Agreement on Global Plastic Treaty to End Plastic Pollution | Victory at UNEA 5.2

Hello friends. Finally, what was keenly watched by a growing eco conscious fraternity, happened. Despite pressures from lobbies and difference in perspectives, if not the intentions, a ‘historic’ Plastic Treaty has been endorsed by 173 countries in the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) 5.2 Meet in Nairobi, Kenya on March 2, 2022.

Now some details about the treaty…

Objective: To end plastic pollution

Details: An internationally legally binding agreement will be worked out in two years till the next UNEA Meet in 2024.

Further, an International Governmental Committee (INC) will be set up to work on designing the treaty

By 2022 end, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) will convene a forum for open discussion and knowledge sharing which will last till the treaty is finalized.

Salient Features of the treaty

Lifecycle of plastics will be considered. It means not only the use and disposal of plastics, but also its production will be under the scanner with respect to the impact on environment.

Designing of reusable and recyclable plastic products will be worked upon

Also, there would be international collaboration in terms of technology sharing, capacity building, and technical cooperation

The ongoing efforts of companies and businesses across the world for management of plastic waste, circular economy, and phasing out of single-use plastics, etc. will be supported by UNEP.

So, friends, now we have a ray of hope that end of plastic pollution is in sight and that we can continue to consider plastics as a blessing as it was designed to be and NOT a curse, what it is gradually becoming without intervention…!

For above information in video format, please visit https://youtu.be/WPPgr_L7oLc from my YouTube channel ConserveEnvironmentWithPratimaPandey

Thanks for visiting. See you again.

Five Takeaways for Green Economy from Union Budget 2022, India

Continuing a focussed approach towards prioritizing climate action and clean India, this Budget came up with a few good initiatives for propelling green economy.

To start with, there is an increased allocation to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change. Up from 5.6% from Budget 2021, allocation this year has been Rs. 3,030 Crores (even though it is less than 0.1% of the total expected National Expenditure)

This allocation is spread for various projects and activities:

Environment Ministry Allocation Breakdown, Union Budget 2022

Second takeaway is related to creating solutions for charging requirements of Electric vehicles (EVs).

Battery Swapping Policy is proposed to be tabled soon. Through this policy, issue of space constraints for EV charging stations can be taken care of while charging time for EV users will be reduced considerably as well. Other key features are: promotion of battery as a service •Private sector inclusion, and•Interoperability standards to be formulated (which implies uniform standards for EV batteries).

Third takeaway was on expected lines: promotion of solar energy.

Out of committed 500 GW of installed renewable energy (in COP26) till 2030, 280 GW is solar. To reach this ambitious target, performance-linked incentives (PLIs) of Rs. 19,500 Cr are allocated for manufacturing high-efficiency solar PV modules.

Rise and rise of installed solar energy power generation

Fourth takeaway seeks to incentivize use of biofuels like ethanol for blending in pure fuels.

•Additional excise duty of Rs 2 per litre from October 1, 2022 if unblended fuels are used (i.e., pure petrol and diesel)

Fifth and the last but not least takeaway is launch of the Sovereign Green Bonds for the first time in India. They form a part of Government borrowing. They are basically debt instruments, issued with a pledge for financing eco projects, i.e., those aimed at reducing carbon intensity. These bonds have been in market from 2007 but made a debut in India only in this year’s budget.

Continuing Initiatives from last year’s budget include:

•National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) – FY 2019-24: •Reduction of air pollution by 20% in 5 years; disbursal of allocation directly to urban local bodies

•Voluntary Vehicle Scrapping policy: Automated fitness tests for passenger vehicles of more than 20 years and commercial vehicles of more than 15 years – scrapping of vehicles if failed tests

•Urban Swachh Bharat Mission 2 – FY 2021–26 – Rs. 14,678 Cr allocated: For waste water and fecal sludge management •Single-use plastic reduction •Construction and demolition waste management •Legacy dumpsites’ bioremediation

•Allocation of Rs 4,000 Cr over 5 years for Deep Ocean Mission towards biodiversity conservation

Last year, Rs. 25 were allocated to R & D on Clean Hydrogen. This Budget was silent on this important area, though.

Hope you found this collection of information useful.

For above information in video format, please visit https://youtu.be/FBfvHaRuVjg

For ppt format, please visit https://www.slideshare.net/Pratimapandey/india-union-budget-2022-five-takeaways-for-boosting-green-economy-in-india

#Budget2022 #India #airpollution #SwachhBharatMission2 #SwachhBharatMission #SBM #EV #batteryswapping #ethanol #sovereigngreenbonds #greenfinancing #Greenbudget #greeneconomy

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Electric Vehicles in India in 2021 – Should You Own an EV now?

