Global negotiations on plastic pollution are set to begin in Busan as soon as COP29 ends. Petro-states resist production cuts, favouring waste management solutions instead. India is seeking to balance economic growth with sustainability, keeping in mind its large plastic production workforce. Read more
It is no secret that fossil-fuel-rich countries are keen to preserve their economic interests in plastic, despite calls for stronger sustainability measures.
India’s dilemma: Global Plastic Treaty summit will push to wrap up use, but at what cost?
Global negotiations on plastic pollution are set to begin in Busan as soon as COP29 ends. Petro-states resist production cuts, favouring waste management solutions instead. India is seeking to balance economic growth with sustainability, keeping in mind its large plastic production workforce.
Even as global attention centres on Baku, Azerbaijan, where over 190 nations have gathered for the COP29 conference on climate change, preparations for another crucial summit are already brewing in the background. Shortly after COP29 concludes, 175 countries will convene in Busan, South Korea, for the final round of negotiations on the Global Plastic Treaty, which was adopted in March 2022. These talks also come amid heightened concern that the return of Donald Trump as US president could signal a renewed push for fossil fuel expansion.
Finding consensus on this treaty is crucial, given that plastic poses a dire threat to ecosystems and human health, while also fuelling climate change thanks to its heavy reliance on fossil fuels for production. While mitigating plastic pollution will be on top of the agenda at Busan, negotiators will also have to address the geopolitical implications of such a treaty.
It is no secret that fossil-fuel-rich countries are keen to preserve their economic interests in plastic, despite calls for stronger sustainability measures. Moreover, the link between fossil fuel production and plastic manufacturing raises questions about the future of global environmental governance. These fossil-fuel-rich countries are currently resisting adopting measures to curb plastic production, and are instead advocating solutions focused only on waste management and recycling.
Such conflicting priorities have complicated negotiations, with developing countries such as India finding it particularly challenging to find a balance between practising sustainability and economic growth. The country has a robust plastic industry that provides millions of jobs. So how can India achieve a balance between economic development and the urgent need for sustainable practices in the face of mounting global pressure to combat plastic pollution?
The outcomes in Busan are also closely intertwined with the discussions in Baku—especially as climate negotiations take place in a petrostate for the third year in a row.
Tracing the origins of the Global Plastic Treaty
The first plastic polymer was invented in 1869, but the threat of plastic pollution became widely recognised only a hundred years later in the 1970s and 1980s. Initially, the concern of nations was limited mainly to plastic deposits in the ocean. It was only ten years ago, in 2014, at the first session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) held in Nairobi, Kenya, where “marine plastic debris and microplastic” was listed as one of the main issues in its adopted resolution. India tabled the proposal to ban single use plastic in 2019.
Plastics are inexpensive, synthetic materials that are mainly made of polymers, which in turn are produced from fossil fuels like petroleum, natural gas and coal. Not only is the rise in the production of widely used plastics directly linked with the increase of greenhouse gas emissions, but plastics also have degrading ecological impacts from disrupting food chains, contaminating water and soil, and posing threats to environmental and human health.
Amidst the escalating threat that plastic poses to the planet, countries agreed in March 2022 to prepare an internationally legally binding agreement – also known as Global Plastics Treaty (GPT) — which aimed to “end plastic pollution”. An Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) was established to focus on a “comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic, including its production, design, and disposal”. The INC aims to complete negotiations by the end of 2024.
Initially proposed by Peru and Rwanda, the treaty has the support of 175 countries, including India. To date, four rounds of negotiations have taken place in Uruguay, France, Kenya, and Canada, as nations work toward a consensus. The fifth and final round of discussions is set to occur in South Korea from November 25 to December 1, 2024.
A tug of war
The treaty has a vast ambit, focusing on the entire life cycle of plastics — from raw material extraction to design, chemical use, disposal of waste and recycling. In March 2022, when the resolution for the plastic treaty was adopted in UNEA, it was described as “the most significant environmental multilateral deal since the Paris accord”. Led by Rwanda and Norway, a “High Ambition Coalition” (HAC) comprising 40 countries was formed, which advocates for eradication of plastic pollution by 2040. This bloc is pushing for a deal that guarantees interventions throughout the life cycle of plastics.
A proposal named ‘40 by 40’ was tabled in the Ottawa conference (INC-4) by Peru and Rwanda, which aims to cut 40% plastic production by the end of year 2040. With the support of 27 countries, the Ottawa conference concluded with a declaration — Bridge to Busan — an attempt to ensure that “production cuts” remain on the Busan summit’s agenda.
However, there could be possible roadblocks ahead. Big Oil, petrochemical lobbies, and petrostates like Saudi Arabia, Russia, USA, and Iran do not want to reduce the extraction of material and production of plastic (which is known as the “upstream” stage of the plastic cycle). They are advocating addressing only the “downstream” stage, which includes recycling and waste management. In fact, countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia, China and Cuba, have forged the “Global Coalition for Plastic Sustainability” alliance to demand that the treaty should focus on waste, not production.
High-stakes game
Under the pledge taken at the COP28 Climate Conference, the world has to “transition away” from fossil fuels to renewable energy and a low carbon path. Naturally, oil-and-gas-rich countries are looking for other avenues for their fossil fuels. The plastic industry is a ripe candidate, according to Siddharth Ghanshyam Singh, programme manager at the New Delhi-based Center for Science and Environment (CSE).
“Fossil-fuel-rich countries and mega oil and gas companies won’t reduce the use or extraction of fossil fuels. They say if you do not allow the use of coal, gas and oil in the power generation, we will find some other way to use it,” he says.
Not surprising that the number of pro-plastic lobbyists (who are representatives of fossil fuel and petrochemical industries) is increasing in the negotiation to influence the outcome. In the last UN plastic treaty meeting at Ottawa, Canada, the number of such lobbyists increased by one-third in comparison to their presence in the previous conference held at Nairobi, Kenya.
