The current prime minister of India, Narendra Modi, committed India to attain net-zero carbon emissions by the year 2070. Net-zero means the country would resort to measures and employ such mechanisms that would help offset the number of carbon emissions by a country and absorb equivalent amounts of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
Studies find that 90 per cent of India’s Net-zero target can easily be achieved by holding up seven pillars, four of which just require simple scaling up of existing technologies. India is one of the rare beacons of the world and can easily lay out the path of unprecedented Net-zero achievement for the world to follow.
Steps to Net-zero emissions
One of the first steps taken toward Net zero emissions is to use renewable sources of energy, increase the usage of electrical vehicles, and bring about improvements in agriculture technologies, forestry, and other aspects. Next in line are the development of new technologies like the use of hydrogen in vehicles and other purposes as renewable sources of energy, improving recycling methods and a lot more to add to the list.
Other than improving technology, India should also look into capital investment in case of improving technology and also look into redeveloping expert infrastructure, so that the country can refill its skill base, allowing people to contribute and cater more to the developing green economy.
Where is it lagging?
In recent years, India took steps which highlighted that the country has not been very dedicated to its Net zero-project. The country did not agree with the scheme of phasing out fossil fuel and coal in its final words in the Glasgow Climate Pact. It stressed reducing fossil fuel and not completely subsiding the fuel.
Developing countries like India hold the right to maintain a fair share of their carbon budget since they still have to deal with development aspects like poverty and illiteracy. With all these, stepping up towards Net-zero can be challenging however achievable.
