After complaints from dozens of villages situated inside tiger reserves in MP, Maharashtra and West Bengal alleging residents were being pressured to vacate their traditional lands without due recognition of their rights under the FRA and Wildlife Protection Act, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs has directed the states to create an institutional mechanism to ensure compliance with the law and set up a mechanism to address grievances, The Indian Express reported. The newspaper added that the ministry received representations from 52 gram sabhas in MP’s Durgavati Tiger Reserve in December.
The ministry has sought a report detailing the name and number of villages situated in tiger reserves; the tribes and forest-dwelling communities in such villages; and all the forest rights claims received, vested, and rejected. It has also sought to know the process of seeking consent and the likely compensation. The issue came under the spotlight last June when the National Tiger Conservation Authority asked state forest departments for a timeline for the relocation of 591 villages in tiger reserves.
Centre eases afforestation process for coal blocks
The Indian government has made it easier for state-owned companies to meet their mandatory compensatory afforestation targets by removing bottlenecks for large infrastructure projects that require diversion of forests, the HT reported. The environment ministry clarified that Central government entities and captive coal blocks of state run companies implementing large projects that require diversion of forest land can take up compensatory afforestation on degraded forest land, and not necessarily non-forest land as previously stipulated. Experts have pointed out that raising plantations on degraded forest land does not compensate for loss of forests.
The report explains that India’s green cover may be increasing according to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023, but it also points to the degradation of large tracts of forests, increase in plantations and lack of clarity in status of so-called unclassed forests — all of which could have serious impacts for biodiversity, forest dependent people and ecosystem services provided by old-growth forests.
The Union environment ministry has made it easier for state-owned companies to meet their mandatory compensatory afforestation targets in a move aimed at removing bottlenecks in the implementation of large infrastructure projects that require diversion of forests.
Forest survey shows shift to plantations, natural ecosystems declining
The Forest Survey of India (FSI) released its 18th India State of Forest Report (ISFR), recording marginal increase in forest and tree cover, revealing a declining trend in forest cover across several biodiversity-rich areas, Mongabay reported. The report highlighted an increase in agroforestry and a loss of mangrove cover, particularly in Gujarat and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the outlet stated. The report stated that India’s total forest and tree cover is 8,27,357 square kilometres (25.17% India’s geographical area). This includes 7,15,343 sq. km. (21.76%) of forest cover and 1,12,014 sq. km. (3.41%) of tree cover.
The outlet reported that survey claims an increase of 1,446 sq. km. in forest and tree cover since 2021, comprising a forest cover increase of 156 sq. km. (0.2%) and a tree cover increase of 1,289 sq. km. (1.16%). It categorises forest data into recorded forest areas (RFA) which largely consists of the reserved forests and protected forests and non-notified forests. While RFAs show a minor increase of 7.28 sq. km., 20 states and union territories report a decline in RFA category. States like Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and the majority of north-east states have registered negative growth in the recorded forest area. In contrast, non-notified forests have increased by 149 sq. km.
India announces green steel taxonomy, with star-rated benchmarks
The Centre announced the green steel taxonomy providing benchmarks that categorises steel products based on their carbon emissions per tonne of finished steel. Any finished steel product emitting less than 2.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per tonne of finished steel (tCO₂e/tfs) will qualify as green steel, reported DTE.
Green steel is classified into three tiers, namely three-star green steel with emissions intensity between 2 and 2.2 tCO₂e/tfs, four-star with emissions intensity between 1.6 and 2 tCO₂e/tfs and five-star, the cleanest category, with emissions intensity below 1.6 tCO₂e/tfs.
The star ratings will be reviewed every three years. The taxonomy covers scope 1, scope 2 and limited scope 3 emissions. The National Institute of Secondary Steel Technology (NISST) has been designated as the nodal agency for measurement, reporting, verification (MRV) and issuing certificates and star ratings for green steel.
China to build world’s largest hydropower dam in Tibet, India conveys concerns
India “conveyed its concerns to Beijing” about China’s plan to build the world’s largest hydropower dam in Tibet on the Yarlung Zangbo river, which flows into India, Reuters reported.
