Daily Current Affairs 27 July 2024 – IAS Current Affairs
Current Affairs 27 July 2024 focuses on the Prelims-Mains perspective. Major events are :
Carbon Credit Trading Scheme
Source: PIB
GS III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment
What you should know?
- About the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme
- Key facts of CCTS
Why in the News?
The government notified the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme, in December 2023 to implement the carbon trading mechanism.
About the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme
- The Government of India officially notified India’s Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS 2023) on June 28, 2023.
- It is under the Energy Conservation Act, of 2001.
- Its primary goal is to establish the country’s first-ever domestic carbon market.
What is Carbon Credit?
- Every company or country has a certain amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) limit set.
- If a country or an organisation utilised below the amount, the rest of the amount can be credited.
- In short, companies or countries that reduce their emissions below their allocated limit can sell their surplus carbon credits to other entities that need them.
What is the aim of the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme?
- It aims to efficiently price emissions through CCC trading and expand the voluntary carbon market.
- Each credit represents one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e).
- There is no set timeline for the launch of the voluntary carbon market.
- It will help to meet its near-term Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) goals.
One Tonne of CO2: Consider a gas-based car that drives almost 4000 KM, emits about 4.6 tons of CO2 per year.
Who are the Stakeholders?
- Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE): Responsible for developing GHG emissions trajectories and targets for obligated entities.
- Grid Controller of India Limited: The organisation that keeps the ICM registry and it registers the obligated entities.
- Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC): They are the regulator of the trading of carbon credit certificates.
Key facts of CCTS
Sector-wise approach
- CCTS focuses on regulating specific industries responsible for substantial GHG emissions.
- These sectors will be mandated to record and maintain their GHG emissions intensity data.
Target Settings
- Based on the recommendations of BEE, the National Steering Committee on Indian Carbon Market (NSCICM), will recommend GHG emission intensity targets for obligated entities.
- These targets will be notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
Issuing Carbon Credit Certificates
- Entities that achieve their emission reduction targets will be issued carbon credit certificates.
- Those falling short will need to purchase these certificates from the Indian Carbon Market (ICM).
Compliance Requirements
- Obligated entities will be required to achieve the GHG emission intensity targets notified by the MoEF&CC.
- The obligated entities will also be required to meet any other targets.
- These targets include
- The use of non-fossil-based energy.
- Reduction of specific energy consumption.
- These targets will be notified by the Ministry of Power (MoP) under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001, as amended periodically.
Voluntary Carbon Credit Trading
- In Voluntary Carbon Credit Trading no externally imposed limit on carbon credit.
- The idea is to balance out emissions by supporting initiatives that contribute to a net reduction in carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels.
- These credits come from external projects that avoid or reduce emissions.
- These credits result from projects that actively lower existing emissions.
Climate Change Impact on Agriculture
Source: PIB
GS III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment
What you should know?
- About Climate Change Impact on Agriculture
- Impacts on Various Agri Products
- Challenges that the agriculture sector
Why in the News?
National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA), a network project of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) conducted an assessment to evaluate the impact of climate change on agriculture.
About Climate Change Impact on Agriculture
- Almost 109 districts are categorized as very highly and 201 districts as highly vulnerable.
- Various projections based on crops to reduce
- Rice yields by 20% in 2050 and 47% in 2080.
- Irrigated rice yields by 3.5% in 2050 and 5% in 2080 scenarios.
- Wheat yield by 19.3% in 2050 and 40% in 2080 scenarios.
- Kharif maize yields by 18 to 23% in 2050 and 2080 scenarios.
- Soybean yields are projected to increase by 3-10% in 2030 and 14% in 2080 scenarios.
- Climate change reduces crop yields and lowers the nutritional quality of produce.
Impacts on Various Agri Products
- Crops
- Ambient CO2 is beneficial which helps in increased photosynthesis.
- Major cereal crops, such as wheat, are expected to yield less due to shorter crop growth periods, increased respiration, and reduced rainfall or irrigation caused by rising atmospheric temperatures.
- Quality of food produce like fruits, vegetables, tea and coffee, are declining.
- Water
- Irrigation demands increased temperature impact the lowering of groundwater level.
- Decreased water in the Ganges and Brahmaputra regions.
- Increased frequency of floods and soil erosion.
- Soils
- A rise in sea level may lead to salt-water ingress.
- Changes in rainfall volume frequency and wind intensity may alter the severity, frequency and
extent of soil erosion.
- Fishery
- Due to higher sea surface temperature Coral bleaching is increasing.
- Increasing sea and river water temperature is likely to affect fish breeding, migration, and harvest.
Challenges that the agriculture sector
- Water availability is a result of changing rainfall patterns, alteration in stream flow and increase in crop water demand.
- Deterioration of water quality due to seawater intrusion, transport of salts from the deeper soil layers as a result of over-exploitation of aquifers and faulty irrigation practices.
- Increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as droughts, floods and cyclones would affect the production levels more than the impact of mean changes in the climate.
- Heat stress is due to higher temperature at a critical stage of crop growth.
- Unpredictable change in pest and disease load.
Solid Waste Management in India
Source: Indian Express
GS III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment
What you should know?
- News in Brief
- Solid Waste Management in India
Why in the News?
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) faced the ire of the Supreme Court which made it clear that it would ensure the implementation of the Solid Waste Management Rules in the national capital even at the risk of being called unfair.
News in Brief
- Rising levels of untreated solid waste in the capital city raise concerns about a potential public health crisis.
- The court also instructed the Centre to provide a report detailing immediate measures to prevent non-compliance with the 2016 rules from causing a severe emergency in the city.
- Also directed to immediately convene a meeting of municipal commissioners of corporations of Gurugram, Faridabad, and officers of Greater Noida Development Authority, along with the secretaries of the environment department of the state governments.
Solid Waste Management in India
Reason for Solid Waste: India, with its rapid urbanization, industrial growth, and increasing population, faces significant challenges in managing solid waste effectively.
Waste production in India
- Approximately India generates a staggering 62 million tonnes of waste annually.
- About 70% of this waste is collected.
- Out of the collected waste 12 million tonnes are being treated.
- The remaining 31 million tonnes end up in landfills.
Key Issues in the Solid Waste Management in India
- The volume of waste produced
- Rapid urbanisation is the major reason for increased solid waste volume in India.
- Urban areas face unique challenges due to concentrated populations, inadequate waste management infrastructure, and limited space for landfills.
- India’s population continues to grow, and urbanization is on the rise.
- As more people move to cities, the demand for goods and services increases, leading to higher waste generation.
- Industrialization and Economic Growth
- Production and consumption rise as a result of industrialization and economic development.
- Industries produce a lot of garbage, some of which includes dangerous elements.
- The waste stream expands due to the expansion of infrastructure, industrial, and building projects.
- E-Waste Explosion
- Electronic waste (e-waste) is a growing concern. With the proliferation of gadgets and appliances, managing e-waste becomes critical.
- Proper disposal of electronic items containing toxic components is essential.
- Informal sector
- While waste pickers play a crucial role in recycling, their efforts are insufficient to handle the entire waste load.
- The informal sector faces health risks and lacks proper infrastructure and support.
- Civic Responsibility
- There is still a lack of public knowledge regarding recycling, trash segregation, and safe disposal.
- People tend to combine different kinds of garbage, which makes proper management difficult.
- Waste Management Systems
- Existing waste management systems often struggle to keep pace with the rising volume of waste.
- Collection, segregation, transportation, and disposal processes need improvement.
- Many cities lack proper waste treatment facilities.
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