At COP27, India bats for phase-down of all fossil fuels and not just coal

Moving proactively to counter the pressure on coal that is likely to come its way again, India cited the latest IPCC reports to emphasise that meeting the 1.5 or 2 degree Celsius temperature targets requires the phase-down of all fossil fuels and not just coal.
At the same time, it called out the duplicity of the developed countries, arguing that the selective labelling of some energy sources as ‘green’ had no basis in science. The argument was clearly aimed at the recent decision of the European Parliament to classify some uses of gas as “green”, even though it wasn’t mentioned.
India’s proposal did not mention coal as well, but was a clear attempt to fend off criticism against its continued reliance on coal-based power.

Selective singling out of sources of emissions, for either labelling them more harmful or as “green and sustainable” even when they all are all sources of greenhouse gas emissions, had no basis in the best available science, India reportedly argued.
The cover text must, therefore, acknowledge that all fossil fuels contributed to greenhouse gas emissions, and call for the acceleration of the global transition towards clean energy while keeping in mind the national circumstances of individual countries, India argued.

In a separate intervention, India, backed some other countries, blocked the introduction of a proposal developed nations to focus on a new mitigation work programme on the Top 20 emitters of greenhouse gases. There are a number of developing countries among the Top 20 emitters with no horical obligations to reduce their emissions. These countries argued that any new mitigation work programme must not result in the reopening of the Paris Agreement which clearly mentions that climate commitments of countries have to be nationally determined and not forced the outside.
India has constantly been criticised for not doing enough to curtail its reliance on coal power. Nearly 55 per cent of India’s energy needs come from coal-based power, even after a massive expansion of the renewable energy sector. India has maintained that in keeping with its fast-growing energy requirements, it would continue to depend on coal as a major source of power generation for three to four decades more, even though new coal-fired power plants are unlikely to come up. At the Glasgow climate conference last year, India, with the help of some other countries, was successful in getting a reference to quick “phase-out” of coal changed to “phase-down”.

India also proposed that the cover text take note of the references in the IPCC report on the disproportionate use of the global carbon budget the developed countries since 1850. It said the cover text should urge all countries to follow sustainable methods of production and consumption and to promote a global mass movement for sustainable lifestyles. India has been arguing that lifestyle changes were necessary to move towards a sustainable future.
India said it also wanted the cover text to “express deep regret” that we continued to live in an unequal world with “enormous disparities in energy use, incomes and emissions”, and stressed that the basic principles of the global climate change architecture — common but differentiated responsibilities with respective capabilities, equity, nationally determined nature of climate commitments under the Paris Agreement — needed to be strongly reflected in the cover text.