Environment

Electric Vehicles

The objective of this analysis is to answer some basic questions which will help you decide whether or not to own an EV in 2021…!

We will discuss some interesting basics of electric vehicle (EV, hereafter).

So, let’s start:

What is an EV?

Tesla, Ola Electric, Tata, and the likes of these companies manufacture EVs. EVs have no direct tailpipe emissions; Yes, that’s right. EVs are “zero emission” vehicles. They are referred to as battery electric vehicles. They don’t have an engine…they have an electric motor instead!

The vehicles running on petrol, diesel, or CNG are internal combustion engine (ICE engine) vehicles.

EVs can be of two types: All Electric Vehicles (AEVs) or PHEVs (hybrid type, very few models)

Let’s now talk a bit about the EV adoption in India: About 6.38 lakh EVs have been registered since 2011-12, and this figure has doubled in last three years (2017-2020) (So: TOI). Although this segment accounted for only about 0.88% of the total vehicular registrations in FY 2020-2021, it is growing very fast (SO: TOI) and in the next three years, sales are expected to grow annually at 26% (SO: BS)

That was the market perspective. As far as government perspective is concerned, we have National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020, FAME 1 (2015-2019), and FAME 2 (2020 onwards). FAME India scheme, which is the abbreviation of “Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (hybrid and) Electric vehicles”), works exactly for the purpose stated in the name of scheme as it provides financial assistance and rebates to manufacturers and customers. It has been launched by the Department of Heavy Industries (so: PIB)

So, a question surfaces in the mind: Why this exuberance? Well, the reasons are multiple – mitigation of climate change and air pollution, lesser dependence of Government on oil imports, and fuel cost savings for the consumer.

And now, we come to the most interesting part of the blog:

Do you know these interesting facts?

1. EVs are more efficient for city driving than highway driving – benefits of regenerative braking maximized (So: AFDC4)
   1. Electric cycle startup, Voltro Motors has launched an electric cycle of 35,000 price tag, which runs at a fuel cost of Rs. 4 per km, charges fully in 3 hours, runs 100 km in full tank, and has a speed limit of 25 km/hr (So: ET Auto)
   1. EVs feel lighter as they accelerate faster than ICE vehicles (So: EDF)
   1. Three wheelers make up for 65% and two wheelers for 30% of FY21 EV registrations (So: TOI)
   1. States leading the EV race in FY21 are UP, Bihar, and Karnataka (So: TOI) as of Mar 2021
   1. As of now, we have 1,800 charging stations in India (So: FE)
   1. There are three levels of charging for EVs: Level 1: Time taken is very high, but no infrastructure required, plug the car cable to three-pin socket, 120 volts. Level 2: Time taken is much lower, energy efficiency is higher, AC wall box charger needs to be installed, 240 volts. Level 3: Time taken is considerable low, DC current, available in public charging stations, 480 volts

Through EV 30@30 campaign, India hopes to have 30% new vehicle sales as electric by 2030 (So: NITI). Some believe that Electric Vehicles are the Future, while for others, that Future is Now!

Links:

https://afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/how-do-all-electric-cars-work (AFDC1)

https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/fcev-new-breed-of-hydrogen-powered-electric-vehicles-india-plans-to-test-121040100785_1.html

https://afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/electric.html (AFDC2)

https://afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/how-do-fuel-cell-electric-cars-work (AFDC3)

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/auto/news/these-three-states-see-highest-ev-sales-in-india/articleshow/82068471.cms

https://www.business-standard.com/article/automobile/india-s-electric-vehicle-sales-to-grow-at-26-in-fy21-23-fitch-solutions-121062200431_1.html

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1577880

https://afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/electric_basics_ev.html (AFDC4)

https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/two-wheelers/voltro-sees-traction-for-electric-cycles-in-small-towns-eyes-inr-10-cr-sales-by-march/85126204

https://www.edfenergy.com/for-home/energywise/how-do-electric-cars-work

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/auto/news/these-three-states-see-highest-ev-sales-in-india/articleshow/82068471.cms

Today, the 25th of March, 2017, is Earth Hour, 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm

Dear Friends, today, at the above mentioned hour, people from as much as 178 countries, may come together to switch off non-essential lights and power equipments. The idea is to show that we care for our planet and our sustainable living. It may be just a symbolic gesture, given the short span of ‘switching off’…It may lead to limited power savings, as some would argue; others would say that we would need to do much more that just this…I agree, but in this one hour, we get a time to ponder- how important it is to save electricity from fossil fuels; and how each one of us can directly reduce carbon emissions and limit Climate change.

So I am going to try switch off at 8:30 PM for an hour…!

Can We Do it – A Cleaner & Safer Diwali?

