Opinion
Whose credentials are greener?
25 Jun 2012 |
| The Financial Express
It is surprising but true that of the three most energy efficient cement plants in the world, two are from India. In several sectors, like aluminum, steel, paper and power, Indian plants are among the most energy efficient in the world. Energy efficiency is also a reliable proxy for overall environmental performance, as modern energy efficient technologies are also required to meet stringent environmental norms in the developed countries of origin-typically Europe, Japan, and the US. Indian industry has perforce had to employ these modern technologies in their investments in recent years owing to global competitiveness concerns.
Another driving factor has been the requirement of mandatory environmental appraisals in a number of potentially polluting sectors. Environmental impact appraisals, in the case of many types of projects, involve consultations with stakeholders. The concerns of the stakeholders, besides those revealed in the impact assessment reports, have to be addressed by an environmental management plan, which is subject to monitoring and enforcement. Lapses in implementation of environmental management plans may also be reported by third-party stakeholders to the state pollution control boards for enforcement. The courts have also been pro-active in several cases. I do not argue that the system is as effective as it should be. Nevertheless, it does act as a significant deterrent to rampant polluting behaviour.
There have, of course, been some lapses. Unauthorised groundwater withdrawals by a soft-drink major in Kerala brought the company in direct conflict with local residents. Pollution from a power plant in Maharashtra have allegedly reduced agricultural yields, leading to court intervention. Mine tailings in Goa have made agricultural lands unfit for cultivation. On the positive side, Indian industry has garnered the second-largest number of clean development mechanism (CDM) projects worldwide, involving considerable innovation in clean technologies.
Nevertheless, Indian industry faces a number of challenges on the environmental front. The older plants are generally more polluting than recent ones. They need significant technology upgradation and modernisation. Competitive pressures and heightened awareness of environmental issues by local stakeholders are gradually forcing them to do so. The pace of change can, however, be significantly accelerated by more effective monitoring and enforcement. The power of random audits as an instrument of governance may help. A few years ago, the Central Pollution Control Board adopted, on an experimental basis, a system of randomised selection of industrial plants for surprise inspections. The rate of detection of environmental violations increased manifold. Unfortunately, the experiment was abandoned when a new chairman, whose priority was technology innovation rather than governance, took office. This system needs to be revived, institutionalised, and mainstreamed across the entire environmental monitoring and enforcement regime.
There remains a serious problem of pollution in the small-scale sector. These units have serious constraints of access to capital and technology. However, all is not lost. Many such units employ standard equipment-electric motors, boilers, cupola furnaces, etc. The adoption and enforcement of strict environmental performance standards in the manufacture (in the large-scale sector) of such equipment may help ensure environmental sustainability in the small scale sector.
Power tariffs need to be rationalised
25 Jun 2012 |
Mr Shahid Hasan
| Business Line
Rationalization of power tariff is one important aspect that needs to be seriously looked at if we are considering secure and equitable energy resources for future growth, says Shahid Hasan, Director, Human Resources, TERI.
Green expectations
19 Jun 2012 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| The Indian Express
No breakthroughs are likely in Rio. Can it still persuade nations, make a dent? This week the United Nations is holding the Conference on Sustainable Development, hosted by the government of Brazil. It was 40 years ago that the UN Conference on the Human Environment was held in Stockholm, in which only two prime ministers, Indira Gandhi from India and Olof Palme from Sweden, participated. In 1992, 20 years later, the UN Conference on Environment and Development was held with much fanfare and amidst high expectations. That summit reached a significant agreement, giving birth to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the Convention on Biological Diversity was opened for signatures to signal a major redefinition of measures that would not encourage destruction of natural eco-regions and so-called uneconomic growth. Rio 1992 attracted 172 governments. Civil society also had a major presence on the occasion with an estimated 2,400 representatives of NGOs. For the first time, perhaps, a major international event also focused on local bodies, with several cities being recognised for their achievements in integrating environmental concerns with development. Rio 2012 certainly has more modest goals and perhaps a lower level of expectations than Rio 1992. Among the subjects likely to get focused attention in Rio 2012 is the concept and practice of creating green economies across the globe. The secretary-general of the UN, Ban Ki-moon, has also emphasised the attainment of sustainable energy for all. This consists of three elements — universal access to modern energy services, doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency and doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix by 2030. These actions are expected to provide significant benefits to society at large, including healthier economic growth, expanded social equity and a cleaner environment. It would be unrealistic to expect that Rio 2012 will result in any revolutionary breakthroughs, but overall, the event could be a major turning point towards greener economic development and growth globally. This would have the potential for a significant departure from the process by which natural resources and ecosystems have been degraded or damaged in several