This is a concern for nations like Peru, Rwanda, and Norway, who do not want plastic production to increase. They plan to bargain hard at Busan (INC-5). According to Delphine Levi Alvares, petrochemicals campaign manager with Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), “the text of the treaty agreed in Busan will decide the fate of plastic policy governance globally.”
Alvares said, “If the negotiating countries maintain high ambition, the treaty could be a catalyst in reducing how much plastics we produce, what chemicals are used in making them, and how we manage them as waste. The stakes are high for the large polymer producers, chemical manufacturers, and other commercial interests, and their lobbyists will likely turn up as a strong force.”
An analysis done by CIEL, in collaboration with other indigenous and civil society groups, found that a total of 196 fossil fuel and chemical industry lobbyists had registered at INC-4, a 37% increase from INC-3. At INC-4, the fossil fuel and chemical industries registered more representatives than the combined delegations of the 87 smallest participating countries.
“Lobbyists have appeared in country delegations and gained privileged access to Member State-only sessions, where sensitive discussions unfold behind closed doors. This shows that the footprint of industry lobbyists is progressively increasing,” Alvares said.
India’s position in the negotiations
In its submission to INC, India clearly stated that the “legally binding instrument should specifically address plastic pollution only” and “there should be no binding targets / cap with respect to production of plastic polymers.” In the ‘proposed principles’ section of the submission, India has demanded that the treaty “should be based on the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibility [CBDR] as well as national circumstances and capabilities…”
The increasing significance of plastic in India’s economy is one of the factors influencing its stance on the GPT on the international stage. According to government figures, there are about 130,000 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) registered and engaged in the plastic industry, which have employed about 1.65 million people. The plastic industry provides 1.4 million direct and 7 million indirect jobs in India. This is one of the primary reasons behind India’s opposition to any reductions in plastic production.
“Why should India take a position that will render its own workforce unemployed? Rich nations produced and used plastic for decades and polluted the earth and the marine ecosystem. Now they put the blame on the developing world. The truth is plastic provides millions of jobs. Even the waste creates opportunities for a lot of entrepreneurs,” a government official told CarbonCopy on condition of anonymity.
In 2014, the total production value of plastic machinery in India was ₹21.5 billion. In 2022, it reached ₹38.5 billion — a growth of almost 80% in less than a decade. The cumulative export of plastic-related material in FY 2022-23 was $11.96 billion.
Officials of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) maintain that plastic isn’t the problem, only plastic waste is a problem. They say pollution is “caused by the mismanagement of plastic waste” and “ending the use of plastic is not a simple solution.”
Rajiv Chawla, chairman of the non-profit Integrated Association of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises of India, says, “One can’t ban plastic altogether. Can you make a car, a mixer or a washing machine without using plastic? Plastic which is used for long-life items and saving other precious environmental resources can’t be wished away. The need of the hour is to reuse and recycle the plastic of short term use and we are surely taking steps for that.” CarbonCopy reached out to the MoEFCC to better understand India’s stand on the issue. This copy will be updated once a response is received.
In line with this thinking, India is making efforts on the domestic front by recycling plastic, utilising it in “waste-to-energy” plants, and sending it to incinerators. To reduce the waste, the government announced a prohibition on “identified single use plastic items” in August 2021. This order came into effect in July 2022 under which the government prohibited “identified single use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential”, such as earbuds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, and cigarette packets, among others. However, on the ground, this order is rarely implemented and has proven to be largely ineffective.
Paramita Dey, senior faculty at National Institute of Urban Affairs, New Delhi, says, “The collection of plastic is feasible only when it is clean and segregated at source. Otherwise, collection of post-consumer plastic is extremely challenging.” According to Dey, plastic packaging is crucial for some items, but can be avoided in many other products.
“Unless the production of single use plastic is stopped completely, it will not find its way out of our environment. A lot of MSMEs are involved in production of single use plastic. This needs to be phased out and alternatives must be proposed for them,” she says.
With the ban on single use plastic, India has also introduced an extended producer responsibility (EPR) regime to address plastic pollution in the packaging industry. This EPR regime, which functions under the Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016, describes “responsibility of Producers, Importers and Brand-owners (PIBOs) to ensure processing of their plastic packaging waste through recycling, re-use or end of life disposal.” Under the EPR guidelines, PIBOs and waste recyclers (known as plastic waste processes or PWP) need to register themselves on the EPR portal of the Central or State Pollution Control Board. While the rules outline specific targets and responsibilities, the EPR regime has several weaknesses in its current form. It primarily addresses packaging plastic waste, leaving many items, such as sanitary napkins and slippers, outside its purview.
Ankur Bisen, author of the book “Wasted” and senior partner with Technopak Advisors, says at present the policymakers are using “a very simplistic framework for a very complex problem.” He says while PET bottles are mostly recycled and brought back to the value chain, there is nothing that effectively governs single layer plastic (SLPs) and multi layer plastic (MLPs).
Bisen told CarbonCopy, “By banning single-use plastic, we are only addressing that part of the issue which affects the marginalised, single unit retailers or shopkeepers. We have not looked at the issue of MLPs and SLPs, which have no recycling value and can only be incinerated. They cause havoc to ecosystems, as nothing governs them. This in spite of the fact that FMCGs [fast-moving consumer goods] are using MLPs and SLPs as the primary packaging solutions for their products like chips, ketchup, etc. in small plastic bags which proliferate all over. The growth of all FMCGs is based on MLPs and SLPs and it is becoming increasingly unsustainable.”
Abishek Garg, who is an EPR consultant, explains that India’s EPR regime mandates companies to collect and sustainably process their products’ packaging waste. Companies can now purchase EPR credits from government-authorised recyclers, essentially incentivising recyclers. This credit-based system, widely adopted in the European Union, ensures that obligated companies either comply or face penalties.
