{"id":144263,"date":"2024-11-23T19:53:18","date_gmt":"2024-11-23T14:23:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=current-affairs&#038;p=144263"},"modified":"2025-02-13T11:29:10","modified_gmt":"2025-02-13T05:59:10","slug":"29th-un-climate-change-conference","status":"publish","type":"current-affairs","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/29th-un-climate-change-conference","title":{"rendered":"29th U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP29)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recently, the annual global climate conference, COP29, concluded in Baku, Azerbaijan.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Background of COP 29<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Fossil Fuel Emissions: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The<\/span><b> UN<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reports that<\/span><b> burning coal, oil, and gas <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">accounts for more than <\/span><b>75 percent<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of global <\/span><b>greenhouse gas <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">emissions and roughly<\/span><b> 90 percent of all carbon dioxide<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> emissions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Rising Temperatures: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>World Meteorological Organization&#8217;s (WMO) projects 2024 to be the warmest year on record,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with global temperatures 1.3\u00b0C above pre-industrial levels and the past decade being the hottest in history, demanding urgent action.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Course<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.6963%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\">\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt; color: #000000;\"><b>About COP and UNFCCC<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>COP (Conference of the Parties):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The <\/span><b>primary governing body of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>UNFCCC:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> An international treaty created in <\/span><b>1992 during the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to guide global climate negotiations, <\/span><b>aiming to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at safe levels to avoid severe human-induced climate disruptions.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Membership:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The UNFCCC includes <\/span><b>198 parties<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, comprising<\/span><b> 197 countries and the European Union,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reflecting near-universal global commitment to climate action.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Significant milestones mark the history of UNFCCC COP conferences:<\/b><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Kyoto Protocol (1997):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A landmark agreement at <\/span><b>COP3 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that set legally binding emission reduction targets for developed countries.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Copenhagen Accord (2009):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> At the COP15, Copenhagen Accord, <\/span><b>developed nations pledged to provide $100 billion annually in climate finance by 2020<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to help developing countries combat climate change.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Paris Agreement (2015): At COP21, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nations agreed to limit global temperature rise to below 2\u00b0C, aiming to cap it at 1.5\u00b0C.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Glasgow Climate Pact (2021): At COP26, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nations focused on coal phase-out and enhanced climate finance commitments.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Loss and Damage Fund (2023): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">COP28 launched a fund to support countries affected by climate disasters.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Political Uncertainty: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Potential <\/span><b>U.S. policy shifts under Donald Trump,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> who <\/span><b>previously withdrew from the Paris Agreement,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> could undermine global climate commitments and diplomacy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Unmet Climate Finance: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>$100 billion annual pledge from 2009 remains unfulfilled<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, complicated by conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine, and funding debates.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Establishing an ambitious <\/span><b>New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is critical to address this gap and provide clarity on future commitments.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>About COP29<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">COP 29 stands for\u00a0 29th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These conferences serve as the<\/span><b> principal forum <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for countries to discuss and make decisions on <\/span><b>combating climate change.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Venue:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Baku, Azerbaijan.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.7979%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt; color: #000000;\"><b>New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG)<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>NCQG<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> refers to <\/span><b>money that will be given to developing countries by developed countries<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to provide climate finance.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The NCQG is expected to be an <\/span><b>update on the $100 billion per year<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that developed countries had promised developing ones <\/span><b>in 2009 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">which would be mobilised from 2020-2025.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>2015 Paris COP<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> had <\/span><b>committed to an NCQG by 2025.<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Theme:<\/b> <b>\u201cInvesting in a livable planet for all.\u201d<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Focus of COP29:\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dubbed the <\/span><b>&#8220;Finance COP,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8221; it aims to <\/span><b>establish a new collective quantified goal (NCQG)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to mobilise financial resources for climate action, especially for developing nations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Find ways to <\/span><b>accelerate the energy transition<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from <\/span><b>fossil fuels to renewable energy.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Global adaptation strategies <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to combat climate vulnerability and <\/span><b>curb global warming below 1.5\u00b0C (2.7\u00b0F) pre-industrial levels.