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Analysis COP26

India’s pledge on net zero

The nation’s 2070 net-zero goal is later than others, but still means that all
major emitters now have an end in sight for fossil fuels, says Adam Vaughan
INDIA has said it will reach Agreement’s aim of keeping it hadn’t paid enough attention
net-zero carbon emissions by temperature rises to 1.5°C above to adapting to a warming world.
2070. This is decades later than pre-industrial levels, as that “This is an injustice to those
many other countries, but it requires global emissions to reach countries more impacted by
marks the first time the country net zero around 2050. Hale says climate change,” he said.
has put an end date on its
contribution to climate change.
The target was announced by
that it is largely the fault of richer
countries, which used much of the
world’s “carbon budget”, leaving
1.38bn
India has the world’s second
India’s 2070 pledge means
that all major emitters have
now declared a net-zero deadline,
prime minister Narendra Modi little room for countries like India largest population after China… effectively putting a backstop on
at the COP26 summit in Glasgow, to grow their economies. when the world will stop burning
UK, on 1 November, amid
warnings by world leaders about
the dangers of failing to act fast
Modi also declared four other
steps, including 50 per cent of
India’s energy being sourced
1.9
… but its per capita CO2 emissions,
fossil fuels. Last week, China,
the world’s biggest polluter,
formalised its 2060 goal in a plan
enough on emissions. from renewable sources by in tonnes per person, are some of submitted to the United Nations.
“A year ago, no one would have 2030. Although he used the word the lowest in the world The blueprint also committed to
expected India to announce a net- “energy”, the target is very likely peaking emissions before 2030.
zero target at COP26,” says Thomas
Hale at the University of Oxford.
“But that’s the nature of tipping
to cover only electricity, as such
a goal for energy would be nigh-
impossible for India.
500
Renewable energy capacity,
The COP26 summit was
opened by UK prime minister
Boris Johnson likening the
points. Once critical mass is The country’s renewable in gigawatts, that India wants situation for world leaders faced
reached, it is very hard not to energy capacity should reach 500 to achieve by 2030 with climate change to being
join in.” He says that countries gigawatts by 2030, up from around James Bond strapped to a ticking
representing 90 per cent of 134GW today, and it is also aiming doomsday device. He said the
global GDP are now covered to cut its projected CO2 emissions meeting in Glasgow could become
by a net-zero target. by a billion tonnes between now the moment humans began to
However, India’s 2070 date and 2030 and cut its carbon “defuse that bomb”.
is 20 years later than the 2050 intensity – emissions released for Broadcaster and naturalist
pledged by the UK, US and other each unit of GDP – by 45 per cent. Indian prime minister David Attenborough gave an
high-income countries, and later Modi said that while the world Narendra Modi speaking emotional speech, urging leaders
than the 2060 chosen by China, had focused on cutting emissions, at the COP26 summit to stabilise atmospheric CO2
Russia and Saudi Arabia. concentrations and to turn
“The date is late, but more “tragedy into triumph”. He added:
important is that India committed “Our motivation should not be
to zero at all, which was thought fear, but hope.” UN secretary
to be unlikely by many,” says general António Guterres issued a
Niklas Höhne at the NewClimate bald warning that: “We are digging
Institute, a German non-profit our own graves.” Meanwhile, US
organisation. The long-term president Joe Biden apologised
commitment will also shape for the US pulling out of the Paris
investments today, he adds. Agreement under Donald Trump.
With a population of 1.38 billion One of the most striking
and growing, India is the world’s speeches of the day came from
fourth biggest emitter after China, Mia Amor Mottley, prime minister
the US and the European Union. of Barbados. “1.5°C is what we need
But it has some of the lowest per to survive. 2°C is a death sentence
capita carbon dioxide emissions, for the people of Antigua and
ALASTAIR GRANT/AP/SHUTTERSTOCK

at 1.9 tonnes per person in 2019, Barbuda,” she said, referring

compared with 5.5 tonnes in the to one of the island nation’s
UK and 16 tonnes in the US, a point Caribbean neighbours. “Can we
Modi has repeatedly emphasised find it within ourselves to bring
in the past. Glasgow back on track or do we
The new goal wouldn’t see leave today believing it was a
the world stick to the Paris failure before it starts?” ❚

10 | New Scientist | 6 November 2021