India must bring net-zero goal forward: Climate Group CEO

India has realized in recent years that economic growth does not have to rely on high carbon emissions and its solar mission and 2030 renewable energy target are highly ambitious, said Helen Clarkson, Chief Executive Officer of the international non-profit Climate Group.

The Climate Group hosts Climate Week NYC, a leading global climate event which brings together leaders from the world of business, technology, politics, academia and civil society.

Talking to PTI, Clarkson also said that while India has a net-zero target (balancing emissions with removals) for 2070, there is a need for greater ambition.

She suggested that India should align with other countries in moving its net-zero goal forward.

"We would like to see more ambition from India. It's been very clear that it has got its Nationally Determined Contributions, but it is talking about net zero by 2070. We would like to see that come forward and align with other countries," she said.

Countries are required to submit their next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), or climate plans, for the 2031-2035 period this year.

The collective aim of these climate plans is to limit global temperature rise since the start of the industrial revolution to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the key goal of the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Clarkson said that India has realized that economic growth can be achieved without relying on fossil fuels and the success of the National Solar Mission demonstrates that economic and climate goals can be pursued together.

"What has changed in India in the last few years is a better understanding that economic growth does not have to be high carbon, and particularly, the solar mission has been very successful," she said.

India, the world's third-largest greenhouse gas emitter and the fastest growing major economy, has pledged to reach net-zero emissions by 2070 and aims to achieve 500 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2030.

While this target has not been included in India's NDCs, it remains a key guiding reference in national energy planning.

The climate policy expert said while solar energy is now the cheapest form of energy in history, its cost benefits have not yet reached consumers and businesses.

Clarkson said that the climate models from past years correctly projected the extreme weather events the world is witnessing today, though some impacts might be even worse than expected.

She said that climate action ultimately comes down to political choices, with different countries facing different challenges. While some nations like Costa Rica and the UK have made progress, most governments are still not moving fast enough.

Many developing countries argue that since industrialized nations developed using fossil fuels, they should have the same right. But economic development does not have to be high carbon, she said.

"There is a myth that economic development has to be high carbon. And I think that is a myth and there is really good zero to low-carbon development that is available if those choices are made," she added.

Clarkson stressed that financial barriers remain one of the biggest hurdles in the global fight against climate change and that climate finance must be scaled up and made more accessible, particularly for sub-national governments.

"We have got to get that money moving and it has to be much, much more. Finance, finance, finance is a really, really big issue," she said.

Clarkson acknowledged that the outcome of the climate negotiations in Baku, Azerbaijan, has been disappointing for everyone but staying within 1.5 degrees of warming is still technically possible with immediate and drastic action.

Developed countries, historically responsible for most of the greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change, were required to deliver a new and ambitious financial package to support climate action in the developing world at the UN climate conference in Baku last year.

However, they offered a paltry $300 billion by 2035, a mere fraction of at least $1.3 trillion needed annually from 2025.

India had strongly opposed the outcome, calling the sum "too little, too distant", "paltry" and "an optical illusion".

Clarkson said that fossil fuel companies have been funding misinformation campaigns that slow climate action.

She said that they push false narratives that net zero is too expensive or will cost jobs, despite public support for climate policies.

"There is a lot of money still to be made from fossil fuels and some of the money those companies are making has been shown to have gone into very high-financed misinformation campaigns," she said.

Clarkson acknowledged that climate scientists and communicators have struggled to convey simple, clear messages that link extreme weather events to emissions and explain why government action is necessary. Meanwhile, fossil fuel interests use straightforward messaging to oppose action.

She also said that current financial risk models fail to consider the risks of inaction on climate change and called for new approaches to ensure investments flow towards climate solutions.

(PTI)