Extraction of ordinary earth for “linear projects” will be exempted from environmental clearance, but with environmental safeguards, an office memorandum issued by the Union environment ministry stated, reported the HT.
Linear projects will include “slurry pipelines, oil and gas transportation pipeline, highways or laying of railway lines, which require extraction or sourcing or borrowing of ordinary earth above the threshold of 20,000 cubic metre and does not require prior environment clearance under this notification”, the report stated. An Expert Appraisal Committee shall, while granting prior environment clearance for the projects requiring extraction of ordinary earth, include the environmental safeguards prescribed in the notification, it said.
A panel of district officials, the state pollution control board, forest department, geologist, etc shall decide the quantum of ordinary earth that can be extracted for a particular project based on the different criteria, it said.
Last year, the Supreme Court struck down a similar 2020 notification, terming it “unguided and arbitrary”. The bench also struck down “item 6 of the Appendix-IX” to the March 2020 notification, “on the grounds that the term linear projects is not defined and is very vague and the process to be adopted for excavation has not been set out”. It said that “item 6” is a case of “completely unguided and blanket exemption which is, per se, arbitrary and violative of article 14 of the Constitution of India”, the newspaper said.
63 countries agree to adopt global shipping tax, revenue off-limits to loss & damage fund
Come 2028, ships burning conventional fossil fuels will face a $380 per tonne fee on the most intensive portion of their emissions, and $100 per tonne on remaining emissions above a certain threshold. Ships will need to pay for excess emissions generated, that’s the historic decision taken at the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization (IMO) talks, which approved the world’s first carbon pricing mechanism for global shipping on Friday, reported CarbonCopy.
The outlet pointed out that the $30-40 billion by 2030 ($10 billion per year) that are expected to generate will be used for shipping industry itself (to fund clean energy use on ships) and won’t be allowed any out-of-sector revenue distribution to fund loss and damage, which was the demand of the most vulnerable island states.
The measures will take effect in 2027 making it mandatory for large ocean-going ships over 5,000 gross tonnage which as per IMO account for 85% of total CO2 emissions from international shipping. This measure would lead to an absolute emission reduction of just 8% by 2030, far less than the IMO’s own goals in the Revised Strategy. The framework would deliver 60% emissions reduction by 2040 but fail to reach the promised net-zero by 2050.
The emission data won’t name individual ships. While the public will only be given rough figures on each ship’s emissions – without being told names – governments will be given access to the full uncensored data, reported, Climate Home News.
US quits carbon talks on shipping, urges others to follow, document says
The US has quit talks to decarbonise the shipping sector at the UN shipping agency’s headquarters in London, reported Reuters. “Washington will consider ‘reciprocal measures’ to offset any fees charged to US ships”, the wire agency wrote citing a diplomatic note. Politico reported that the Trump government has called the International Maritime Organization’s plans to set a carbon tax on international shipping “blatantly unfair”. The news outlet referred to A US letter aimed at blocking the process, the read: “President Trump has made it clear that the US will not accept any international environmental agreement that unduly or unfairly burdens the US or the interest of the American people.”
According to Bloomberg before this week’s meeting, there was optimism among several people following the talks that the US couldn’t unilaterally upend the process. There’s a wider question now about whether other countries will follow Washington’s lead. Countries at the IMO meeting are expected to agree to the first global price for an industry’s carbon emissions by Friday.
Loss and damage fund to hand out $250 million by 2026, in initial phase
The UN Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) agreed to spend $250 million by 2026 initially to help developing countries deal with impacts of climate disasters, reported CHN.
The report said the fund will give grants of between $5 million and $20 million to project proposals submitted by developing countries. Governments will also be able to obtain direct budget support for emergency measures, such as temporary housing for displaced people, in case of a disaster. It was agreed that small island developing states (SIDS) and the world’s least developed countries (LDCs) would receive at least 50% of the fund’s resources during the start-up period.
In what has been seen as a dilution, the board may allow other multilateral funds, such as the IMF and the Green Climate Fund, in delivering the projects in the start-up phase and tasked the FRLD’s Secretariat with devising a proposal, the report stated.
On the issue of provision of financial instruments apart from grants, such as a blend of public and private finance, the fund will only disburse grants, but recipient countries can voluntarily decide to combine them with other instruments.
The outlet reported that despite pledging $768 million to the fund, governments have so far signed contribution agreements for $495 million and only paid in $321 million. It added that developing countries’ loss and damage needs are estimated at about $400 billion a year. Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley urged the CEOs of oil and gas companies to contribute money for climate action. “Unless they have a plan to live on Mars or Pluto and it is immediately accessible, they too will be part and parcel of the victimhood that will follow as a result of this crisis,” she said.
At Brics, India stresses fair utilisation of carbon space
At the recent Brics meeting of the environment working group India said it is imperative that Brics nations work together to ensure the global carbon budget is utilised equitably, prioritising the development needs of developing nations. Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates) is pivotal in shaping global sustainability and climate action, Amandeep Garg, additional secretary, ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC), who was leading the Indian delegation, said, reported HT.
India underlined issues of finance for adaptation and delivery of Baku to Belem Roadmap to $1.3 trillion to ensure that the finances are in line with the requirements to accomplish nationally determined contributions of developing countries. The outlet stated that in another session, India highlighted that the expansion of Brics from 5 to 11 members strengthens its leadership in global climate governance.
Trade risks fall in 70% countries in energy security in net-zero emissions energy scenarios
Trade risks to energy security decrease in 70% of countries examined under future net-zero scenarios due to a reduced reliance on imported fossil fuels, according to a new study. The researchers find that fossil-fuel rich countries may face higher trade risks, while risks for nations with critical mineral reserves could be lower. The study authors find that risks for electricity or transport systems increase in most countries that depend on imported materials, such as critical minerals for solar panels and electric vehicles.
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