INDIA
New Delhi’s air quality hit a ‘severe’ level for the first time this season, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 418 on Wednesday.
As the pollution worsens in New Delhi, experts at the COP29 climate summit here urged India to leverage its potential in reducing short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), such as methane and black carbon, which are major contributors to both air quality degradation and global warming. Short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) are a group of greenhouse gases and air pollutants that have a near-term warming impact on climate and can affect air quality. SLCPs include black carbon, methane, ground-level ozone, and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
New Delhi’s air quality hit a ‘severe’ level for the first time this season, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 418 on Wednesday. Zerin Osho, Director of the India Programme at the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development (IGSD), and Durwood Zaelke, President of IGSD, put a spotlight on how strategies in SLCP reduction can help tackle pollution and global warming.
Durwood Zaelke highlighted that SLCPs account for nearly half of current warming and offer the quickest path to cooling. “If we address SLCPs, we can achieve fast cooling effects and buy critical time to mitigate longer-term CO₂ emissions,” Zaelke told PTI.
He emphasised that curbing SLCPs is particularly crucial as global temperatures approach the 1.5°C limit, with 2024 data indicating temperatures may breach this threshold soon.
Osho discussed the substantial risks that SLCPs pose to India’s economic and environmental stability. Rising temperatures have had pronounced effects on the informal labour sector, agriculture, and food security.
Osho cited World Bank findings showing that India’s informal sector lost an estimated 34 million jobs due to extreme heat — a situation exacerbated by SLCPs. Moreover, changing monsoon patterns, which SLCPs partially influence, disrupt crop cycles, and threaten food security domestically and abroad.
India, a top global exporter of staples like rice, faces ripple effects that extend to food-insecure regions dependent on its exports.
“SLCPs contribute directly to rising heat stress and irregular rainfall, impacting not only local farmers but also global food chains,” Osho emphasised.
Changes in rainfall patterns affect critical agricultural outputs, leading to production inconsistencies that disrupt both domestic food supplies and export-dependent economies.
India's actions in reducing SLCP emissions, therefore, are integral not only to its own resilience but to broader global stability. Osho advocated for an “air shed approach” to regulate pollution across states with shared weather patterns rather than fragmented, state-by-state solutions.
She explained that Delhi’s air pollution challenges cannot be managed solely within city limits, as pollutants from industrial zones in Haryana, such as Sonipat and Panipat, regularly blow into the capital. “An air shed approach allows for coordinated policies across regions that share climate characteristics, thus enabling more effective SLCP control,” she said.
In terms of financing, Osho pointed to India's successful LED bulb programme as a model. This initiative dramatically lowered costs through bulk procurement, encouraging the wide adoption of energy-efficient bulbs. She recommended applying similar strategies for SLCP-mitigating technologies, such as electric buses, air conditioners, and clean cookstoves.
“Bulk procurement could lower costs and drive widespread use of climate-friendly technologies, essential in a country as populous as India,” she noted.
India’s ratification of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol has positioned it ahead of schedule in phasing down HFCs, particularly in the residential air-conditioning sector.
Osho praised India’s proactive stance, noting that the country’s switch to low-global-warming-potential (GWP) refrigerants in air conditioners places it among the world’s top adopters of climate-friendly technologies.
Additionally, Osho highlighted the "India Cooling Action Plan" as a pioneering effort to reduce cooling-related emissions, a critical initiative in a warming country with increasing demand for air conditioning. “India is the only developing country with a dedicated cooling action plan, demonstrating its commitment to reducing SLCPs,” Osho said.
However, she lamented that these achievements remain largely unacknowledged on global platforms like COP29. Despite its SLCP achievements, India has often taken a backseat at international forums. Osho argued that India's limited visibility hinders its ability to secure support and influence discussions.
“India has a marketing problem,” she said. “We’re doing exceptional work but lack a strong presence to communicate these advances effectively.” Osho suggested that India actively engage in dialogues around SLCPs, methane reduction, and cooling action, advocating for grants and technical support to drive further progress.
India’s absence at key SLCP-focused sessions at COP29 left a noticeable gap, especially given the global spotlight on SLCP mitigation. She said that a stronger Indian presence could boost momentum for non-CO₂ agreements, as witnessed in the US-China collaboration on SLCPs despite ongoing political tensions between the two countries.
A central point of COP29 discussions has been securing funding for climate adaptation, with USD 2 billion already allocated towards SLCP mitigation. Osho stressed that India should pursue these funds actively, advocating for grants and favourable financing structures.
She recommended that India consider leveraging the soon-to-launch India Carbon Market to create a separate market for methane, allowing it to capture greater financial returns based on methane’s high global warming potential (GWP) over a 20-year period.