parts of the world. Protecting the global commons is an essential pre-requisite for attaining sustainable development. In simple terms, the definition of sustainable development provided by the Brundtland Commission explains this concept clearly as that form of development which meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The interpretation of the word “needs” can, of course, vary. For instance, the essential needs of the world’s poorest, which deserve overriding priority, would be seen as very different from the needs of the middle class and the rich across the world. The Rio Summit of 1992 established the Commission for Sustainable Development under the UN, but its effectiveness remains questionable. Also, as a follow up to Rio 1992, the UN organised the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, but in retrospect its achievements too remain questionable, even though it made a bold attempt to bring the private sector and civil society together. As a result, a very large number of so-called type-2 partnerships involving business and civil society were signed, but most of them faded into insignificance almost as soon as the ink on those agreements dried up. Rio 2012 is being held largely with modest expectations, and several questions do arise with respect to the themes that would be developed there. At the beginning of this millennium, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were agreed on by the UN’s member countries, with the clear intent of reducing poverty significantly by 2015. Rio 2012 may possibly come up with Sustainable Development Goals, which would be articulated and possibly accepted by the same countries. But it is not clear how these goals will mesh with the existing MDGs, which had precise, time-bound targets for specific actions at the global level. The concept of a green economy is also likely to be discussed and debated, but some countries are likely to hesitate in accepting this new pathway of growth and development, largely because of its underlying complexity, and also because some nations may feel that its universal imposition may impinge on their sovereignty and inhibit their capacity to develop in a manner chosen by their own citizens. One major area that is sadly missing from the themes to be discussed in Rio is the subject of climate change. The impact of climate change is likely to exacerbate stresses that exist in the poorest regions of the world, and a recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has revealed that the length, frequency, and/or intensity of warm spells or heat waves will increase over most land areas. It is also likely that the frequency of heavy precipitation or the proportion of heavy falls to total rainfall will increase in the 21st century over many areas of the globe. The losses from these, however, will vary from region to region. For instance, fatality rates and economic losses expressed as a proportion of gross domestic product are higher in developing countries. In the period from 1970 to 2008, over 95 per cent of deaths from natural disasters occurred in developing countries. Hence, to lose sight of actions required to deal with the challenge of climate change would run counter to the objectives of Rio 2012. Actions that range from incremental steps to transformational changes are essential for reducing risk from climate extremes. Correspondingly, social, economic and environmental sustainability can be enhanced by disaster risk management and adaptation approaches. And the world needs to focus on options for mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, because many impacts can be reduced, delayed or avoided by mitigation. Delayed emission reductions significantly increase the risk of more severe climate change impacts. It would, therefore, be important for all the world leaders and delegates meeting in Rio to ensure that the scientific facts related to climate change are kept clearly in focus while defining the agenda for sustainable development, green growth and sustainable energy for all. Human society is entitled to expect some change in thinking and direction in these areas of crucial importance to its future.
(Climate) Change is in the Air
18 Jun 2012 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| Forbes
Sustainable development and reducing vulnerability to climate change are not two sides of the same coin, but complementary, says Dr R K Pachauri, Director General, TERI.
Let a hundred policies bloom at Rio+20
15 Jun 2012 |
Dr Shailly Kedia
,Ms Supriya A Francis
| Business Line
We need a diversity of policy inputs and participants for the right environment outcomes, says Shailly Kedia and, Supriya Francis TERI.
Eliminate petroproduct subsidies: Firm decision will improve the health of OMCs
12 Jun 2012 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| The Economic Times
Eliminating subsidies on petro-products shall improve the condition of oil marketing companies', says Dr R K Pachauri, Director General, TERI.
The green ecosystem
10 Jun 2012 |
Dr G Mini
| Business India
For long-term benefits and sustainable growth, more focus should be on promoting green investment, even if it has adverse growth impacts in the initial phases, says Dr G Mini, Fellow, Social Transformation, TERI.
Building a green economy
05 Jun 2012 |
Dr Shilpi Kapur
| The Financial Express
With all the ongoing discussions on the topic of 'green economy', what do we really mean by the term and how different its implications could be for the developing and developed world in the context of sustainable development needs to be thought about, says Dr Shilpi Kapur, Associate Fellow, Resources, Regulation & Global Security, TERI.
Many twists, and now a turn
28 May 2012 |
Mr Pravin Kumar Agarwal
| The Financial Express
Ad-hocism has replaced administered pricing mechanism in deciding prices of petroleum products, says Mr P K Agarwal, Director, Human Resources, TERI.
A burden on Planet
30 Apr 2012 |
Mr Anomitro Chatterjee
,Ms Anmol Soni
| The Financial Express
A critical prerequisite to fuel subsidy reforms is a high degree of awareness among people about issues surrounding them, says Anomitro Chatterjee and Anmol Soni, Research Associates, Green Growth and Development, TERI.