Some intuitive ways of celebrating a “Cleaner, safer and Fun Diwali” – Prayers, Sweets, meeting family members and friends, holidays and…

• Minimizing use of fire-crackers, especially those which produce lots of smoke and noise
• Resisting the need to over-buy – better for pockets of ourselves and Mother Nature
• Resist over-lighting – after all, power is precious…

Can we do it? This is the question to all of us Indians. Diwali, the big festival of India, has in recent history, been associated with massive bursting of crackers, and massive pollution of air, soil and water as an aftermath. It is something which we have seen through our own eyes, in most of our lifetime.

Courtesy: Pumirror.com, The Hindu

However, if we pretend we do not know about it, here are some news reports of Diwali last year.

On Diwali night, India gasped for breath – http://www.thehindu.com/data/pollution-on-diwali-night/article7872344.ece, November 13, 2015

The level of pollution reaches ‘severe’ in several cities of India where healthy people also start getting affected, leave alone people with pre-existing conditions.

Diwali: Delhi pollution ‘hits hazardous levels’ – http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-34795305, November 12, 2015

Pollution in Delhi during Diwali: The harmful pollutants and their result on human lives – http://indiatoday.intoday.in/education/story/pollution-during-diwali/1/518634.html, November 7, 2015

Is that the only and best way to celebrate – by choking ourselves & our fellow people? That too, when the environmental balance is getting more and more fragile by the day? Can we have a “cleaner  & safer  Diwali”, this time?

Happy World Environment Day – June 5, 2016

Nurse Sneakers (Nursing Tennis Shoes) for Women – Turquoise

Happy World Environment Day , Friends!

The most visible eco-phenomenon our world is facing today is Climate Change.

Over the last one month, I have written five blogs looking at this from different angles.

There is a lot to know and lot to be done, if climate change is to be reversed or at-least slowed down.

Each one of us need to do our part, for the sake of ourselves and our children.

Do visit the my recently written blogs,

https://pratimapandey.wordpress.com/2016/06/02/blog-5-climate-change-series-the-waste-connection/

https://pratimapandey.wordpress.com/2016/05/26/blog-4-climate-change-series-need-to-act/

https://pratimapandey.wordpress.com/2016/05/20/climate-change-series-paris-dealleaders-of-187-countries-stamping-on-the-need-to-take-action/

https://pratimapandey.wordpress.com/2016/05/09/climate-change-series-relevant-facts-leading-to-solutions/

https://pratimapandey.wordpress.com/2016/05/06/climate-change-myth-fast-changing-to-reality/

Thanks for reading and stay Eco-conscious!

Blog 5 – Climate Change Series – The ‘Waste’ Connection

Hello.

‘REduce, REuse, REcycle’, the 3 Rs, is the consensus mantra to reduce the effect of waste and waste management practices on Climate Change. How does Waste impact Climate Change?

“The climate benefits of waste practices result from avoided landfill emissions , reduced raw material extraction and manufacturing, recovered materials and energy replacing virgin materials and fossil-fuel energy sources, carbon bound in soil through compost application, and carbon storage due to recalcitrant materials in landfills. In particular, there is general global consensus that the climate benefits of waste avoidance and recycling far outweigh the benefits from any waste treatment technology, even where energy is recovered during the process. (UNEP)

As we know, Green House Gases (GHGs) are a major cause of Climate Change as they trap the heat radiating from the earth back to space, resulting in global warming. One such GHG is released from the breakdown of Organic waste in landfills – Methane. (GRID UNEP)

In 2016, Deonar Dumping Ground in the Indian metropolitan city of Mumbai caught fire recurrently. This is a 300 acre ground (largest in Asia) used since 1927 to dump at-least half of  garbage (untreated) of Mumbai.(NDTV) . Among other reasons for this is emission of methane, a flammable GHG.

(Pic: Courtesy, NDTV)

If less waste is generated, less spontaneous emission of methane would be there and therefore less warming due to its ‘greenhouse effect’.

Another dimension of the same is lowered GHG emissions as reduced need of production & distribution of goods due to greater application of 3Rs, result in lesser need of energy from burning of fossil fuels.  This point is well illustrated in the following diagram. (EPA)

Diagram: Life-cycle of a Product (EPA)

Further, even waste management practices like anaerobic decomposition result in GHG emissions. Traditional “waste” management represents 1 to 5 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.(EPA)

Conclusion – At our level, greater  application of 3Rs is a significant way to avoid waste and reduce emissions leading to Climate change.

Thanks for Reading!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blog 4- Climate Change Series – Need to Act…!

Hello,

‘The global community is badly prepared for a rapid increase in climate change-related natural disasters that by 2050 will put 1.3 billion people at risk’ according to the World Bank. Urging better planning of cities before it was too late, a report published on Monday from a Bank-run body that focuses on disaster mitigation, said assets worth $158tn – double the total annual output of the global economy – would be in jeopardy by 2050 without preventative action.