Despite more than half a dozen amendments to the EPR guidelines since their initial notification, significant loopholes persist. For example, the discovery of more than 6 lakh fake pollution-trading certificates highlights this issue.
Garg says, “In Europe, this system is supported by robust infrastructure for waste collection, segregation, and recycling, alongside significant investment in technology to promote circularity. However, in India, a lack of infrastructure for collection, source segregation, and recycling of post-consumer waste presents a significant challenge. Additionally, the incentivisation of recyclers has led to fraudulent practices, with some recyclers falsely registering and generating fake EPR credits.”
EPR policies across the globe are designed to uphold the principle of ‘polluter pays’. Their fundamental goal is to support the collection, recycling and circularity of materials. CSE’s Singh says implementation of EPR in India is “market driven” and strictly based on trading of EPR certificates.
“A handful of PWPs wilfully disregarded the EPR guidelines by generating (over 7 lakh) fraudulent certificates and trading them with PIBOs. As a result, the supply of EPR certificates surged, causing their prices to plummet. Moreover, regulatory action was only taken on PWPs and not on PIBOs who procured the fraudulent certificates. This approach of letting the polluter go ‘free’ undermines the basic principle on which EPR policies are based globally,” says Singh.
Production cut is vital
Observers, who are tracking the developments in the GPT negotiations, maintain that the problem cannot be solved without addressing the upstream stage.
Despite the economic challenges it faces, India’s alignment with petro-rich states positions it alongside countries seen as laggards in environmental responsibility.
Mere plastic waste management, even if it is done efficiently, won’t be enough to deal with the crisis. CIEL’s Alvares says producers have a financial stake in avoiding discussions about limiting production, but the world can no longer afford continued plastic production.
She says, “Reducing production is not only viable, but essential to addressing the plastic crisis at its root. It was also clearly stated in the mandate given to the negotiators at UNEA 5.2 in 2022. Plastic pollution doesn’t start when plastic becomes waste or ends up in the environment. It starts when oil, gas, and coal are extracted from the earth to be turned into plastic.”
“No demand-driven policies have been successful at reducing the overall amount of plastic produced, and the pollution that goes with it, because the industry simply finds new markets and products. We won’t solve plastic pollution without reducing plastic production,” says Alvares.
According to her, plastic production is fueling the climate crisis and undermining the goals of the Paris Agreement. It is expected to consume up to one-third of the remaining carbon budget by 2050, outpacing the energy and transportation sectors. Experts say that establishing and reinforcing the connection between climate change and plastics, and understanding the role of the fossil fuel industry is critical for the upcoming climate summit in Baku and the Global Plastic Treaty at Busan.
Harjeet Singh, climate activist and global engagement director for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, says that to fully grasp the issue, one must recognise the intrinsic link between climate change, plastics, and the expanding influence of the fossil fuel industry.
“The new Global Plastics Treaty must break away from the blunders of past climate agreements by addressing the root cause of plastic pollution: fossil fuels. This treaty cannot sidestep what we all know—that ending plastic pollution means stopping fossil fuel-based plastics at the source. For too long, corporate interests have put profit over the well-being of our planet and people. We need bold, uncompromising action to halt plastic production and shield future generations from the compounded crisis of fossil-fuel-driven pollution and climate change,” Singh told Carboncopy.
However, the question remains how a vast country like India will strike a balance between the economy and the fight with plastic pollution. Bisen advocates for a “roadmap of just transition”.
He says, “Recycling should be viewed as a stop-gap arrangement and we should definitely address the production part of it. But to do that, we need a clear roadmap for a just transition, so that companies and businesses gradually increase the target to phase out plastic from their systems. The policymakers should ensure safer alternatives to big and small businesses – for example restoration of tin cans instead of plastic containers for mobil oil, so that there is no disruption in the value chain or loss of livelihood.”
The stakes are high for India and other developing nations that are increasingly affected by plastic pollution yet reliant on its economic benefits. The outcomes of both COP29 and the Busan summit should ideally help to shape the international framework for managing plastic waste and production. This will ultimately determine the path to combat global plastic pollution effectively.
At the higher temperatures that are projected for the end of the century, the risk of irreversible and catastrophic extremes is also set to soar.
Minimal progress made in 2024, world is set at 2.7°C warming course: New study
Climate Action Tracker released a grim report, which reveals that current policies would lead to a disastrous 2.7°C of warming. This would cause a level of disruption that many scientists say will put human civilisation at risk, the Guardian reported. It adds that the expected level of global heating by the end of the century has not changed since 2021, with “minimal progress” made this year, according to the project. Warming in the most optimistic scenario rose slightly from 1.8°C last year to 1.9°C this year, the report found. Last month, a study found half of the 68,000 heat deaths in Europe in 2022 were the result of the 1.3°C of global heating the world has seen so far. At the higher temperatures that are projected for the end of the century, the risk of irreversible and catastrophic extremes is also set to soar. The report found fossil fuel subsidies have also hit all-time highs, and funding for such projects quadrupled between 2021 and 2022.
2024 set to be hottest year on record as temperatures breach 1.5°C threshold
This year is on track to be the hottest on record, according to the latest state of the climate report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the Press Association reported. According to the report, global average temperatures for January to September 2024 were 1.54°C above pre-industrial levels. However, it says WMO secretary-general Celeste Saulo emphasised that “this does not mean that we have failed to meet the Paris Agreement”.
People’s science festivals picking up in India, but more needs to be done: Study
Mongabay reported on the annual season of people’s science festivals about to begin in India, highlighted by a new study titled From Vigyan Jathas to Science Festivals: A New Avatar of Public Engagement with Science in India. From large-scale festivals such as the India International Science Festival to smaller ones focussed on a theme, such as the upcoming Mountains of Life by Azim Premji University, these events are essential bridges between the science community and the public, the report said.