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The culmination of the<\/span><b> first Global Stocktake,<\/b> <b>initiated at COP26, is central to COP29.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Operationalizing the Loss and Damage Fund <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to address the needs of the most affected countries.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Article 6 of the Paris Agreement: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Article 6 of the Paris Agreement created principles for carbon markets and ways countries could cooperate to reach climate targets.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>While rules were agreed to at COP26, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">still there is a need to establish the necessary guidance to operationalise it.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+CSE+Books\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC CSE Books From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Key Outcomes of COP29<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Global carbon market: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An agreement has been reached on <\/span><b>international carbon market standards under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It offers <\/span><b>two pathways for countries and companies <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to<\/span><b> trade carbon offsets<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, supporting the achievement of emission reduction targets set in their climate action plans, or nationally determined contributions<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>This framework can help direct resources to developing countries and potentially save up to $250 billion annually per year by enabling cooperation across borders.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Implementing Loss and Damage Support: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">COP29 has made progress in putting the <\/span><b>Loss and Damage Fund into action,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> providing financial help to countries vulnerable to climate impacts.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Global Energy Storage and Grid Pledge: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The pledge commits signatories to commit to a collective goal of deploying 1,500 GW of energy storage globally by 2030.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>COP Hydrogen Declaration<\/b> <b>Launched: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The pledge signatories commit to <\/span><b>scale up renewable, zero-emission<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>low-carbon hydrogen production<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and to <\/span><b>accelerate the decarbonisation of existing hydrogen production<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from unabated fossil fuels.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Launch of the Hydro4NetZero-LAC initiative <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The initiative aims to develop and modernise sustainable hydropower infrastructure.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Baku Harmoniya Climate Initiative: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">launched in collaboration with<\/span><b> FAO, aims to unite various efforts to address climate change in agriculture through adaptation and mitigation<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Global Energy Efficiency Alliance, COP 29: The Global Energy Efficiency Alliance was launched by the UAE at COP29 in Azerbaijan, following the momentum built by the \u2018UAE Consensus\u2019 during COP28.\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This initiative highlights the UAE\u2019s commitment to reducing carbon emissions and conserving natural resources by promoting global collaboration.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Publication of Climate Change Performance Index 2025:\u00a0 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) uses a standardised framework to compare the <\/span><b>climate performance of 63 countries and the EU<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (which account for over 90% of global greenhouse gas emissions),<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">under four categories: GHG Emissions, Renewable Energy, Energy Use and Climate Policy.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Baku Declaration on Climate Transparency:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The declaration calls for global commitment to the full operationalisation of the<\/span><b> Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF).\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Strengthening Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Countries are encouraged to enhance their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) with a<\/span><b> 2025 deadline<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to update commitments.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.5984%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>India&#8217;s Evolving Role in Global Climate Governance<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Early Caution (1970s): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India approached global climate action cautiously, emphasising <\/span><b>poverty alleviation alongside environmental protection.<\/b><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the<\/span><b> 1972 Stockholm Conference<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, India highlighted the <\/span><b>need to balance environmental concerns with economic needs.<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Perception of Environmental Action as a Growth Constraint: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Initially, environmental protection was seen as requiring reduced economic activities and industrialization, which could hinder economic growth and human development.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Adoption of Sustainable Development: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The concept of sustainable development provided a framework for balancing economic growth with environmental conservation.<\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">This shift helped bring developing countries, including India, into global climate action discussions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Advocacy for Climate Justice: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India has consistently championed <\/span><b>Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and called for <\/span><b>finance, technology, and capacity-building support for developing countries.<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Greater Engagement (2000s): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India became an active participant in climate talks, hosting <\/span><b>COP8 in 2002 at New Delhi<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and launching the <\/span><b>National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) in 2008<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to strengthen domestic climate efforts.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>India\u2019s Intervention at the Plenary Session of the UNFCCC-CoP29<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.6975%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Mitigation Work Programme (MWP) is a <\/span><b>process <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">established <\/span><b>by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to help countries scale up their mitigation ambition and implementation in order to<\/span><b> achieve the 1.5\u00b0C goal of the Paris Agreement<\/b><\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Mitigation Work Programme<\/b> <b>(MWP):<\/b> <b>\u00a0India<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> expresses <\/span><b>dissatisfaction on unwillingness<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by <\/span><b>Developed countries<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to engage in the Climate<\/span><b> Finance and Mitigation Work Programme<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at <\/span><b>CoP29<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in <\/span><b>Baku, Azerbaijan.