Dubai: The COP28 Earth Summit that kicked off on November 30 in Dubai has officially become United Nation’s largest-ever climate summit since its inception in 1992 under the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCC) with a staggering number of 80,000 participants.
This year’s summit that is co-chaired by Germany and Chile calls upon world leaders, climate activists, and industrialists from 36 countries to draw negotiations to tackle the looming questions of climate crisis and to acknowledge principle of CBDR-RC (Common but Differentiated Responsibility and Respective Capabilities).
As part of committing to contribute to decarbonisation, the climate summit inaugurated Chancellor Olaf Schoolz’s long-held plans of Climate Club through which the ‘club members’ must show commitment to the 1.5 °C target of the Paris Agreement (2015) and adopt concrete plans to quickly decarbonise their industry to hit net-zero emissions sometime around 2050.
What is the G7 Climate Club?
A global climate conservation initiative launched by German Chancellor Olaf Schoolz in December 2022 and inaugurated at COP28 2023, the G7 Climate Club aims to help developing nations cut down on their industry emissions and curb the spread of climate crisis thereby speeding up the transition towards net-zero emissions by 2050 and achieve the goals drafted during the 2015 Paris Agreement.
According to the European Parliament, the club “may help to address coordination and implementation challenges arising from other instruments and initiatives, such as the EU’s new carbon border adjustment mechanism and Green Deal industrial plan, and the US Inflation Reduction Act.”
Why has India Opted Out Of The Climate Club Membership?
While countries like Australia, Mozambique, and Germany have made alliance to be part of the Climate Club, the largest producers in the Steel industries, China and India have decided to not gain an access to the Climate Club Alliance.
Although European Union is on a lookout to avoid trade friction with countries like China and India over green tariffs, India alongside its neighbouring competitor remains independent of the Climate Club Alliance despite the rising concerns over climate change in the country.
According to a Press Information Bureau report on Climate Change Performance Index published in Dec 2022, India moved up the index by 2 position and currently stands at 8th position in the climate crisis list. Currently, India produces “high” levels of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emissions often measured in carbon-dioxide (Co2) equivalent.
As per a Reuters’ report, “India may be the last major climate change domino to fall into place as the government considers setting a target to reach net zero carbon emissions, in line with similar moves by other major polluters.” Citing further the government of India under PM Narendra Modi’s cabinet is discussing ways to establish a target of net zero emissions by 2050.
Previously, India announced its climate change strategy to curb environmental crisis as it introduced Panchamrit at the 26th session of the UN’s Conference of Parties in Galsgow, Scotland. India promised to reach 500GW non-fossil fuel energy capacity by 2030 and reduced total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes by 2030.
India made headlines on Friday as she proposed hosting COP summit again. India hosted the last COP summit in 2008.