PM Modi launches Green Credit Initiative on the side-lines of COP 28: Year-end Review- MoEF&CC
Year end Review- Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Prime Minister launched Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) on the World Environment Day
Climate Change
Green Credit Programme (GCP)
Green Credit Initiative was launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister on the side-lines of COP 28. It is an initiative within the governments Lifestyle for Environment or LIFE movement. The Green Credit Rules, 2023, has been notified on 12th October 2023 under the Environment Protection Act 1986. These rules put in place a mechanism to encourage voluntary environmental positive actions resulting in issuance of green credits. In its initial phase, voluntary tree plantation is envisaged on degraded land, waste land, watershed area etc. under the control and management of Forest departments.
The generation of Green Credit under Green Credit Rules, 2023 is independent of the carbon credit under Carbon Credit Trading Scheme 2023.
Governance structure of GCP includes the steering committee members from concerned ministries/departments, experts and institutions. Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) is designated as GCP administrator and is responsible for implementation and management of GCP. Digital process of GCP includes dedicated web platform and GC registry for streamlining the operations. In addition to these methodologies and guidelines, including registration, accounting and GC issuance monitoring ensures the transparency and accountability of GCP.
India’s achievements against the NDC targets–
India updates its NDC according to which target to reduce emissions intensity of its GDP has been enhanced to 45 percent by 2030 from 2005 level and target on cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources has been enhanced to 50% by 2030
As per India’s first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) submitted in the year 2015, India had the target of:
Reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 percent by 2030 from 2005 level; and
Achieving about 40 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.
These two targets have been achieved well ahead of the time. As on 31st October, 2023; the cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources is 186.46 MW, which is the 43.81% of the total cumulative electric power installed capacity. The emission intensity of its GDP has been reduced by 33 percent between 2005 and 2019.
In August 2022, India updated its NDC according to which target to reduce emissions intensity of its GDP has been enhanced to 45 percent by 2030 from 2005 level, and the target on cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources has been enhanced to 50% by 2030.
28th Session of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28)
An inter-ministerial delegation from India attended the 28th Session of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28) held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from 30th November’2023 to 13th December’2023. The major outcome from COP 28 included the decision on Outcome of the First Global Stocktake, ratcheting up global climate ambition before the end of the decade and agreement on the operationalization of loss and damage fund. These global efforts will be taken up by the countries in a nationally determined manner taking into account the Paris Agreement and their different national circumstances.
India’s Third National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was submitted on December 9, 2023. The report contains information on India’s greenhouse gas emissions, its vulnerability to climate change, and the measures it is taking to mitigate emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Energy sector contributed the most to the overall anthropogenic emissions with 75.81 percent, followed by agriculture sector with 13.44 percent, Industrial Process and Product Use (IPPU) with 8.41 percent and Waste with 2.34 percent.
India also submitted the Initial Adaptation Communication to UNFCCC. India has been diligently working towards adaptation in mission mode. Several policies and measures have been put in place across key economic sectors, keeping in mind the wide scope of adaptation activities. India has been spending significant amount of resources on adaptation relevant actions, despite the competing demands for limited resources in a developing economy.
Mission LiFE, was launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India on 20th October 2022. At the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP26), Hon’ble PM had announced Mission LiFE, to bring individual behaviours at the forefront of the global climate action narrative. LiFE has been acknowledged by various international foras, including IPCC Climate Change 2022, Mitigation of Climate Change Working Group III Report, 2022, Cover decision of Sharm el-Sheikh Implementation Plan, 2022, G7 Communique adopted in Sapporo, Japan, 2023, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Communique, 2023., G20 Leaders’ Declaration, 2023 and 9th G20 Parliamentary Speakers Summit (P20) and Parliamentary Forum, 2023.
India Cooling Action Plan: India is the first country in the world to develop a comprehensive Cooling Action Plan, which seeks to provide an integrated vision towards cooling across sectors encompassing inter alia reducing cooling demand, refrigerant transition, enhancing energy efficiency and better technology options with a 20-year time horizon. During Hydro Chlorofluorocarbons Phase Out Management Plan (HPMP) Stage-II implementation, India completely phased out the use of Hydro chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC)- 141b in manufacturing of rigid foam, the first among the developing countries to achieve the milestone. As against target of 35% reduction from the baseline as on 1.1.2020, India achieved a reduction of 44%, highlighting India’s efforts in protection of the stratospheric ozone layer.