DTE also covered the news pointing out strong lobby groups behind the big dams, adding that the Brahmaputra is the lifeline of the Northeast. A huge dam on the mighty river could make it dry, while also raising the risk of floods during the wet season. The construction of the dam in a highly seismically active zone raises even more fears, the outlet continued.
The dam on Tibet’s longest river could generate three times more energy than the Three Gorges Dam, state news agency Xinhua reported. Total investment in the dam could exceed 1 trillion yuan (US$137 billion).
The Yarlung Tsangpo flows across the Tibetan Plateau, carving out the deepest canyon on Earth and falling a staggering 7,667 metres (25,154 feet), before reaching India, where it is known as the Brahmaputra River. The dam will be built in one of the rainiest parts of mainland China, Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post reported.
Energy, agriculture lead GHG emissions in India latest greenhouse gas inventory
India submitted the fourth Biennial Update Report (BUR) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, containing the greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory for 2020.
The report stated that India’s overall emissions decreased by 7.93% in 2020 compared to 2019 (CO2 emissions dropped 5.4% due to pandemic which stalled most economic activity worldwide).
The outlet pointed out that in 2020, the energy sector was the largest contributor to GHG emissions, accounting for 2,238 MtCO₂e — a 6% decrease from 2019. Between 2016 and 2019, emissions from this sector grew by an average 3.72% annually.
The energy sector alone was responsible for nearly 92% of CO₂ emissions. Energy industries accounted for 56% of total emissions, followed by manufacturing (17%) and transport (13.28%).
Despite the drop in 2020, historical analysis shows that total emissions have steadily increased over the decades. Between 1994 and 2020, emissions (including LULUCF: land use, land use change and forestry) rose by 98.3%. Compared to India’s first BUR in 2010, the percentage increase is 29.4%. Excluding LULUCF, emissions increased by 13.5% compared to the second BUR in 2014 and 4.2% compared to the third BUR in 2016, DTE continued.
China to further restrict export of battery, critical minerals tech
China’s proposed export restrictions on technologies for batteries and the processing of lithium and gallium, Reuters reported. China said: “If implemented, they would be the latest in a series of export restrictions and bans targeting critical minerals and the technology used to process them, areas in which Beijing is globally dominant.” Reuters added that the proposals would help China to “retain its 70% grip on the global processing of lithium into the material needed to make electric vehicle (EV) batteries”. Bloomberg reported that Beijing sought to protect “innovations that China has developed during its rise to dominate global battery and electric-vehicle production” amid “rising global trade tensions”.
New York to fine fossil fuel companies $75bn under new climate law
New York state will fine fossil fuel companies to pay for the damage caused by climate change, Reuters reported. State governor Kathy Hochul has signed into law a new bill that will see $75bn raised over the next 25 years, the newswire reported. The legislation, known as the Climate Change Superfund Act, will require companies “responsible for the bulk of carbon emissions buildup between 2000 and 2024 to pay about $3bn each year”,
Morgan Stanley, Citigroup and Bank of America quit “a major climate-banking group”
Following months of pressure from Republican politicians US banks have been rushing to leave one of the world’s top banking sector climate coalitions, Reuters reported. Climate campaigners are worried that the industry is losing resolve to take action on fossil fuels. Goldman Sachs broke ranks saying it was leaving the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) and was soon followed by Wells Fargo, Citi and Bank of America and Morgan Stanle.The exit of some of the world’s biggest lenders means the NZBA, whose members aim to align their financing with the global climate fight, now includes just JPMorgan among the Big Six U.S. banks.
Bloomberg reported that “the defections are playing out against a tense political backdrop in the US, as the country’s biggest financial firms find themselves the targets of Republican campaigns that have characterized net-zero groups as climate cartels”
About The Author
You may also like
Majority of countries yet to submit NDCs as deadline approaches next week
Govt approves National Critical Mineral Mission to boost domestic green tech
Web image search results reinforce pre-existing notions about climate change: Study
Budget 2025: India eyes nuclear energy as a low-carbon substitute for coal
Carbon market scheme money not reaching small farmers, reveals new study
