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World Bank’s Plan to Combat Methane Emissions

In a move to address the increasing menace of methane emissions, the World Bank has disclosed its intentions to initiate a set of country-led programs, aiming to diminish up to 10 million tons of methane during the lifespan of their investments.

What Plan Has the World Bank Unveiled?

Rationale for the Plan:

• Methane constitutes roughly 19% of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), playing a significant role in climate change.
• Specific sectors—such as rice production (8%), livestock (32%), and waste (18%)—are responsible for a considerable portion of human-driven methane emissions, necessitating targeted actions in these domains.
• Given methane's notably higher global warming potential (GWP) compared to carbon dioxide, addressing it becomes imperative, despite receiving comparatively less attention and funding.

World Bank's Strategy:

• The World Bank is gearing up to launch a minimum of 15 country-led programs within the next 18 months.
• This initiative is designed to counteract the concerning rise in global temperatures and support communities most susceptible to the repercussions of climate change.
• These programs will distinctly target methane emissions, implementing strategic measures to mitigate environmental degradation and promote sustainable practices.

World Bank's Triple-Win Approach:

• The ambitious programs are set to tackle methane emissions from diverse sources, including rice production, livestock activities, and waste management.
• The World Bank's comprehensive methane reduction approach emphasizes triple wins—reducing emissions, strengthening resilience, and empowering livelihoods.

Financing Mechanism:

• Presently, methane abatement funding constitutes less than 2% of global climate finance.
• The World Bank envisions a significant increase in financing for methane reduction through both public and private sector channels from 2024 to 2030.
• To achieve this, the institution plans to collaborate with Germany, Norway, the United States, the UAE, and the private sector, implementing effective solutions to reduce methane emissions across the entire energy value chain.

Partnership Platforms:

In tandem with these efforts, the World Bank is introducing two partnership platforms:

• The Global Methane Reduction Platform for Development (CH4D), concentrating on methane abatement in agriculture and waste.
• The Global Flaring and Methane Reduction Partnership (GFMR), focusing on diminishing methane leaks in the oil and gas sector.

What are the Initiatives to Tackle Methane Emissions?

Indian:

• ‘Harit Dhara’ (HD): Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed an anti-methanogenic feed supplement ‘Harit Dhara’ (HD), which can cut down cattle methane emissions by 17-20% and can also result in higher milk production.
• India Greenhouse Gas Program: The India GHG Program led by WRI India (non-profit organization), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is an industry-led voluntary framework to measure and manage greenhouse gas emissions.
• National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC): NAPCC was launched in 2008 which aims at creating awareness among the representatives of the public, different agencies of the government, scientists, industry and the communities on the threat posed by climate change and the steps to counter it.
• Bharat Stage-VI Norms: India shifted from Bharat Stage-IV (BS-IV) to Bharat Stage-VI (BS-VI) emission norms.

Global:

Methane Alert and Response System (MARS):

• MARS will integrate data from a large number of existing and future satellites that have the ability to detect methane emission events anywhere in the world, and send out notifications to the relevant stakeholders to act on it.

Global Methane Pledge:

• At the Glasgow climate conference (UNFCCC COP 26) in 2021, nearly 100 countries had come together in a voluntary pledge, referred to as the Global Methane Pledge, to cut methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030 from the 2020 levels.

Global Methane Initiative (GMI):

• It is an international public-private partnership focused on reducing barriers to the recovery and use of methane as a clean energy source.

What Measures can be Taken Further to Reduce Methane Emissions?

