MISCELLANEOUS

MISCELLANEOUS

DISENGAGING PREMIER GREEN INSTITUTIONS

The Ministry of Finance has recommended that the MoEFCC “disengage” from five autonomous institutions working under it and merge two others, thus reducing the 16 autonomous organisations under the ministry to 9. The committee has recommended that MoEFCC disengage from these autonomous bodies:

• Indian Institute of Forest Management
• Wildlife Institute of India
• Indian Plywood Industries Research and Training Institute
• CPR Environmental Education Centre
• Centre of Environment Education
  
  

‘Disengagement’ will involve two aspects:

• Phasing out government support to the institution in a time-bound manner.
• Disassociating from the management of the institutions and allowing the relevant industry/stakeholders to run them.

Background

• The recommendations are a part of the report that has been prepared in accordance with the guidelines prescribed under rule 229 of General Finance rules 2017. 
• In a report on the rationalization of 109 Autonomous Bodies (ABs) under Central government ministries, the finance ministry’s department of expenditure recommended that the environment ministry disengage with 23 bodies, merge 109 into 26 bodies, and close six to reduce expenditure.

Rational behind Rationalization and Disengagement

1. Accountability: These bodies are funded by taxpayer’s money. However, there have been complaints that they don’t follow the policies of the government and are not accountable the way the government departments are.
2. High number of bodies: The high number of Autonomous bodies and their higher number of employee count is also one of the reasons behind their rationalization.
3. Lacks Uniformity in Recruitment: The mode of recruitment and recruitment rules differs for each of these bodies.
4. No uniform audit procedure: Some Autonomous Bodies are audited by CAG whereas many are done by chartered accountants.
5. Lack of proper framework: It lacks a proper framework to describe an Autonomous Body which defines the working capacity, its autonomy, and the policies it follows. For example: In place of Senior Ministry Officials, Junior officials attend meetings who lack jurisdiction to take meaningful decisions.
6. Ambiguous and obsolete bodies: Some of the bodies have become obsolete in terms of their functioning and tasks. So, a complete closure and merger of some of these bodies is required.

Benefits

• Devolution of powers: One of the aims behind the rationalization process is to enhance the ‘minimum government, maximum governance’.
• More autonomy: It is done to push the autonomous bodies to be more self-dependent in terms of finance and be less dependent on government grants.
• Efficient research and innovation: The rationalization of these institutions would boost research work and innovation in terms of working capacity.
• More specialization: There would be greater specialization in institutions which are disengaged from government control.
• Enhanced efficiency: The main concern of the Government is that Autonomous Bodies to be reviewed and rationalized with a view to improve their outcomes, effectiveness, and utilization of financial and human resources.
• Reduction in redundancy: The rationalization would avoid the duplication of activities and help in attaining economies of scale.
• More collaboration at governance: It would help in making a cooperative governance system.

Issues

1. Institutional

• Financial crisis: The disengagement will make these institutions worry for financial issues rather than research, which should be their prime focus.
• Government responsibility: The environment is a public issue and there must be good public institutions to safeguard it.
• Move towards privatization: The government’s disengagement from these institutions is seen as the first step towards sending them into private hands.
• Lack of government control: There will be a lack of government control if it disengages from the institutions.
• Merger may be destructive: Merging two or more institutions may reduce their capability of taking autonomous research and may increase bureaucracy overhead.
• Lack of support: Due to lack of support from the government, there will be a lack of efficiency in the implementation of its policy.

2. Non-Institutional

• Hamper state-specific research: Disengaging institutions will discourage public-specific and state-specific research taken by these institutions.
• Affect students: An impact on those students who dream of studying these specialized subjects but cannot afford the high fees charged by private universities.
• Lack of talent attraction: Disengagement discourages talented people to take jobs in these institutions.
• Affect environmental efforts of government: Government is dependent on these institutions for research and findings for better policy design and to streamline their efforts.
• Disaster recovery: WII played a proactive role in during and after Uttarakhand floods, which reduced post-disaster effects. Disengagement will hamper this ability of these institutes.

Way Forward

• Legal Framework: A legal framework to describe a function of Bodies should be drawn up, which defines the boundaries of its working, its autonomy, and the various policies that it must follow.
• Merger and closure: Bodies/Institutions that have outlived the cause for which they were established may need to be closed or merged with a similar organization or their memorandum altered as per the new charter.
• Streamline the recruitment rules: A task force needs to be set up under a pan-Indian agency such as SSC or UPSC to streamline the recruitment rules, salary structure, allowance, and perks paid to employees, and mode of recruitment.
• Uniform Independent Auditing: Audits of ABs should be undertaken by an independent agency.
• Collaborated Approach: To ensure the participation of ministry officials, committee meetings of similar ABs should be held together so that the appropriate authorities could provide meaningful suggestions.