<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s position on the Mandate of the MWP is that it should<\/span><b> serve as a forum for open dialogue and exchange of ideas.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It should thus be <\/span><b>non-punitive and non-prescriptive.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Opposition to EU\u2019s Carbon Border Tax: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At COP29 in Baku,<\/span><b> India and China<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> opposed the <\/span><b>European Union&#8217;s proposed carbon border tax<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which seeks to impose levies on imported goods like steel, cement, and aluminium to ensure fair competition for EU products while reducing emissions.They argue that the <\/span><b>tax violates UN climate principles<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and unfairly burdens their economies.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Finance vs. Mitigation in Climate Action: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India firmly asserted that any attempts to <\/span><b>deflect the focus from Finance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to repeated emphasis on<\/span><b> mitigation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> cannot be accepted.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-textbooks?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Textbooks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC NCERT Textbooks From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.5984%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>The International Labour Organization (ILO) defines Just Transition as :<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cGreening the economy in a way that is as fair and inclusive as possible to everyone concerned, creating decent work opportunities and leaving no one behind.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India highlighted that as grant-based concessional Climate Finance is the most critical enabler to formulate and implement the new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), <\/span><b>action will get severely impacted in the absence of adequate means of implementation.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Global Stocktake (GST):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India does not agree to a follow up of the GST outcomes. As per Paris agreement, GST is supposed to only inform parties to undertake climate action.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>India on Just Transition: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India strongly declined to accept any renegotiation of the shared understanding prevalent on <\/span><b>\u2018Just Transitions\u2019 i<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">n the decision from Dubai.Just transition is <\/span><b>often seen as a domestic issue,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with national governments responsible for ensuring fairness.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, India emphasises that a true just transition starts globally, with d<\/span><b>eveloped countries leading in mitigation and providing support to developing nations.&#8221;<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.4954%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Importance of COP for India:<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The COP discussions are crucial for India to <\/span><b>advance its climate goals,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> gain <\/span><b>access to climate finance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and address the <\/span><b>challenges of transitioning<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to a cleaner energy future.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>India&#8217;s Climate Commitments and NDCs<\/b><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>First NDC Submission:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India submitted its first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the UNFCCC on October 2, 2015.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Updated NDC (2022):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In August 2022, India updated its NDC, outlining climate goals for 2030.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Achievements in Climate Targets<\/b><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Reduction in Emissions Intensity:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India has already r<\/span><b>educed the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33-35% from 2005 levels.<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Non-Fossil Fuel Energy Capacity:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India has achieved about <\/span><b>40% of its electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy sources.<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India has committed to achieving<\/span><b> net-zero emissions by 2070 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">under the Paris Agreement.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>India\u2019s Role in Climate Finance<\/b><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Carbon Credit Market:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India has also been a beneficiary of climate finance.It holds approximately<\/span><b> 31% of the global carbon credits market.<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>CDM Projects:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India has the <\/span><b>second-largest number of registered projects<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> under the <\/span><b>Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol.<\/b><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The<\/span><b> CDM of the Kyoto Protocol <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are important means for facilitating and expediting India\u2019s steady energy transition away from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy production.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Renewable energy projects<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> contribute approximately <\/span><b>50 percent of CDM initiatives in India.<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>LiFE initiative:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India promotes the LiFE initiative, which encourages global sustainable consumption patterns and environmentally friendly practices.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Need for Investment and Technological Upgrade<\/b><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Dependence on Fossil Fuels:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> With 78% of its energy needs met through fossil fuels, primarily coal, India faces significant hurdles in transitioning to renewable energy.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Loss and Damage Fund: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under the Loss and Damage Fund touted to be operationalised at the ongoing COP, India stands to receive significant potential financial support for it has been <\/span><b>facing several extreme events in the past years<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the form of floods, cyclones, etc. that has affected local communities, especially indigenous people.