“They [science festivals] provide a pause to reflect on where we are at with respect to science and technology,” says the author of the paper Sarah Iqbal adding that In India, the beginnings can be traced back to the 1960s when there was a rise of grassroots social movements, such as the People’s Science Movements (PSM), which aim at spreading scientific literacy, Iqbal notes in her paper. Led by science activists, predominantly current and retired scientists, PSMs work towards disseminating scientific knowledge through vigyan jathas (science processions). The report said Still active, they are led by science activists and take the form of vigyan jathas (science processions), mostly focussed on semi-urban and rural regions
Greenland’s glaciers and ice caps could decrease in area by 39% to 61% by 2100: Study
Amid “drastic mass loss” from Greenland’s peripheral glaciers and ice caps, new research explored how they could change in the future. Using the Open Global Glacier Model to simulate glacier dynamics and runoff changes, the researchers found that these glaciers and ice caps could decrease in area by 39% under a low-emissions pathway and 61% under very high emissions by 2100. The declines are larger for glacier volume – 48% under low emissions and 67% under very high emissions. The regions that have larger areas of glaciers and are farther from the ocean would likely see smaller losses, the study noted.
‘No action despite flood warning’: Protestors call for Valencia’s leader’s resignation over deadly floods response
Thousands of people took to the streets of Valencia in protest at the regional government’s handling of the recent flooding, which killed more than 200 people, reported the Guardian. The Valencian government has been criticised for not adequately preparing despite warnings five days before the floods that there could be an unprecedented rainstorm, the newspaper stated. It continues: “Residents are protesting over the way the incident was handled, with regional leader Carlos Mazón under immense pressure after his administration failed to issue alerts to citizens’ mobile phones until hours after the flooding started.”
Ahead of cooling La Nina current, experts predict milder winter
Scientists are uncertain if La Nina, the global weather phenomenon, will be weak or strong in the coming months. This will impact the severity of winters across India. If La Nina, which has a cooling effect on oceans, is weak then winter will be less severe in India. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issuing a La Nina watch in May said it expects La Nina to be “remarkably weak”, which means a milder winter for India. The Hindustan Times reported that earlier, several models projected La Nina to take hold by the second half of India’s monsoon, but these forecasts proved inaccurate. The newspaper reported on October 2 that leading global forecasters miscalculated La Nina’s development this year, despite US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issuing a La Nina watch in May.
The report cites experts stating that most circulation patterns mirror La Nina conditions, characterised by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific, contrasting with El Nino’s warmer temperatures. For La Nina to be officially declared, the Oceanic Nino Index must drop to at least -0.5°C or -0.3°C and maintain this level for several months.
Fourth mass bleaching of coral reefs: UN holds emergency session at Biodiversity summit
The UN, scientists and governments “made an urgent call”at the COP16 biodiversity summit for increased funding to protect coral reefs under threat of extinction. The Associated Press reported that research in 2024 shows that 77% of the world’s reefs are affected by bleaching, mainly due to warming ocean waters amid human-caused climate change. The newswire said its the largest and fourth mass global bleaching on record and is impacting both hemispheres. The findings prompted a UN special emergency session — typically called to address escalating conflicts or natural disasters — on corals to be convened on [the] sidelines of the UN biodiversity summit.
New Zealand, the UK, Germany and France made new pledges totaling around $30 million to the UN fund for coral reefs established in 2020. The AP report also stated that by 2030, the fund seeks to leverage up to $3 billion in public and private finance to support coral reef conservation efforts. Around $225 million has been raised to date.
Research: There’s potential to naturally regrow forest bigger than Mexico in deforested tropical regions
A global area of forest bigger than Mexico has the potential to be naturally regrown, a new study found. Naturally regenerating identified forest areas could sequester more than 23 billion tonnes of carbon over the course of three decades, the researchers estimated. Analyzing pantropical natural forests around the world over 2000-16, their model found that five countries — Brazil, Indonesia, China, Mexico and Colombia — account for just over half of the regrowth potential, which totals 215 million hectares. Forest restoration often focuses on tree planting, but these findings show the “need for targeting restoration initiatives that leverage natural regeneration potential”, according to the researchers.
Droughts in Western United States caused by manmade global warming: Study
Anthropogenic warming has ushered in an era of temperature-dominated droughts in the western United States, said a new study. The “dominant” driver of drought in the western US shifted from lack of precipitation to rising temperatures at the start of this century, according to a study. Analysing observations and climate model simulations, the researchers found that the change in drought drivers since around 2000 “has led to increased drought severity and coverage”. An “unprecedented” drought in the western US over 2020-22 “exemplifies” this change, the researchers noted. The study’s models forecast that these kinds of droughts – which currently take place around once every thousand years – could happen once every 60 years by the middle of this century. The researchers conclude that the change in drought drivers “cannot be explained by natural climate variability” and is “mainly” from human-caused warming.
The G77 said it demands at least $1.3tn per year from developed countries for all developing countries in climate finance. Photo: COP29.aze
COP29: G77, China rejects framework for draft text on new climate finance goal
The G77 and China, the largest bloc at UN climate talks representing around 130 countries, which includes India, rejected the framework for a draft text on a new climate finance goal – the central objective of the negotiations at COP29, reported PTI. The substantive framework for a draft negotiating text, prepared by the co-chairs of the ad hoc work programme on the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) and published in October was rejected arguing it does not accurately reflect the suggestions that developing countries have made. Other groups of developing countries, including the Like-Minded Developing Countries (LMDCs), Alliance of Small Island Developing States (AOSIS), Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and the Independent Alliance of Latin America and the Caribbean (AILAC), backed G77 and China in this rejection. An international coalition of climate researchers and activists, G77 and China have requested that the co-chairs prepare a new draft text before the next negotiating session. The G77 said it demands at least $1.3tn per year from developed countries for all developing countries in climate finance, adding that the NCQG must specify what does not count as climate finance, from an accounting perspective; non-concessional loans and export credits cannot be considered climate finance.