• In the Energy Sector: Methane emissions occur along the entire oil and gas supply chain, but especially from fugitive emissions from leaking equipment, system upsets, and deliberate flaring and venting.
  • Existing cost-effective solutions can help reduce emissions, including initiating leak detection and repair programs, implementing better technologies and operating practices, and capturing and utilising methane that would otherwise be wasted.
• In Agriculture: The farmers can provide animals with more nutritious feed so that they are larger, healthier and more productive, effectively producing more with less.
  • When it comes to staple crops like paddy rice, experts recommend alternate wetting and drying approaches that could halve emissions.
  • Rather than allowing the continuous flooding of fields, paddies could be irrigated and drained two to three times throughout the growing season, limiting methane production without impacting yield.
• That process would also require one-third less water, making it more economical.
• In the Waste Sector: The waste sector accounts for around 20% of global human-caused methane emissions.
  • The cost-effective mitigation solutions with the greatest potential related to separating organics and recycling also have the potential of creating new jobs.
  • Upstream avoidance of food loss and waste is also key.
  • Additionally, capturing landfill gas and generating energy will reduce methane emissions, displace other forms of fuels and create new streams of revenue.
• Role of Government: The Government of India should envision a food system transition policy to help its people grow and consume food differently.
  • Instead of working in silos, the government must develop a comprehensive policy that moves farmers to sustainable modes of plant-based food production.
  • Divert subsidies from industrial livestock production and its associated inputs, and look at job creation, social justice, poverty reduction, animal protection and better public health as multiple aspects of a single solution.

Coastal Erosion

The Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, responding in writing to Lok Sabha, has shared findings on changes in the shoreline spanning the entire Indian coast. These insights are derived from multi-spectral satellite imagery and field-surveyed data conducted by the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) from 1990 to 2016.

• NCCR, operating as an attached office under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, is tasked with undertaking multidisciplinary research in various domains, including Marine Pollutions, Coastal processes and Hazards, Coastal Habitats and Ecosystem, and Capacity Building and Training.

What are the Principal Observations by NCCR Regarding Coastal Erosion?

• Certain sections of India's coastline undergo erosion to varying degrees, attributed to natural factors or human-induced activities. The analysis of the shoreline indicates that 34% of the coast is experiencing erosion, 28% is undergoing accretion, and 38% remains stable.
• State-wise analysis reveals that West Bengal (63%) and Pondicherry (57%) coasts exhibit erosion exceeding 50%, followed by Kerala (45%) and Tamil Nadu (41%). Odisha (51%) stands as the sole coastal state with more than 50% accretion.
• The diminishing coastline poses a threat, leading to the loss of land and habitat, impacting the livelihoods of fishermen by restricting space for boat parking, net mending, and fishing operations.

What Government Measures have been Taken to Combat Coastal Erosion?

• Hazard Line: The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC) has delineated the hazard line for the entire coast of the country.
  • The hazard line is indicative of the shoreline changes, including sea level rise due to climate change.
  • This line is to be used by agencies in Coastal States as a tool for Disaster Management including planning of adaptive and mitigation measures.
• Coastal Zone Management Plans: The hazard line features in the new Coastal Zone Management Plans of the coastal States/Union territories approved by the MoEFCC.
• Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2019 : MoEFCC has notified Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2019 with a view to conserve and protect coastal stretches, marine areas and to ensure livelihood security to the fisher and other local communities.
  • The coastal regulations, however, permit setting up of erosion control measures in the coast.
  • No Development Zones (NDZ): The notification also provides for NDZ along various categories of coastal areas to protect India’s coastline from encroachment and erosion.
• Flood Management Scheme: This scheme is the Ministry of Jal Shakti, including anti-sea erosion schemes planned and executed by the State Governments with their own resources as per priorities of States.
  • The Union Government renders assistance to states which is technical, advisory, catalytic and promotional in nature.
• Coastal Management Information System (CMIS):
  • It has been initiated under the Central Sector Plan Scheme "Development of Water Resources Information System".
  • CMIS is a data collection activity carried out to collect near shore coastal data which can be used in planning, design, construction and maintenance of site specific coastal protection structures at vulnerable Coastal stretches.
• Coastal Erosion Mitigation: These measures have been taken up at Puducherry and Chellanam in Kerala, which helped in restoration and protection of coastal areas lost at Puducherry and flooding at Chellanam Fishing Village.
  • Technical support has been extended to the coastal States in the design of coastal protection measures at vulnerable stretches and preparation of Shoreline Management Plans.

UNEP’s Action Plan for Cooling Sector

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has put forth a strategic plan to markedly decrease emissions from the worldwide cooling sector. This proposal is outlined in the recent report titled "Keeping it Chill: How to meet cooling demands while cutting emissions."