“Trading methane mitigation at its full 20-year GWP value could significantly enhance returns and boost investment,” she argued, noting that such a framework could unlock much-needed financing for India’s methane-reducing projects. India’s recent domestic projects provide strong case studies to attract funding, such as the integration of organic waste into cattle feed to reduce methane emissions.
A pilot project in Agra has already shown that using pumpkin waste as cattle feed not only reduces methane but also boosts local waste management. Expanding such initiatives nationwide could position India as a model of innovative, cost-effective SLCP management, she added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from PTI)
Adani Group's FIRST REACTION after US indicts Gautam Adani in alleged bribery case
Instagram introduces new feature, know how to reset app's algorithm, change your feed
Oppo Find X8 and X8 Pro launched in India, check specifications, price, other details
Charges against Gautam Adani: BJP's scathing attack on Congress, questions timing of development
Jasprit Bumrah's BIG statement on taking up Perth test captaincy, says, 'tactically better...'
Blackout on breaks: Company imposes no-sick-leave policy until 2025
Drug-laden terrorists on India's western, northern frontiers
Mohammad Shami trolls Sanjay Manjrekar over IPL auction bid prediction, says, 'Baba ki...'
IND vs AUS Test: When and where to watch 1st match of Border-Gavaskar trophy, know details here
CAQM amends Grap Stages III, IV, enforces stricter measures in Delhi-NCR amid air pollution woes
Malayalam actor Meghanathan passes away at 60 after suffering from...
Adani Green Energy's FIRST reaction after US indicts Gautam Adani in alleged bribery case
'Keep me out of...': Pakistani Instagram star Mathira on MMS leak controversy
Delhi Air Pollution: AQI marginally improves from 'severe' to 'very poor' category
'I love him, he loves me! Why hurt...': Rekha's bold confession about Amitabh Bachchan goes viral
Meet man, IITian who built Rs 5493 crore firm, has this Mukesh Ambani connection, he is from...
Shillong Teer Results TODAY November 21, 2024 Live Updates: Check winning numbers here
‘I didn’t have time to…’: When AR Rahman revealed having ‘agreement’ before marriage to Saira Banu
Viral video: Woman's sizzling belly dance to 'Namak' impresses internet, watch
Hardik Pandya banned, Mumbai Indians captain to miss first match of IPL 2025 due to...
Meet man who studied at IIM, IIT, then built Rs 1160000000 company, got inspired by…
Meet woman, who quit as dentist for UPSC exam, became IAS officer with AIR...
Viral video: Little girl steals hearts with her adorable dance to 'o meri cutie', watch
Gautam Adani's company signs another pact to acquire 100% stake in...
CBSE Date Sheet 2025 announced: Class 10, 12 board exams to begin from...
Apollena: Aditi Sharma on how space-based drama encourage young girls, says 'no matter how many...'
Is Mia Khalifa dating ex-Man City star Julian Alvarez? Former adult star says 'It certainly...'
IPL 2025 auction RTM rule: How this year’s right-to-match card is different from previous seasons
'Virat Kohli is trying to...': Shoaib Akhtar makes BIG statement on Champions Trophy 2025
Maharashtra Election 2024: Mukesh Ambani and family cast their votes in Mumbai
Centre revises performance-linked incentive scheme for THESE employees; check details
Manipur violence: Prohibitory orders to be relaxed in Imphal Valley for 7 hours
Jharkhand Exit Poll Results 2024: 36-41 seats predicted for BJP, JMM to secure…
Elon Musk faces big threat after million of users switch from X to Jack Dorsey's Bluesky
ICC Rankings: Hardik Pandya reclaims No. 1 T20I all-rounder spot, Tilak Varma enters top 10
DNA Verified: Is retirement age for central govt employees increasing to 62? Know truth here
Android 16 preview unveiled by Google: Who can access it? Here's all you need to know
Anti-pollution diet: Foods that can help fight air pollution naturally
Tech millionaire Bryan Johnson's face 'blows up' after anti-aging experiment; here’s how
Expanding Horizons: GOCL Corporation’s Strategic Diversification in Electronics and Metal Cladding
TrezarBit App Review 2024: Legit Trading Platform? Quick Facts!
Meet man who worked closely with Isha Ambani, Mukesh Ambani, set to take new role as...
Meet man, lifted bricks 8 hours a day, cracked NEET by studying on broken phone, he scored...
US embassy in Kyiv shuts down after receiving warning of 'potential significant' Russian air attack
Anil Ambani's next BIG step, Reliance Group announces new plan for...
Jaguar reveals new brand logo, identity ahead of EV debut
Playing with Fire: Will Putin risk nuclear Armageddon before Trump takes office?
Gautam Adani's BIG Rs 16877 crore plan to take on Mukesh Ambani, set to build Mumbai's largest...
Ranjit Kumar Gupta: Pioneering communication in a connected world
Meet Mathira Khan, Pakistani influencer whose private video leaked after Minahil Malik, Imsha Rehman