Sansad TV Perspective: Climate Change-No Time To Lose

In the series Sansad TV Perspective, we bring you an analysis of the discussion featured on the insightful programme ‘Perspective’ on Sansad TV, on various important topics affecting India and also the world. This analysis will help you immensely for the IAS exam, especially the mains exam, where a well-rounded understanding of topics is a prerequisite for writing answers that fetch good marks.

In this article, we feature the discussion on the topic: ‘Climate Change-No Time To Lose’.

Anchor: Teena Jha

Participants:

1. Minal Pathak, Senior Scientist, IPCC
2. C.K. Mishra, Former Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India
3. Erin Sikorsky, Director, The Center for Climate and Security & The International Military Council on Climate and Security, USA
4. Urmi Goswami, Senior Journalist

Context: The IPCC recently released its Synthesis Report for the Sixth Assessment Cycle.

Highlights of the discussion:

1. Introduction
2. Highlights of the report
3. Significance
4. Implications for India
5. Impact on future climate negotiations
6. Way Forward

Introduction:

• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its Synthesis Report for the Sixth Assessment Cycle on March 20 in Interlaken, Switzerland. 
• This Synthesis Report (SYR) of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) summarises the state of knowledge of climate change, its widespread impacts and risks, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.
• It integrates the main findings of the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) based on contributions from the three Working Groups.

Highlights of the report:

• The Report finds that, despite progress in policies and legislation around climate mitigation since the previous report in 2014, it’s “likely that warming will exceed 1.5°C during the 21st century”.
• This is based on the expected levels of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the atmosphere by 2030, based on nationally determined contributions or “NDCs” announced as of October 2021.
• The report also demonstrates an undeniable scientific consensus about the urgency of the climate crisis, its primary causes, its current devastating impacts – especially on most climate-vulnerable regions – and the irreversible harm that will occur if warming surpasses 1.5°C, even temporarily.
• The report highlights the impact of human-caused climate change on weather and climate extremes in every region across the globe – with widespread loss and damage to both nature and people.
• The report also lays out the economic imperative for taking action, finding that the “global economic benefit of limiting global warming to 2°C exceeds the cost of mitigation in most of the assessed literature”.
• Its aim is to provide policymakers with a high-level, up-to-date understanding of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and highlight solutions and options for addressing it.

Significance of report:

• The report provides a “summary for policymakers”, to provide the scientific underpinning for global climate action.
• The report provides the main scientific input to UNFCCC COP28 and the Global Stocktake at the end of 2023 when countries will review progress towards the Paris Agreement goals.
• The report reiterates that humans are responsible for all global heating over the past 200 years leading to a current temperature rise of 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels, which has led to more frequent and hazardous weather events that have caused increasing destruction to people and the planet.
• The report focuses on the critical need for action that considers climate justice and focuses on climate resilient development. 
• It outlines the need for sharing best practices, technology, effective policy measures, and mobilising sufficient finance so that communities can decrease or prevent the usage of carbon-intensive consumption methods. 
  • The biggest gains in well-being can be achieved by prioritising climate risk reduction for low-income and marginalised communities.
• The next assessment report won’t be released until 2030. This makes AR6 effectively the last IPCC report while it is still feasible to stay within 1.5C.

Implications for India:

• The IPCC Synthesis Report underscores the urgency of action to address climate change and its impacts, particularly in countries like India that are already vulnerable to its effects.
• The report has been “welcomed” by India, which noted that several parts support its stance that unequal contributions are to blame for the climate crisis and that climate justice must underpin mitigation and adaptation.
• Several messages emerge in the report that are salient for India as it suggests a strategy that emphasises “climate-resilient development.”  

Image Source: Times of India

Impact on future climate negotiations:

• The IPCC Assessment Report provides a scientific basis for understanding the current state of the climate system and the potential impacts of different levels of greenhouse gas emissions. This scientific information can be used to inform negotiations by providing a clear understanding of the urgency of the situation and the need for action.
• The report includes scenarios that outline what will happen under different levels of greenhouse gas emissions. This information can be used to set ambitious targets for reducing emissions that are aligned with the latest scientific evidence.
• The report highlights key areas where action is needed to address climate change. For example, it identifies the need for reducing emissions from the energy sector, increasing the use of renewable energy sources, and improving energy efficiency. This information can be used to focus negotiations on key areas where action is most urgently needed.
• The report also helps to build consensus around the science of climate change and the need for action. This can be useful in negotiations by providing a shared understanding of the issues and helping to build support for ambitious targets and actions.

Way Forward:

• As per the findings of the report, to keep within the 1.5°C limit, emissions need to be reduced by at least 43% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels, and at least 60% by 2035. 
• To achieve the above target, there is a need for a transition from fossil fuels without carbon capture and storage (CCS) to very low- or zero-carbon energy sources, such as renewables or fossil fuels with CCS, demand-side measures and improving efficiency.
• Increased access to finance can build capacity and address soft limits to adaptation and avert rising risks, especially for developing countries, vulnerable groups, regions and sectors. Public finance is an important enabler of adaptation and mitigation, and can also leverage private finance.
• Enhancing technology innovation systems can provide opportunities to lower emissions growth, create social and environmental co-benefits, and achieve other Sustainable Development Goals.
• As a developing country, India can lower its per-capita emissions through energy efficiency policies already being implemented in almost every sector. 
• It can also decarbonise the energy sector by using cleaner options like solar and renewable energy.
• Governments, businesses, civil society and communities can work together to transform energy, food, transport and manufacturing systems. This can be achieved through clear, courageous and concerted policies to further unlock the transformative power of financial markets, industry, and innovators.

Image Source: IPCC

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