Developing Countries Need Much Longer Beyond 2050 To Reach Net-Zero Emissions: India Tells UN

India At UN: The cross-regional joint statement was issued on behalf of India, Bolivia, China, Gabon, Iran, Iraq, Mali, Nicaragua, Panama and Syria on 'Global Net Zero'.

Global Net Zero Target | Image used for representational purpose

Source : Getty

Taking a strong stance in a cross-regional joint statement on behalf of 10 nations, including China, India on Tuesday said developing countries will require an additional time frame beyond 2050 to reach net-zero emissions citing goals of poverty eradication and development.

India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador T S Tirumurti, who delivered a cross-regional joint statement on the occasion of World Environment Day, noted that for this developed nations should do a net negative by the middle of the century and vacate the carbon space for the developing countries.

The statement was issued on behalf of India and Bolivia, China, Gabon, Iran, Iraq, Mali, Nicaragua, Panama and Syria on “Global Net Zero” in the context of combatting climate change.

Stance Of Developing Nation On Net-Zero Emissions

Demanding a clear recognition that developing nations will need much longer beyond 2050, the joint statement, delivered by Tirumurti, said, “Developing countries will need much longer beyond 2050 to reach Net-Zero given their overarching goals of poverty eradication and development and will peak after the developed countries do. They will need to be given additional time-frame to peak and go towards Net-Zero, which will be beyond 2050.”

“We, therefore, call on developed countries to do a Net-Negative in 2050 in order to vacate the carbon space in 2050 for developing countries to grow till they too reach Net-Zero. We call on them to do a Net-Zero much earlier than 2050, so that the world does not, in effect, move farther away from achieving the Paris targets,” the joint statement added.

It emphasised that a Global Net-Zero, where developing countries take longer to reach Net-Zero, can only be achieved if developed countries reach Net-Zero earlier than 2050. “Therefore, developed countries must reach Net Zero well before 2050 in order to achieve the overall global net-zero target by around mid-century” on the basis of equity, Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR), poverty eradication and sustainable development.” It noted.

Tirumurti noted that the 10 countries welcome the text of the Paris Agreement citing Article 4 of the Paris Agreement which states “In order to achieve the long-term temperature goal set out in Article 2, Parties aim to reach global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible, recognising that peaking will take longer for developing country Parties.”

In order to keep global warming to no more than 1.5°C, as declared in the Paris Agreement, the United Nations has stated that greenhouse gas emissions need to be cut by 45 per cent by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.  The global body has explained that net zero “means cutting greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible, with any remaining emissions re-absorbed from the atmosphere, by oceans and forests for instance.”

Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had told the COP26 global climate summit held in Glasgow that India will meet a target of net zero emissions by 2070.

(With PTI Inputs)