COP 29: China pushes developed countries to do more, says it contributed $24.5 Bn for developing countries since 2016
China’s Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang at COP 29 said: since 2016, China has provided and mobilized project funds of more than 177bn RMB ($24.5bn), strongly supporting other developing countries in addressing climate change. China called upon developed countries to increase financial support and technology transfer for developing countries. China said it expects more ambitious funding targets to be set at COP29, so that confidence and guarantees can be provided for global climate response in the next stage. Asia Society Policy Institute reported that this is the first time China referred to climate finance for developing countries as provision and mobilization. The outlet said Ding’s figure presumably includes a range of investments by China’s development banks and other actors, rather than just earmarked for South-South cooperation. KAte Logan of ASPI said the figure of 177bn RMB roughly equates to $24.5bn, or approx $3.1bn/yr which is “hugely significant though slightly lower than estimates by @WRIClimate ($4.5bn/yr) and @CGDev ($3.8bn/yr).” Ding’s statement reflects China’s ability & willingness to calculate its climate finance contribution to developing countries in the context of provision and mobilization, placing it on the same order – if not higher than – many developed countries’ efforts. This gives China teeth in pushing developed countries to do more.
Liu Zhenmin, China’s climate envoy, called for the US to engage in “constructive dialogue” to tackle climate change in future, “a thinly veiled swipe at the incoming Donald Trump administration”, reported the Financial Times.
‘Climate credits’ rules on day one of COP29 was rushed?
An agreement on Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement, governing international carbon markets, was reached on the first day of COP29, “breaking a years-long deadlock and paving the way for rich countries to pay for cheap climate action abroad while delaying expensive emission cuts at home”, the Guardian reported, adding that “critics have warned the rules were rushed through without following proper process”. The outlet said “The agreement is expected to provide the clarity needed to trade emissions within a global carbon market, supervised by the UN, that would be open to companies as well as countries. A separate Article [6.2] on the trade of carbon credits between individual nations will be addressed later in the COP29 negotiations.” Climate Home News says that after two successive COPs failed to agree on guidance for developing the carbon-credit methodologies, the Article 6.4 supervisory body has “taken matters into its own hands”. Instead of sending the documents for recommendations, the committee gave countries “one binary decision to make: approve or reject the whole approach”. The Financial Times quotes a COP29 delegate who called the decision a “backdoor deal”. The Associated Press says the decision could free up to $250bn in spending a year to help poor nations, according to COP29 president Mukhtar Babayev. Reuters reports that according to one negotiator, Monday’s deal “could allow a UN-backed global carbon market, which has been years in the making, to start up as soon as next year”.
Argentina withdraws from COP29 summit, president Milei follows in Trump’s footsteps
Three days into the COP 29 conference, Argentinian negotiators representing the government of the climate science denier Javier Milei have been ordered to withdraw from the climate summit, the Guardian reported.
More than 80 representatives from the South American country are in Baku, Azerbaijan, for two weeks of negotiations about climate finance for the energy transition. Argentina’s far-right leader has previously called the climate crisis a “socialist lie”, and during his election campaign last year he threatened to withdraw from the Paris agreement, although he has since backed down, the report said.
On Tuesday, Milei spoke with Trump, after which Milei’s spokesperson said Trump had told his Argentinian counterpart he was his “favourite president”, the newspaper said. Milei sought to roll back environmental rules to drive economic growth since he became president last year, including relaxing rules about protections for forests and glaciers. Julieta Zelicovich, a professor of international relations at the Universidad Nacional de Rosario in Argentina, said it was a bad sign for a trade pact between the EU and South America’s Mercosur bloc. “Without environmental commitments, any possibility of announcing an agreement at the G20 collapses. If the government wanted to move forward on trade agreements, this is a very wrong step,” she said.
Forest clearance for Hasdeo coal mine was fabricated: ST panel report
A three-year investigation by the Chhattisgarh Scheduled Tribe Commission found that the process to obtain clearance for the Parsa coal block in the Hasdeo forest region of Surguja district was “fabricated,” reported the Times of India. It asked Surguja Collector Vilas Bhoskar to halt the tree felling that began on October 18. Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RRVUNL), which was allotted the Parsa coal block in 2015, called it a “malicious, biased decision” by the commission. Hasdeo, in north Chhattisgarh, has been the site of near-ceaseless protests to stop mining and deforestation.
US: Trump chooses Lee Zeldin to run EPA as he plans to gut climate rules
Donald Trump will nominate former Republican congressman Lee Zeldin to head up the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the New York Times reported, adding that Trump campaigned on promises to “kill” and “cancel” EPA rules, and says that Zeldin’s position is expected to be “central to Trump’s plans to dismantle landmark climate regulations”. “Some people on Trump’s transition team say the agency needs a wholesale makeover and are even discussing moving the EPA headquarters and its 7,000 workers out of Washington, DC”, the newspaper said. The Hill reported that Zeldin said that in the first 100 days, the Trump administration would ‘roll back regulations that are forcing businesses to be able to struggle. The Guardian reported that Zeldin was looking forward to cutting red tape, adding that the EPA nominee, who will have to be confirmed by the US Senate, had said in 2014 he was ‘not sold yet on the whole argument that we have as serious a problem as other people are’ with global heating, and added in 2018 that he did not support the Paris climate agreement, which Trump is again expected to withdraw the US from.” The newspaper said that Zeldin is “expected to oversee an overhaul of the EPA that will rival anything seen since its foundation in 1970”.
COP 29: Barbados PM asks Donald Trump for face-to-face meeting on climate
Barbados prime minister and climate champion for developing countries Mia Mottley has invited Donald Trump to a face-to-face meeting where she would seek “common ground” and persuade him that climate action was in his own interests, the Guardian reported. She also believes she could show Trump that the US would benefit economically from tackling the climate crisis. Mottley argued Trump would also find it hard to fully reverse the Inflation Reduction Act, which incentivises clean energy, because many formerly depressed areas around the US, including traditionally Republican-voting ones, had seen new jobs and industries spring up because of it.
