Reducing global greenhouse gas emissions: How responsible is India ?

What is it about?

A key goal of the present climate change framework is to reduce green-house gas (GHG) emissions in a cost-effective manner. Even though India has no legal commitments to reduce GHG emissions, it has taken a number of steps to do so through policies and legislation. However, despite several initiatives in place, India has been deemed one of the most vulnerable countries to be impacted by climate change. Thus, an examination of India's GHG mitigation strategy, as well as recommendations for enhancing the country's current legal framework to manage GHG emissions, are in order. This article examined the policies and laws undertaken to tackle climate change in India, with a focus on energy conservation, air pollution reduction, and afforestation. Most initiatives targeted sustainable development and low-carbon inclusive growth. There were, however, certain gaps in the policy, legal, and institutional frameworks highlighted by the author.

Featured Image

Photo by Patrick Hendry on Unsplash

Photo by Patrick Hendry on Unsplash

Why is it important?

India established a number of initiatives and policies to address environmental problems while fostering balanced economic development. Various regulatory bodies were established to ensure that India's greenhouse gas emissions are monitored and regulated in accordance with national regulations. However, this did not guarantee effective implementation competence. Most regulatory bodies did not provide any timeframe or financial estimates for achieving the targets. Furthermore, the framework was full of scattered laws and regulations with an evident lack of in-house expertise on GHG-related matters. It was therefore essential to adopt coherent policies and legislation that considered GHG emissions from major economic sectors and addressed the issues accordingly. KE TAKEAWAY: India's successful mitigation of GHG emissions would serve as an excellent example of effective legislative actions in a major developing country, especially to be seen by industrialized countries who have attempted to violate legally mandated climate change policies and laws.