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">India has the second highest population of indigenous people after Africa.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Challenges After the COP29<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Deadlock on a New Climate Finance Goal (NCQG) : <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The developed countries offered no more than <\/span><b>$250 billion by 2035 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">as the <\/span><b>New Collective Quantified Goal for Climate Finance (NCQG)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> despite acknowledging that at least $700 billion would be needed until 2030 to help developing countries.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This was deemed<\/span><b> unacceptable by several developing countries. This might impact the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) update by nations.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Loss and Damage Fund Management: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund still remains a <\/span><b>complex issue<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensuring equitable distribution of funds to countries most vulnerable to climate impacts, and managing these funds effectively, will require<\/span><b> clear governance structures, monitoring systems, and coordination among international bodies.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Implementation of Agreements: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While COP29 may set ambitious targets, the real challenge lies in translating agreements into action.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many previous commitments, such as <\/span><b>climate finance pledges<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>emission reduction targets<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, have faced delays or been unmet.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Political Will and Global Cooperation: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Climate policies often face resistance due to <\/span><b>national interests, economic constraints, or political opposition.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Monitoring and Accountability: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensuring transparency and accountability in the implementation of climate actions will be difficult.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is a need for robust mechanisms to track progress on emissions reductions, climate finance, and adaptation projects <\/span><b>to avoid greenwashing or delays in fulfilling commitments.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Mitigation and Adaptation Commitments: While nations have pledged net-zero targets, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">disparities in implementation and ambition persist, especially between developed and developing economies.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Geopolitical Conflicts: Example: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>war in Ukraine<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has similarly <\/span><b>shifted Europe&#8217;s focus towards energy security<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, diverting attention and resources <\/span><b>away from long-term climate objectives.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Ensuring Just Transition: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the world shifts to a low-carbon economy, ensuring a just transition for workers and communities dependent on high-carbon industries will be a significant challenge.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Way Forward<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Strengthening Global Cooperation: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To overcome geopolitical tensions, countries must prioritise collaborative action on climate change.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enhanced diplomatic efforts are needed to facilitate agreements on emissions reductions, renewable energy, and finance mobilisation\u200b<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Enhanced Technology Transfer: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At COP29, there must be greater emphasis on the transfer of clean energy technologies to developing countries.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Initiatives, such as the <\/span><b>International Solar Alliance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, should be<\/span><b> scaled up <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to ensure <\/span><b>global energy transitions\u200b<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Operationalizing the Loss and Damage Fund:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> To operationalize the Loss and Damage Fund, funding criteria, <\/span><b>clear allocation mechanisms, developing the criteria for funding to be mobilised and disbursed around loss and damage <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">must be established<\/span><b>.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc\/pw-only-ias?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>COP29<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> made <\/span><b>significant progress<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in setting <\/span><b>standards for international carbon markets, advancing the Loss and Damage Fund, and pledging increased climate finance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, <\/span><b>challenges remain in implementing these agreements<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, ensuring adequate funding, and maintaining global cooperation to meet long-term climate goals.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.6375%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 111.19%; text-align: center;\" colspan=\"2\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Also Read<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.797%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/editorial-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>UPSC Daily Editorials<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 61.393%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/daily-current-affairs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>UPSC Daily Current Affairs<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.797%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/quiz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Daily Current Affairs Quiz<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 61.393%; text-align: center;\"><a 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Azerbaijan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":144321,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"paper-wise":[2089],"subject":[4642],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/144263"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/current-affairs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=144263"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/144263\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":144319,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/144263\/revisions\/144319"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/144321"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=144263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=144263"},{"taxonomy":"paper-wise","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/paper-wise?post=144263"},{"taxonomy":"subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/subject?post=144263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}