Biodiversity COP16: India releases plan to generate fund to tackle issues of biodiversity loss
The Indian delegation to the 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) of the Convention on Biological Diversity released its updated National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plan (NBSAP). This NBSAP is the third that India developed since 2000. At COP15, parties were asked to submit updated NBSAPs, which are aligned with the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), reported Down to Earth.
The average annual attributable biodiversity expenditure for the period FY 2017-2018 to 2021-2022 was estimated to the tune of Rs 32,20,713 crore and expenditure for the period FY 2024-2025 to FY 2029-2030. The estimation suggests that implementation would require an estimated annual average financial requirement of Rs 81,664.88 crore at the central government level, the outlet said.
Tariff war: EU imposes up to 35.3% duty on Chinese EVs, China moves WTO
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said it has filed a complaint at the WTO against the EU’s imposition of duties, while a Chinese carmaker said it plans to file suit at the Court of Justice of the EU, reported the Global Times adding that “consultations continued” between the two sides. The Chinese government said it “does not agree nor accept” the definitive ruling calling it “pure protectionism detrimental to China-EU industrial and supply chain cooperation, to European consumers, and to EU’s green transition and global climate response.”
The European Commission (EC) imposed duties on imports of EVs from China for a period of five years. The “countervailing duties” on Chinese EVs, ranged from 17% to 35.3%. The China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME), which is representing the Chinese EV industry in the case, said the EC’s definitive ruling is unfair, unreasonable and unobjective, and seriously violates the relevant anti-subsidy regulations of the WTO as well as the EU itself, the outlet added.
Missed opportunity: Fossil fuel transition pledge left out of COP16 draft agreement
The talks at the COP16 nature summit have weakened a draft decision on climate change and biodiversity, after removing a mention of the global commitment to ‘transition away’ from fossil fuels agreed at last year’s COP28 climate summit in Dubai, reported Climate Home News. The outlet said that at the nature COP [in Cali, Colombia], countries are expected to produce a text that aligns the priorities of the UN conventions on climate change and biodiversity. Campaigners told Climate Home News that leaving out a stronger mention to fossil fuels was a ‘missed opportunity’.” The draft also includes a call for countries to prevent adverse impacts on biodiversity from responses to climate change such as the expansion of renewable energy. Additionally, it calls on countries to prevent double-counting of biodiversity and climate finance.
As air pollution is a transboundary issue, countries collectively need to take proactive, collaborative steps to manage and mitigate air pollution across borders.
COP29: India asks ‘air shed’ neighbours to fight air pollution jointly
Air pollution is a shared problem for the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) countries, as most of them fall under the same air-shed, i.e., the Indo-Gangetic Airshed, reported Down to Earth. The report added that India said it was a transboundary issue at a meeting of the HKH countries hosted by Bhutan’s prime minister Tshering Tobgay particularly Pakistan and Bangladesh, “to take proactive, collaborative steps to manage and mitigate air pollution across borders”, according to a press note shared by International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). The report explained that India’s National Clean Air Programme has also taken on board the principle of regional air quality management. But it lacks a regulatory framework for regional action,
Delhi air pollution: AQI ‘severe’ again; thick smog reduces visibility
Delhi Air Quality Index (AQI) turned ‘severe’ for the first time this season on November 13, Anand Vihar was 466 (‘severe plus’) at 10am on Thursday. The central pollution watchdog attributed the deterioration to an “unprecedentedly dense” fog and described it as an “episodic event”, the Hindustan Times reported.
The air quality crosses over 400, which falls under the severe category. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), however, opted not to enforce Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which includes measures like halting in-person classes for primary schools and imposing a blanket ban on construction activities.
UN warns that toxic smog in Pakistan’s Punjab province is endangering children
The UN children’s agency warned that the health of 11 million children in Pakistan’s Punjab is in danger because of air pollution, the Associated Press reported. Toxic smog has shrouded Pakistan’s Lahore and 17 other districts in Punjab since last month. Health officials say more than 40,000 people have been treated for respiratory ailments. UNICEF urged the government to make urgent and greater efforts to reduce air pollution for the 11 million affected children under the age of 5 and others.
“Prior to these record-breaking levels of air pollution, about 12% of deaths in children under 5 in Pakistan were due to air pollution,” the report said, adding that Pakistan has shut schools until Nov. 17 in parts of Punjab as part of measures aimed at protecting children’s health. Authorities on Friday ordered the closure of all parks and museums for 10 days, and they have been urging people to avoid unnecessary travel.
Plastic pollution is changing entire Earth system: Study
Ahead of the November 25 global meet on cutting plastic pollution, scientists have warned plastic pollution is changing the entire Earth system. A new study found pollution is affecting the climate, biodiversity, ecosystems, ocean acidification and human health.
Plastic pollution has exacerbated climate change, biodiversity loss, ocean acidification, and the use of freshwater and land, according to scientific analysis reported the Guardian. Plastic must not be treated as a waste problem alone, the authors said, but as a product that poses harm to ecosystems and human health, the newspaper reported.
The warning comes before final talks begin in South Korea to agree on a legally binding global treaty to cut plastic pollution. The outlet said the progress towards a treaty on plastic pollution has been hindered by a row over the need to include cuts to the $712bn plastic production industry in the treaty. At the last talks in April, developed countries were accused of bowing to pressure from fossil fuel and industry lobbyists to steer clear of any reductions in production. The discussions in South Korea, which start on November 25, mark a rare opportunity for countries to come to an agreement to tackle the global crisis of plastic pollution.
Treated liquid waste from landfills adding more toxic chemicals by over 1000%: study
Researchers have found that treatment plants designed to clean up leachate liquid waste boost levels of banned PFAS ( polyfluoroalkyl substances) that cause cancers. The Guardian reported that processes intended to decontaminate noxious liquid landfill waste before it enters rivers and sewers have been found to increase the levels of some of the worst toxic chemicals, a study has shown.
