Glasgow climate summit: India targets ‘net-zero’ carbon emissions by 2070, PM Modi speech highlights

Addressing the COP26 Glasgow Climate Summit held in Scotland, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that India will reach net-zero carbon emission by 2070. On this occasion, PM Modi stressed on a five-point plan or ‘Panchamrit’ to fight the devastating effects of global warming and climate change.

“By 2070, India will achieve the target of net-zero emissions,” Narendra Modi said. More than 120 world leaders were present at the COP26 Glasgow Climate Summit.

India is the last of the world’s major carbon polluters to announce a net-zero target. China has said that it would reach the net-zero carbon emission goal in 2060 while the United States and the European Union are aiming for reaching the goal by 2050.

‘Net zero’ emission refers to a scenario where the amount of greenhouse gases produced is the same as the amount removed from the atmosphere. And to achieve this a variety of measures would be taken like planting trees and deploying advanced technologies to capture carbon dioxide.

Scientists have said the world needs to halve global emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050 to avoid the worst effects of climate change.

Highlights from PM Modi’s speech

India would increase its 2030 target for an installed capacity of ‘non-fossil energy’, mostly solar from 450 to 500 gigawatts.

In addition, PM Modi said that India will fulfill 50% of its energy requirement through renewable energy by 2030.

India is committed to reducing carbon emissions by 1 billion tonnes and a net 45% carbon reduction among the five-point plan.

The number of goods produced per unit of energy would be reduced by 45% by 2030. The previous goal was 35%.

By 2070 India will achieve the target of ‘net zero’ carbon emission the Prime Minister announced at the two-day summit.

PM Modi said that emissions-cutting pledges from India and other developing nations would require finance from rich, historic emitters.

Reactions of the speech

A COP official welcomed the 2030 pledge but expressed surprise at the 2070 goal, which is beyond China’s net-zero target of 2060.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there was hope India might bring 2070 forward.

India’s stand so far on carbon emission

Last week India rejected calls to announce a net-zero carbon emissions target.

Currently, India is the world’s third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after China and the US.

India said it was more important for the world to lay out credible pathways to reduce emissions.

Under the Paris Agreement, countries that submitted carbon-cutting plans under the 2015 treaty were to provide updates five years later.

India is the only major economy not to have provided updates on carbon-cutting plans in 2020.

India has the lowest per capita emissions of the world’s major economies, emitting 5% of the total.