(Source: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/may/16/climate-change-puts-13bn-people-and-158tn-at-risk-says-world-bank)

Cecilia Reyes, chief risk officer of Zurich Insurance Group, said: “Climate change is exacerbating more risks than ever before in terms of water crises, food shortages, constrained economic growth, weaker societal cohesion and increased security risks.“Meanwhile, geopolitical instability is exposing businesses to cancelled projects, revoked licences, interrupted production, damaged assets and restricted movement of funds across borders. These political conflicts are in turn making the challenge of climate change all the more insurmountable – reducing the potential for political cooperation, as well as diverting resource, innovation and time away from climate change resilience and prevention.” – this comment was in context of the Global Risks Report 2016 produced by World Economic Forum in collaboration with Marsh and McLennan and Zurich Insurance Group.

(Source: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jan/14/climate-change-disaster-is-biggest-threat-to-global-economy-in-2016-say-experts)

(Source: http://climate.nasa.gov/system/internal_resources/

details/original/786_march_2016_sig_climate_events_noaa.gif)

Conclusion – Climate Change is affecting our planet like never before, and the impact could be wide-ranged. Timely, concerted action is required to reverse it or at-least slow it down.

In the next blog, we will discuss the ‘Waste Connection’ of Climate Change.

Thanks for Reading!

 

 

 

Blog 3 – Climate Change Series – Paris Deal:Leaders of 187 countries stamping on the need to take action

Hello, before we go to the details of the Paris Climate Conference 2015, we may summarize its result as a first-ever confluence of global political will to acknowledge and tackle Climate Change.

If leaders of 187 countries are stamping on the importance to act on Climate Change, how can you and me still deny it?

This is quite significant…but action is more important.

Coming over to the details…Signed on December 12, 2015 with United Nations taking the charge, 187 countries came together to commit global average temperature rise to 1.5 degree Celsius before Pre-industrial level in the Paris Climate Conference, (also called COP21)

A series of fund-raising pledges by countries and cutting down of global emissions have been agreed to. Salient points are as follows:

1. Long-term global goal for ‘net-zero emissions’ – The time-frame agreed to for this global pledge is second half of this century. However, the significance of this lies in the fact that a clear economic message has been passed on to the markets, hopefully driving action.
2. Pledges of cut in carbon emissions- Although not legally binding, 187 countries have submitted this pledge (Intended Nationally Defined Contributions, or INDCs)
3. Stock-taking every five years – First global stock-taking in 2023, and then after every five years to stay firmly on track
4. Funds – Members in a non-legal way, are required to mobilize funds to help developing countries to adapt to climate change and move on to cleaner economy.

(Source: Source: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/12/paris-climate-deal-key-points#img-2)

Well, no strict deadlines…no fixed fund flow from one country to another…but a clear realization that Climate Change is Real, and we need to act as One. Action of one not only affects that country but the world as a whole…and so the Paris Agreement…

A step in the right direction…!

In the next few blogs, discussion on the urgency to Act, several ways in which we as individuals can be a part of Solution, the Waste Connection to Climate change……..

……………Please come back for more…Thanks for reading!

(Source: Source: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/12/paris-climate-deal-key-points#img-2)

 

 

 

 

 

Blog 2 – Climate Change Series – Relevant facts leading to Solutions

Hello,

Use lesser electricity and water, plant more trees…these are the most direct ways to reversing Climate change…!!!

What is Climate Change?

“Climate change is a long-term shift in weather conditions identified by changes in temperature, precipitation, winds, and other indicators…its long-term state and average temperature are regulated by the balance between incoming and outgoing energy, which determines the Earth’s energy balance.”(Govt. of Canada)

The change can be induced by natural factors as well as human factors. Natural factors comprise primarily volcanic eruption and solar activity. While the effect on climate of former is for a shorter period, the later can influence in a longer period; however its effect is much less in the past century as compared to that of human activity. Human factors mostly are related to burning of fossil fuel and change in the land-use pattern. This leads to increase in levels of carbon-dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. An enhanced ‘greenhouse effect’ results has resulted in warming of the Earth.  It is to be noted that carbon dioxide and nitrous dioxide are long-lived ‘climate forcers’, i.e. they stay in the atmosphere and  impact the climate change for a long time.

(Source: http://climatechange.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=65CD73F4-1)

So here comes the Solution – anything which reduces the carbon dioxide emission in the air, is the best way to fight Climate change!!! 

Do come back for more on Paris Climate Deal, more examples of Climate change around the World…and more facets of Climate Change…

Thanks for reading!