Landfills are well known to be a main source of PFAS forever chemicals, but the new study shows that the treatment plants designed to clean up the liquid waste can instead boost the levels of banned PFAS such as PFOA and PFOS, in some cases by as much as 1,335%.
The outlet said that using data from an Environment Agency investigation into landfill liquid waste, which is known as leachate, Dr David Megson from Manchester Metropolitan University, who co-authored the study found “that instead of removing the banned chemicals PFOS and PFOA our treatment plants are actually creating them … likely being formed from the transformation of other PFAS within a chemical soup”. The authors said “with potentially hundreds of landfill operators legally allowed to discharge their treated leachate into the environment” there is an “urgent need” for more research so that PFAS can be disposed of properly.
Private jet flights “used like taxis” raised polluting emissions by 50%
Private jet flights added pollution from heating emissions by 50% with around 900,000 flights used “like taxis” for trips of less than 50km, a new global study has found. The assessment tracked more than 25,000 private jets and almost 19m flights between 2019 and 2023. It found almost half the jets travelled less than 500km, the Guardian reported. Private flights, used by just 0.003% of the world’s population, are the most polluting form of transport. The researchers found that passengers in larger private jets caused more CO2 emissions in an hour than the average person did in a year.The US dominated private jet travel, representing 69% of flights, and Canada, the UK and Australia were all in the top 10. A private jet takes off every six minutes in the UK. The total emissions from private jet flights in 2023 were more than 15m tonnes, more than the 60 million people of Tanzania emitted.
Industry expectations are that another 8,500 business jets will enter service by 2033, far outstripping efficiency gains and indicating that private flight emissions will rise even further.
Solar energy accounted for 19.6% of the country’s total installed power capacity in Q3 of 2024, and 44.3% of the installed renewable capacity.
India’s solar capacity up 20% in Q3, 2024: Govt data
India’s renewable energy accounted for 44.3% of the country’s total power capacity mix (450.7 GW as of September 2024), with 199.5 GW installed at the end of Q3 2024, according to data from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Mercom reported.
Solar energy accounted for 19.6% of the country’s total installed power capacity in Q3 of 2024, and 44.3% of the installed renewable capacity. Last year at the same time solar energy was at 16.5% of the total installed power capacity and 39.4% of renewable energy.
Renewable energy’s (177.1 GW) contribution to the overall power mix was 41.8% at the end of Q2 2024. Both wind and large hydro accounted for 10.5% of each of the country’s cumulative installed power capacity at the end of September. Biomass and small hydropower contributed 2.4% and 1.1%, respectively. The installed capacity of small hydropower increased by 1.4% QoQ and 1.9% YoY. Waste-to-energy projects contributed a meager 0.1% to the country’s power mix, which rose 1.8% QoQ and 5.4% YoY.
Coal-based thermal power constituted 46.8%, gas 5.5%, nuclear 1.8%, lignite 1.5%, and diesel 0.13% of the total installed power capacity. Coal remained the leading power source at 211 GW.
Chandigarh high court allows privatisation of DISCOM
The power union in Chandigarh lost an anti-privatisation case as Chandigarh high court gave green signal for the privatisation of electricity maintaining that it was not within the judiciary’s domain to decide whether a public policy is wise or a better one can be developed. While disposing of petitions by the UT Powermen Union and Federation of Sectors Welfare Association, the high court rejected the contention that the Union territory’s policy to privatise power distribution violates the Electricity Act, 2003, Mercom reported. The high court drew upon the Supreme Court’s pronouncements in the Bharat Aluminium Company (BALCO) privatisation case.
NTPC Green targets to invest Rs 1 lakh cr in solar, wind assets by 2027
NTPC Green Energy plans to invest up to Rs1 lakh crore in solar and wind assets by FY27, reported the Economic Times, adding that about 20% of which may come from equity. The company will need Rs 20,000 crore of its own funds for the expansion, the report said, adding that Rs 10,000 crore of funds will be coming through the upcoming initial public offering.
The company will be able to raise the remaining resources through internal accruals. The NTPC has an installed capacity of 3,220 MW right now, and is aiming to take up the same number to 6,000 MW by March 2025, 11,000 MW by March 2026 and 19,000 by March 2027. The report explained that the company will operate at a level where 90% of the capacity will be solar, which requires an investment of Rs 5 crore per MW, and the rest will be wind which needs Rs 8 crore per MW, the report said.
Critical mineral mining for renewable energy spark violence in SE Asia: study
Mining for critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, nickel and copper, essential for electric vehicles, wind turbines, solar panels and electric grids, was linked to 334 incidents of violence, protests and deaths between 2021 and 2023 mostly in Asia, found a new study by Global Witness, Dialogue Earth reported.
Southeast Asia, with some of the world’s largest mineral reserves, has become a particular hotspot of unrest. Indonesia houses almost a quarter of the world’s nickel reserves, followed closely by the Philippines, while Vietnam and Myanmar possess between 10% and 20% of the world’s rare earth elements, the outlet reported.
Communities in these countries are bearing the brunt of global efforts to mine these resources to support the energy transition. “You’re essentially still grabbing their land, you’re still stealing their resources, you’re still taking away their lives, livelihoods and homes to conduct mineral exploration and extraction activities,” said Prarthana Rao, manager of the business and human rights programme at FORUM-ASIA.
The report stated that copper mining will increase by over 25% by 2028, cobalt by more than 100%, lithium over 300% and nickel over 75%. Authors said the financial rewards mainly benefit production companies in wealthier nations like Australia, the United States, Switzerland and China, the report found.
On Trump's win, Tesla's stock surged 14.8% while those of other electric car manufacturers fell.
