IPCC report clarion call for nations to decarbonise economies: Minister

The IPCC report on climate change is a clarion call for the developed nations to immediately cut emissions and decarbonize their economies, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Monday.

Welcoming the sixth assessment report (AR6) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the minister said India has taken numerous steps to tackle the problem of climate change and is on the path of decoupling its emissions from economic growth.

"India welcomes the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group 1 contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report 'Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science' released today by the IPCC. Several Indian Scientists have participated in the preparation of this report.

"India under the visionary leadership of PM Narendra Modi ji has taken numerous steps to tackle the global problem of climate change and is well on the path of decoupling its emissions from economic growth. The IPCC report is proof of that," Yadav tweeted.

The IPCC report, prepared by over 200 authors from 65 countries and approved by 195 countries, revealed that the Indian Ocean is warming at a higher rate than other oceans, with scientists warning that India will witness increased heat waves, rainfall and flooding, which will be the irreversible effects of climate change.

"The Sixth Assessment Report 'Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science' was released today by IPCC. The report is a clarion call for the developed countries to undertake immediate, deep emission cuts and decarbonisation of their economies," the minister said.

The environment ministry, in an official statement, said developed countries have usurped far more than their fair share of the global carbon budget.

"Reaching net zero alone is not enough, as it is the cumulative emissions up to net zero that determine the temperature that is reached. This has been amply borne out in the IPCC report. It vindicates India's position that historical cumulative emissions are the source of the climate crisis that the world faces today." the statement said.

The report notes that carbon dioxide has been and will continue to be the dominant cause of global warming under all greenhouse gas emissions scenarios, it said.

"India notes that climate change is impacting the South Asian Monsoons. The report brings out that the monsoon rainfall is expected to intensify in all ranges of the projected scenarios. Intensity and frequency of heavy rainfall events are projected to be on the rise. India notes that the rising temperature will lead to increased frequency and intensity of extreme events including heat waves and heavy rainfall.

"India also notes that the GHG warming is assessed to be partially offset by aerosol cooling by almost 30 per cent," the ministry statement said.

India's cumulative and per capita current emissions are significantly low and far less than its fair share of the global carbon budget, it said.

The ministry said India has taken tremendous actions to tackle the problem of climate change like setting up of International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, raising the domestic renewable energy target to 450 GW by 2030 and putting in place an ambitious National Hydrogen Mission and continuing efforts to decouple its emissions from economic growth.

"India's actions to address global climate change are 2 degrees C compliant and rated highly by several independent agencies of the world," it said.