Right date with net zero

PM Narendra Modi set the tone for the country’s climate action trajectory by targeting net-zero by 2070…. The 2070 date is not drastically different from most pre-COP26 estimates of what is economically viable for the country. For example, the International Energy Agency’s India Energy Outlook 2021 report identified the mid-2060s in its Sustainable Development Scenario, and the Centre for Social and Economic Progress estimated 2065-70 to be a fair target for net zero in India.

India’s 2070 target takes into account its contribution to total emissions in comparison to emissions released historically by developed countries, and includes policies that prioritise its economic growth. The Centre for Science and Environment details that 2070 is on a par with the commitments of industrialised nations considering OECD countries and China have significantly delayed their own net-zero targets. Despite being the third-largest global emitter, India’s emissions are relatively low in per-capita terms. This makes India’s ‘enhanced’ commitments not only ambitious but also more useful.

India’s ‘enhanced’ commitments combine short-, medium- and long-term accountability measures to ensure that its net-zero target is not just a ‘diplomatic tick box’. This could see India’s annual greenhouse gas emissions peak by 2030, as noted by Professor Nicholas Stern.

From ‘India for Net Zero: Is 2070 the Real Deal?’, The London School of Economics and Political Science