• This undertaking has the capacity to significantly influence the anticipated 2050 greenhouse gas emissions, with a potential reduction of 60%. The report is unveiled in alignment with the Global Cooling Pledge, a collaborative effort between the United Arab Emirates as the host of the Conference of Parties (COP28) and the Cool Coalition.

What is UNEP's Proposed Action Plan for Sustainable Cooling?

Nature-Based Solutions:

• The recommendations center on adopting passive cooling measures such as shading, ventilation, insulation, green roofs, and reflective surfaces, along with reintegrating nature into urban spaces. 
• The implementation of passive cooling can curtail the reliance on mechanical cooling, leading to energy and emission savings.

Efficiency Standards:

• There is a strong emphasis on promoting advanced energy efficiency technologies and practices for cooling equipment, encompassing air conditioners, refrigerators, and fans. 
• Elevated energy efficiency in cooling devices can result in reduced energy consumption, lower emissions, and cost savings for both users and utility providers.

Phasedown of Refrigerants:

• This involves the utilization of alternative substances like hydrocarbons, ammonia, or carbon dioxide instead of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) to cool devices. HFCs, recognized as potent greenhouse gases, have a substantial heat-trapping capacity compared to carbon dioxide. 
• Despite their impact, HFCs are short-lived climate pollutants, with an average atmospheric lifespan of 15 years. Transitioning to low-global warming potential refrigerants can diminish direct emissions from cooling devices and contribute to the phasedown of HFCs, as outlined in the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. 
• The action plan advocates for an accelerated phasedown of climate-warming refrigerants and air conditioning.

Why Address the Cooling Sector?

• The cooling sector plays a crucial role in combating rising temperatures, ensuring food safety, industrial cooling processes, and driving productive economies.
• However, without intervention, the growing demand for cooling equipment could lead to a substantial increase in electricity consumption and emissions.
• The cooling sector accounts for a substantial 20% of global electricity consumption.
• If current policies continue, the installed capacity of cooling equipment globally will triple, resulting in a more than doubling of electricity consumption by 2050.
• This could lead to emissions between 4.4 billion and 6.1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) in 2050, accounting for over 10% of global projected emissions that year.

What are the Benefits of Sustainable Cooling?

• Passive cooling techniques and efficient cooling equipment can save consumers USD 17 trillion between 2022 and 2050.
• It is projected to reduce peak power requirements by 1.5-2 terawatts (TW), avoiding substantial power generation investments.
• Increasing the adoption of low-global warming potential technologies in new equipment and effectively managing refrigerant life cycles can reduce HFC emissions by 50% in 2050.
• Decarbonizing the power grid can further reduce sectoral emissions by 96%.

What are the Initiatives Related to Sustainable Cooling?

Global:

National Cooling Action Plans (NCAPs):

• Presently, more than 40 countries, including India, have developed NCAPs, and 25 others are at various stages of preparing theirs as well.
• Though India and China have included implementation mechanisms in their NCAPs, the rollout has been slow.

Global Cooling Pledge:

• At the bthe United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the host country United Arab Emirates and the Cool Coalition launched the Global Cooling Pledge.
• Over 60 countries signed up to the Pledge with commitments to reduce the climate impact of the cooling sector.

Kigali Amendment Acceleration:

• The Kigali Amendment is an international agreement to reduce the production and consumption of HFCs.
• The amendment is part of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
• The Kigali Amendment aims to reduce HFC production and consumption by 80–85% by 2047.
• This is expected to prevent the emissions of up to 105 billion tonnes of CO2 of greenhouse gases, avoiding up to 0.5 degree Celsius of global temperature rise by 2100.

Diel Vertical Migration and Carbon Sequestration

Nocturnal ascent in Diel Vertical Migration (DVM) is observed among deep-sea organisms, including zooplankton, as they emerge at night for feeding and safety. This coordinated movement not only reveals the wonders of nature but also plays a substantial role in shaping the Earth's Carbon Cycle.

What is Diel Vertical Migration (DVM)?

