• Climate change is a global concern and requires a well-coordinated global approach to address it.
• In simple terms, what needs to be done is:
• Assessing & monitoring the net stock of GHG (greenhouse gases) present in the atmosphere at any given time,
• Working out ways to containing/reducing it.
• Unlike many pollutant gases that have a relatively shorter life span once emitted, GHG remains in the atmosphere for a fairly long time.
• In this context, to counter adverse impact of GHGs, India should use its power as a president of G20 to pressurize developed countries to meet their financial commitments towards climate change.
• India will assume the presidency of the G20 group for one year from December 2022 to November 2023.

Greenhouse Gases

• Greenhouse gases are gases in Earth’s atmosphere that trap heat.
• They let sunlight pass through the atmosphere, but they prevent the heat that the sunlight brings from leaving the atmosphere.
• The main greenhouse gases are:
• Water vapor
• Carbon dioxide
• Methane
• Ozone
• Nitrous oxide
• Chlorofluorocarbons
• In short, GHG are those gases in the atmosphere that have an influence on the earth''s energy balance.
• They cause the so-called greenhouse effect.
• The best-known greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide, can be found naturally in low concentrations in the atmosphere.
• However, the proportion has increased significantly since the beginning of the last century due to various man-made sources.

• The Industrial Revolution in the 19th century and industrialization in the world added to great volumes of GHG in the atmosphere over time.
• Unfortunately, the realization of their adverse impact on climate came quite late.
• Before the climate change negotiations began under United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1994, most of the climate damage was done.

Current challenges

Concerns in the climate by the emission of GHG

• Compared to pollutant gases like Sulphur dioxide, which can travel up to a few hundred kilometers, GHG can travel more than 1000 km from the emitting source in the atmosphere. 
• When excessive Sulphur dioxide emissions cause acid rain in areas near the emitting source, GHG could potentially impact climate in places far away from the source.
• Acid rain is rain that has been made acidic by certain pollutants in the air such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.

Ignoring reduction of already existing GHGs in COP talks

• GHG targets discussed in COP (Conference of the Parties) meetings under the UNFCCC framework largely focus on containing inflows of new emissions that would add to the GHG stock already in the atmosphere.
• While the commitment to check inflows is important, what is equally or more important is to reduce the already existing huge stock.

Evading responsibilities by developed countries

• In COP in Copenhagen (2009), developed countries pledged to channel $100 billion a year to developing countries by 2020 for helping them adapt to and mitigate climate change.
• ''This pledge is nowhere near being honored.
• Developed countries have tried to further confuse the matter with accounting issues.
• Many have come out with various win-win solutions trying to obfuscate the need for financial transfers.
• What is ethically wrong is that developed countries hold developing countries responsible for emission inflows when they aren’t honouring their own commitments.
• However, it is the poor and developing countries in Africa, South Asia and Latin America which suffer the most adverse impact of climate change due to a lack of resources to deal with the problem.
• Even if these countries were to follow the emissions discipline strictly individually, they might still suffer the climate change consequences.

Suggestions

• To address this, substantial financial resources and the latest technologies are required.
• Developed countries, which are responsible for creating this mess in the first place must:
• Have better financial capacity and technological capability,
• Have to bear the major burden for this by providing funds to developing countries and facilitate technology transfers.
• This is the basic philosophy behind the “common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC)” principle.
• The CBDR-RC is outlined in the UNFCCC.
• It recognises that countries have different duties and abilities to address the negative impacts of climate change, but all countries have an obligation to address climate change.

Back logs for India in G20 Presidency

• India has shown leadership in declaring voluntary, ambitious NDCs (Nationally determined contributions) in Paris, followed by bold commitments in COPs thereafter.
• Although Indian has huge resources, it should not overcommit in international forums on climate change negotiations. India has:
• 17.7 per cent of the world’s population,
• 30 per cent of the world’s cattle population,
• 2.4 per cent of the world’s surface area,
• 4 per cent of the water resources,
• 55 per cent of energy needs met by coal
• Only a $2,200 per capita per annum income,

Looking ahead

• As India takes over the G-20 presidency, the main agenda should be:
• Effective usage of our global stature
• Lobbying power and leadership to make developed countries do what they should rightly be doing.
• The developed country members of G-20 routinely corner developing countries over the subsidy issue in these meetings.
• India must make sure that this can be avoided and equal participations is encouraged.

Certain actions regarding GHG are to be taken immediately so that the activity of increasing temperature remains on hold. India under its G20 presidency must focus on this issue and collaborate with the developed country for taking steps in saving lives, that are affected by the climate change.