India Updates NDC With Tougher 2035 Climate Targets on Emissions, Clean Energy

India on Wednesday approved enhanced climate targets for the 2031-2035 period under the Paris Agreement, raising its commitments on emissions, clean energy, and forests, CarbonCopy reported. 

India’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) includes cutting the emissions intensity of its GDP — the amount of greenhouse gases produced per unit of economic output — by 47% by 2035 from 2005 levels, up from the earlier target of 45% by 2030. It has committed to drawing 60% of its cumulative installed electricity capacity from non-fossil sources by 2035, against the previous goal of 50% by 2030. And it has raised its target for carbon sinks — CO2 absorbed through forest and tree cover — to 3.5-4 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2035, from 2.5-3 billion tonnes by 2030.

India’s decision signals that clean energy and economic growth can go hand in hand, UN climate chief Simon Stiell said. NDC is the pledge each country makes under the agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions.

FAC Backs Forest Land Diversion for Mining Projects

The forest advisory committee deferred its decision on forest diversion for a 680 MW hydroelectric project in Arunachal Pradesh

Centre’s forest advisory committee (FAC) has recommended in-principle approval for the diversion of forest land for several major mining and infrastructure projects, including over 1,000 hectares for a coal block and around 470 hectares for a coal mine, both in Madhya Pradesh, and has allowed round-the-clock exploratory drilling in Assam, HT reported.

The panel recommended in-principle approval for the diversion of 469.612 hectares of reserve forest for the proposed underground Gondbahera Ujheni East coal mine in favour of M/s Mahan Energen Limited in Singrauli district, Madhya Pradesh, the newspaper said. The FAC also granted in-principle approval for the diversion of 1,063.1142 hectares of forest land out of a total 1,200-hectare lease area for the proposed Marwatola-VII coal block — to be operated partly as an open-cast and partly as an underground mine by M/s Rama Cement Industries Private Limited in the Ghanghuti forest range, Madhya Pradesh, the outlet added.

DJB Seeks NGT Permission to Use Borewells on Yamuna Floodplains

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has sought  permission from National Green Tribunal (NGT)  to operationalise over 100 borewells installed along the Yamuna floodplains, in the Capital’s O-zone, an eco-sensitive area where construction is largely prohibited, reported HT, aiming to augment water supply ahead of the peak summer months. However, with over 40% of Delhi’s groundwater already “overexploited”, experts warned against excessive reliance upon  the process.

The borewells, once approved and made functional, are expected to add an estimated 30-40 million gallons per day (MGD) to Delhi’s daily water supply, the newspaper said.The move comes as the city prepares for a seasonal surge in demand, which significantly outstrips its current supply capacity.

Heat Action Plan: 70 traffic signals in Ahmedabad to remain close from 12 to 4 pm

As temperatures in Ahmedabad crossed 41°C since the beginning of March, authorities have implemented the city's Heat Action Plan to provide relief to citizens, reported Gujarat Samachar. 

To provide relief to motorists  70 major traffic signals across the city will remain off between 12 noon and 4 pm. However, at busy intersections where traffic signals must remain operational due to heavy traffic, green shade nets will be installed at around 24 locations with the support of Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI) and other organisations, protecting commuters from direct sunlight, the newspaper said. 

The state has set up around 350 water stations across the city, and the number is expected to increase to more than 1,000 in the coming days. Drinking water facilities have also been arranged at AMTS and BRTS bus stands.

Iran crisis lifts India bottled water prices, erasing Modi tax cut gains

The Iran war has made bottled water in India 11% more expensive after prices of plastic bottles and caps surged, a change that has also erased the benefit of a lower water tax rate Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a few months ago,BS reported. Researchers say 70% of the groundwater is contaminated. Bisleri, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance and Tata all compete for a share of the $5 billion market.

The market is being squeezed as rising oil prices increase the cost of polymer, a key material for the industry's plastic bottles, the newspaper said.

UK to cut climate aid to developing countries by 14% to £2bn a year in ‘refocus’

The UK will cut its climate aid to developing countries by about 14%, to roughly £2bn per year,  the Guardian reported. The newspaper said that, overall, the UK’s aid budget was cut to 0.35 of gross national income, following “bitter rows with the Treasury, which wanted deeper cuts owing to pressure on spending resulting from the war in Iran”. But experts told the Guardian this was likely to mean less than £6bn, rather than more. Under the previous five-year arrangement, the UK provided £11.6bn over five years, or about £2.3bn a year. The previous earmark of £3bn in funding for nature and forest projects has also been scrapped. The climate funding pledge abandons the previous practice of setting five-year budgets, to allow for longer-term projects of the kind that experts said were more efficient.”

Trump chokes Cuba’s oil supply China steps in with solar 

China is offering solar energy to its “old ally”Cuba, left without power amid the US oil embargo, in a show of strength for Chinese renewable-energy credentials and a sign of Beijing’s economic footprint in Latin America, reported South China Morning Post. Beijing’s ambassador to Cuba, Hua Xin, said: “China has always maintained that Latin America and the Caribbean are one big family of sovereign, independent countries and in no way can be the backyard of any country”. US President Donald Trump threatened to “take” Cuba, an island nation of around 10.9 million people, amid a total power blackout triggered by a shutdown of the national grid and linked to an oil embargo imposed by Washington, the newspaper reported. Donors from China have already given 5,000 “household” solar energy equipment sets for installation at three Cuban clinics and a home for the elderly, the outlet said.