• Diel Vertical Migration (DVM) is a coordinated movement observed in marine organisms, particularly deep-sea inhabitants like zooplankton. This migration involves a vertical journey in the water column, with organisms ascending towards the surface at night and descending to deeper levels during the day.
• This behavioral pattern serves as a strategic survival tactic, allowing these organisms to locate food resources while avoiding predators. At dusk, creatures from the mesopelagic layer (Twilight Zone) rise to the safety of the epipelagic zone (Upper Layer), taking advantage of the darkness to feed on microscopic phytoplankton while escaping diurnal predators.
• DVM, synchronized with natural light cycles, represents the planet's most extensive biomass migration, occurring daily in oceans worldwide.

How Does DVM Contribute to Carbon Sequestration?

• Organisms residing in the mesopelagic layer play an active role in extracting significant carbon from upper ocean layers while consuming surface plankton. As migratory animals within the twilight zone become part of the food chain, the carbon they've ingested is transferred to their predators.
• The resulting carbon-rich waste eventually sinks to the ocean floor, functioning as a crucial carbon sink. This process aids in trapping carbon dioxide, contributing to the regulation of atmospheric carbon concentrations.

What is Carbon Sequestration?

Overview:

• Carbon sequestration involves the extended storage of carbon in various reservoirs, encompassing plants, soils, geological formations, and the ocean. This process occurs naturally and is also influenced by human activities, primarily focusing on the retention of carbon.

Types:

• Terrestrial Carbon Sequestration: This form of carbon sequestration involves the absorption of CO2 from the atmosphere by trees and plants through photosynthesis. The captured carbon is then stored in soils and biomass, including tree trunks, branches, foliage, and roots.
• Geologic Carbon Sequestration: CO2 can be stored in various geological formations such as oil reservoirs, gas reservoirs, unmineable coal seams, saline formations, and shale formations with high organic content.
• Ocean Carbon Sequestration: Oceans play a significant role in absorbing, releasing, and storing substantial amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere. This occurs through two methods – enhancing the productivity of ocean biological systems via Iron fertilization and injecting CO₂ into the deep ocean.

In Iron fertilization, the addition of iron stimulates phytoplankton production, enhancing photosynthesis by these microorganisms and facilitating the absorption of CO₂.

Second Phase of LeadIT

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, in collaboration with Sweden, hosted the Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT) Summit 2023 during the Conference of Parties (COP 28) in the United Arab Emirates.

What is the Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT)?

Overview:

• LeadIT is a global initiative designed to expedite the shift of challenging sectors such as steel, cement, chemicals, aviation, and shipping toward low-carbon trajectories.
• This initiative brings together nations and businesses committed to taking actions that align with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
• Launched during the United Nations Climate Action Summit in 2019 by the governments of Sweden and India, LeadIT is supported by the World Economic Forum.
• The LeadIT Secretariat oversees the coordination of the Leadership Group's activities.

Membership:

• LeadIT boasts 38 members, including both countries and companies, with active participation from India.
• Members of LeadIT share the belief that energy-intensive industries can and should transition to low-carbon pathways, with a collective aim to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

What are the Key Highlights of the Second Phase of LeadIT?

Mission

• Facilitate the creation of policies and regulations backing an inclusive industry transition through public-private partnerships. Mobilise resources, support knowledge-sharing, and accelerate pathways to achieve net-zero industry emissions by 2050.

LeadIT Pillars:

• Global Forum for a Just and Equitable Industry Transition:
  • Ensuring continuous dialogue and engagement between governments and industry.
  • This pillar is dedicated to sustaining LeadIT's engagement with multilateral groups (e.g., UN Climate Action, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP presidencies), facilitating knowledge sharing among members, and vigilantly monitoring the transition's pace.

Technology Transfer and Co-development:

• This pillar is dedicated to facilitating business-to-business technology transfer and building national institutional capacity for innovation.

Industry Transition Partnerships:

• The LeadIT Secretariat aids members in creating industry transition partnerships, supporting emerging markets and developing economies in their pursuit of green industrial transitions.
  • These partnerships involve mapping, coordinating, and strengthening technical and financial international assistance to enhance effectiveness.
• The ultimate goal is to establish enabling conditions for a pipeline of bankable low-carbon industrial projects.