India and Canada, partners in action on climate change

In her recent Speech From the Throne, Gov. Gen. Julie Payette reminded us that as passengers on spaceship Earth, we shared the same space-time continuum. As the Canadian government reiterates its strong commitment to environmental protection without compromising economic growth, it would find in India a willing and able partner in this endeavour. India is now being celebrated as a global leader in the fight against climate change with one of the most ambitious action plans and an excellent implementation record. It is one of a small handful of countries whose policies are compatible with keeping global warming below two degrees Celsius, according to the Climate Action Tracker (CAT), an independent science-based analysis of the CO2 emission commitments and actions of countries. India has emerged as a front-runner in renewable energy, and has already announced a revision of its renewable targets from 175 GW to 450 GW installed capacity by 2030. For three consecutive years, renewable energy investments have exceeded those in fossil fuel-related power investments. In 2018, solar investments alone exceeded those in coal. In India, we have already reduced emission intensity of GDP by 21 per cent and are well on track to achieve the goal of 35 per cent as we promised in Paris. We are on track to create additional carbon sinks of 2.5 billion tonnes of carbon equivalent by massively increasing our green cover. The Government of India has increased the coal tax three times, reaching $6 per tonne. The tax is effectively a carbon tax levied at source, with the revenue feeding into the National Clean Environment Fund that provides finance for renewable energy projects. India has also announced that it will stop import of thermal coal by 2024. In the transportation sector, the ‘Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles’ in India scheme came into effect in April 2019 and provides incentives to purchase electric vehicles, while also including provisions to ensure adequate charging infrastructure. The Government of India has also implemented very strong energy efficiency policies, such as replacing over 700 million street and household lights with energy-saving and long-lasting LEDs. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a champion of India doing more to address climate change, and not because of any external pressure, but because the protection of nature and conservation is a central tenet of Indian cultural values and because doing so is in India’s and the world’s interest. Addressing a UN Summit, PM Modi said that “the scale of global action required to combat climate change is still lacking. …We need a comprehensive approach to include values, lifestyles, and development priorities to combat climate change.” India believes in concerted and cooperative global action to address the issues related to climate change and remains keen on fostering international cooperation for this. And while India is willing and able to do its fair share and more for addressing climate change, it does believe that everyone must do at least what their fair share demands. Taking forward this vision, India along with France, has set up the International Solar Alliance (ISA) which now has 88 members and promotes and facilitates cooperation on solar energy among willing nations. Along the lines of ISA, Prime Minister Modi has also announced the launch of an International Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and invited all countries to join the coalition. Like ISA, the CDRI is an international coalition with 12 founding members—Australia, Bhutan, Fiji, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Maldives, Mexico, Mongolia, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, and the U.K. The coalition will work towards a common goal of establishing infrastructure which is resilient to pressures of climate change and environmental disasters. India has already pledged $70-million to the CDRI. India has looked at Canada as a dependable partner in our quest for sustainable, affordable, and unencumbered energy. Canada has large reserves of hydrocarbons, and India has been a willing partner as Canadians, at their own pace and their own priorities, develop these resources. Beyond the traditional sources of energy, India and Canada have worked to overcome ideological dogmas of the past to cooperate in developing civilian nuclear energy as a clean alternative. In recent times, we have intensified our efforts to develop collaborative ventures with Canadian entities in renewables and clean energy as well as green-tech sectors. India and Canada, both, recognize that climate change is real and support the comprehensive agreement reached in Paris. Mitigating the impact of climate change is an area of action where we have strong convergence of ideas and actions and India stand willing to partner Canada—in bilateral and global action—to safeguard our shared future. Anshuman Guar is the acting high commissioner of India to Canada. The Hill Times

India and Canada, partners in action on climate change

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India and Canada, partners in action on climate change

As the Canadian government reiterates its strong commitment to environmental protection without compromising economic growth, it would find in India a willing and able partner in this endeavour.

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