will be tradable and available for trading on a domestic market platform.

— It shall encourage industries, companies, and other entities to meet their existing or other obligations under any law currently in force, as well as encourage other individuals and entiHties to take voluntary environmental measures.

How it will help in carbon emission reductions?

— Sustainable building and infrastructure—to encourage the construction of environmentally friendly buildings and infrastructure.

— Sustainable agriculture aims to advance regenerative and natural farming methods as well as land restoration to raise crop yields, soil health, and food quality.

— Water management to encourage water harvesting, conservation, and efficiency in water use, including wastewater treatment and reuse.

— Waste management aims to promote circularity, sustainable, and improved waste management practices, such as collection, segregation, and environmentally sound management.

— Air pollution reduction, mangrove conservation and tree plantation.

Conclusion:

— Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched an initiative to generate Green Credits by planting trees on degraded wasteland.

— During a high-level event at the ongoing climate talks, or COP28, in Dubai, he stated that the Green Credits Initiative outperforms carbon credits in terms of commercial viability.

— At COP28, PM Modi offered the concept to the international community, in the hope to create a market for green credits at an international level, just like the one on carbon credits exists.

(Source: What is the Green Credits scheme, which PM Modi mentioned at COP28 by Amitabh Sinha, vikaspedia.in)

Points to Ponder

Loss and Damage Fund

Related Previous Year Questions

Explain the purpose of the Green Grid Initiative launched at World Leaders Summit of the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November, 2021. When was this idea first floated in the International Solar Alliance (ISA)? (2021)

Describe the major outcomes of the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). What are the commitments made by India in this conference? (2021)

QUESTION 2: India will continue to rely on coal for foreseeable future. Discuss

Body:

— According to a recent report by Reuters, power demand in India is increasing. In 2022, the requirement grew about 8% — or at nearly double the pace of the Asia Pacific region, around more than 149.7 terawatt-hours (TWh) in comparison to the previous year.

— The primary reason for this increase is higher economic activity. (Industrial and commercial activity are among the biggest consumers of energy in the country)

— According to the report, in recent years, homes have accounted for one-fourth of India’s power consumption, while agriculture has accounted for more than a sixth.

— Furthermore, according to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) latest World Energy Outlook, India will have the highest growth in energy demand of any country or region in the world over the next 30 years.

— The staggering levels of power demand have turned India into a formidable challenge. As a result, it has increased its coal production by double. According to the coal ministry, it increased by 14% from 778 million tonnes in 2021-22 to 893 million tonnes in 2022-23.

— India has also set a target of 1.31 billion tonnes of coal production for 2024-25 and aims to increase it to 1.5 billion tons by 2030.

— Coal is the only viable option for the country right now because of various reasons:

(i) According to a recent report by Wood Mackenzie, a global research and consultancy group, only 22% of the total energy produced in the country comes from renewable sources. According to the report, fossil fuels, primarily coal, still provide 75% of India’s power supply.

(ii) Energy sources like solar and wind are variable as they rely on natural factors like sunlight, wind and water availability.

(iii) Numerous hydropower projects are under construction or in the planning stages in the Himalayan region, including in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.

(iv) The country’s plans to generate energy through nuclear power plants have not taken off. During 2021-22, the plants produced approximately 3.15% of India’s total electricity generated.

Conclusion:

— With coal use expected to be a key topic at the ongoing COP28 summit, India said it would continue to rely on coal for electricity generation for the foreseeable future, even as it rapidly expanded its renewable energy sources.

— India aims to reach 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, about three times the current capacity of about 180 GW. However, given the constraints regarding renewable energy, it will continue to fall back on coal-generated electricity.

(Source: Why India will continue to rely on coal for foreseeable future by Alind Chauhan)

Points to Ponder

COP 28

Renewable Energy

India’s ambitious plans of achieving net-zero

Related Previous Year Questions

Environmental Impact Assessment studies are increasingly undertaken before a project is cleared by the Government. Discuss the environmental impacts of coal-fired thermal plants located at coal pitheads. (2014)

What are the consequences of Illegal mining? Discuss the Ministry of Environment and Forests’ concept of GO AND NO GO zones for coal mining sector. (2013)

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 26)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 27)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 27)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 26)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 26)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 27)

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