EV maker Tesla’s shares soar on Trump’s return
Shares of Tesla surged as investors bet that Donald Trump’s return to the White House would help the electric vehicle manufacturer and its CEO, Elon Musk. With the possibility of reduced subsidies for alternative energy and electric vehicles hurting smaller rivals the most, Tesla stands to gain a lot under a Trump administration. It is unlikely that Chinese EVs will be marketed in large quantities in the United States anytime soon given Trump’s proposals for high taxes on Chinese imports. Tesla’s stock surged 14.8% while those of other electric car manufacturers fell. Shanghai-based Nio dropped 5.3%, electric truck manufacturer Rivian’s stock fell by 8.3%, while Lucid Group’s stock dipped 5.3%. Musk, one of Trump’s largest donors, spent at least $119 million mobilising Trump followers to support the Republican candidate.
Shortfall in funding for green tech companies due to high borrowing costs
COP28 saw countries pledging to triple their renewable energy capacities. This showed promise of robust investment in green technologies to achieve that, but that hasn’t worked too well. The main culprit is higher borrowing costs, which is making it difficult for green tech companies to scale up, found a report by the Financial Times. The report cited research company Sightline Climate which found that funds raised by climate tech start-ups in the first half of 2024 decreased by a fifth from last year. Also, investor funds are being diverted to developing AI technologies, which means a lower fund pool for green tech.
Big Tech is fuelling the climate crisis by spreading disinformation
A report by the Climate Action Against Disinformation coalition (CAAD) found that Big Tech was spreading misinformation about the climate crisis through its mass media instruments by allowing Big Oil and other climate denying lobbies to spread misinformation about renewables, wildfires, electric vehicles and hurricanes to undermine climate action. The report found that eight fossil fuel advertisers paid Meta around $17.6 million for over 700 million impressions in the last one year.
India Inc has big plans for semiconductor manufacturing
Semiconductors are a highly lucrative product, as it is needed for every technological utility from electric vehicles to phones and laptops. The Tata Group wants to cash in on that. It has plans to invest ₹ 91,000 crore for a plant in Gujarat and ₹ 27,000 crore for a plant in Assam. It has also made Singapore, which accounts for 20% of global semiconductor equipment production, as a key partner. State governments, too, are excited about production prospects. The Uttar Pradesh government has approved semiconductor projects amounting upwards of ₹ 32,000 crore, including a bid by the Hiranandani Group. Gujarat, however, is emerging as a clear leader as a semiconductor manufacturing hub with its dedicated semiconductor policy. Domestic and international companies making a beeline for the state, which is already seeing over ₹ 100,000 crore being invested for semiconductor facilities. The state government is also providing 40% subsidy for capital expenditure.
The Hague's appeals court ruled that Shell had an obligation to cut greenhouse gas emissions in order to safeguard humanity from global warming.
Shell wins appeal against historic climate ruling
In a setback for climate activists, oil and gas giant Shell won an appeal against a ruling requiring it to expedite carbon reduction efforts. The Hague’s appeals court ruled that Shell had an obligation to cut greenhouse gas emissions in order to safeguard humanity from global warming. However, it overturned the 2021 decision that mandated Shell reduce its total carbon emissions, including those resulting from the consumption of its goods, by 45% by 2030 as compared to 2019 levels. The court concurred with Shell that a global ban on its goods’ emissions could have a negative impact since consumers might decide to use more polluting coal instead of Shell’s petrol.
India’s thermal coal imports fall by 31% —fastest in 15 months
A new report by data analytics company Bigmint and Kpler found that becaue of slowed power generation and increased clean energy output, India’s thermal coal imports fell by roughly a third on an annual basis in October. According to Bigmint data, shipments into India—the second-largest coal importer in the world—fell 31.8% to 13.56 million metric tonnes. This was the first decline in a row since July 2023 and the fastest rate of contraction in fifteen months. Although traders anticipate an increase in Indian purchases in the upcoming weeks, shipments are predicted to decline in the final two months of 2024 as a result of high port stocks, thus this will not be sufficient to raise overall year imports above 2023 levels.
Top official at COP29 recorded promoting fossil fuel deals
According to a BBC investigation, a top official at the COP29 climate change conference in Azerbaijan seems to have exploited his position to set up a meeting to talk about possible fossil fuel deals. Elnur Soltanov, the head of Azerbaijan’s COP29 team, is heard on a covert recording talking with a man masquerading as a possible investor about “investment opportunities” in the state oil and gas business. “We have a lot of gas fields that are to be developed,” he said on the recording. Soltanov’s actions have been described as “completely unacceptable” and a “betrayal” of the COP process.
Hurricane Rafael obstructs oil production at the US Gulf of Mexico
In the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Rafael stopped more than 23% of crude oil and 10% of natural gas production, according to the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). Energy corporations evacuated employees from dozens of offshore platforms due to the cyclone. This has resulted in the shutdown of about 201 million cubic feet of natural gas per day and 4,08,830 barrels of oil per day.
US oil output hits record high, Exxon and Chevron rake in huge profits
U.S. oil companies Exxon Mobil and Chevron reported better-than-expected third-quarter profits, outperforming their European competitors. While rivals BP and Shell made significant investments in wind, solar, and renewable energy that haven’t yet paid off, the two American companies concentrated on increasing oil and gas production and have profited from the purchase of smaller oil producers. Exxon’s $60 billion wager on Pioneer Natural Resources and acquisition of Denbury paid off as it produced a record 4.6 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in the third quarter, up more than 24% from the same period last year.
Trump’s victory likely to result in decline in petroleum prices
Although it’s too soon to predict how Trump’s second term as President would affect the world’s oil markets, industry observers anticipate that the Trump administration’s energy and economic policies will put limited downward pressure on oil prices. Since China is the world’s largest importer of oil, his intentions to impose hefty taxes on imports, especially those from China, might have a detrimental effect on the demand for oil globally if they are strictly enforced. Additionally, Trump’s efforts to dramatically boost US oil production and even exports—for which he used the catchphrase “Drill, baby, drill”—may increase the world’s oil supply and possibly force major oil producers to fight for market share, which might further put pressure on prices.