If the government feels that funds are not being utilized properly or the institutions are not performing well, their officials should be held accountable rather than taking the route of disengagement.

ANTARCTIC OZONE HOLE

Ozone layer, also called ozonosphere, region of the upper atmosphere, between roughly 15 and 35 km (9 and 21 miles) above Earth’s surface, containing relatively high concentrations of ozone molecules (O₃). The Antarctic ozone hole — one of the deepest, largest gaps in the ozone layer in the last 40 years — has closed, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Ozone Hole an Annual Phenomenon

1. Annually occurring ozone hole: Over the Antarctic, it rapidly grew from mid-August and peaked at around 24 million square kilometers, one of the largest so far, in early October 2020.
2. Expansion of the hole: Was driven by a strong, stable, and cold polar vortex and very cold temperatures in the stratosphere.
3. Recovery: The same meteorological factors also contributed to the record 2020 Arctic ozone hole, which has also closed.

Reason that Antarctic Hole is Bigger than Arctic Hole

• Because Earth’s magnetic field directs more positively charged solar wind particles to Earth’s south pole.
• These are largely hydrogen; hydrogen oxidizes to water vapor, and water vapor both destroys ozone and blocks one path of ozone production.

Cause for the Formation of Ozone Hole (2 Processes)

1. Release of CFCs
   • CFCs escape: Into the atmosphere from refrigeration and propellant devices and processes.
   • Long life of CFCs: In the lower atmosphere, they are so stable that they persist for years, even decades.
   • Reach stratosphere: This long lifetime allows some of the CFCs to eventually reach the stratosphere.
   • Break Cl bond: In the stratosphere, UV light breaks the bond holding chlorine atoms (Cl) to the CFC molecule.
   • Destroy ozone: A free chlorine atom goes through a chemical reaction that both destroys ozone and returns the free chlorine atom to the atmosphere unchanged, where it can destroy more and more ozone molecules.
2. Polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) and ozone
   • Polar vortex isolates polar stratosphere: As winter arrives, a vortex of winds develops around the pole and isolates the polar stratosphere.
   • Formation of cloud: When temperatures drop below -78°C (-109°F), thin clouds form ice, nitric acid, and sulfuric acid mixtures.
   • Photochemical reaction (by first sunlight): Providing the energy needed for the rapid catalytic breakdown of ozone of Chlorine and bromine compound.
   • Ice crystal of cloud promote free Cl: Chemical reactions on the surfaces of ice crystals in the clouds release active forms of CFCs and ozone depletion begins.

Reasons for Closing Down of Hole

• Need of cold polar vortex: The expansion of the hole was driven by a strong, stable, and cold polar vortex and very cold temperatures in the stratosphere.
• Expansion of polar vortex: A polar vortex is a wide expanse of swirling cold air, a low-pressure area, in polar regions. During winters, the polar vortex at the North Pole expands, sending cold air southward.

• Temperature increases: As the temperatures high up in the stratosphere start to rise, ozone depletion slows, the polar vortex weakens and breaks down.
• Return to normal: By the end of December, ozone levels return to normal.

Ozone significance

• Block UV rays: It is responsible for protecting life on Earth from the harmful UV radiation from the Sun.
• Effects: The depletion of ozone layer paves the way for high-energy Ultraviolet radiation to enter into the Earth’s lower atmosphere, which causes health effects.

Effects of Ozone Hole

1. On Living Beings
   • Health effects:
     • UV rays break down DNA. Unrepaired DNA causes cancers to form.
     • Eye damage and cataract problems due to direct exposure to UV rays.
     • A weakening of the immune system.
     • Acceleration of the aging process of the skin.
     • Difficulty in breathing, chest, and throat pain.
   • Affect amphibian’s life cycle: It affects every stage of the life cycle, i.e., in the growth and development of the larvae, and is said to be one of the primary reasons for the declining number of amphibian species.
   • Deformities in animals: Unrepaired DNA results in other mutant effects such as missing or extra limbs in animals.
2. On Environment
   • Increase ozone in lower atmosphere: Ozone layer depletion leads to a decrease in the ozone in the stratosphere and an increase in ozone present in the lower atmosphere. Ozone in lower atmosphere is poisonous in nature.
   • Ozone a GHG: In the lower atmosphere, it is considered to be a pollutant and a greenhouse gas as it contributes to global warming.
   • Increase melting of snow: Warming effect trickles down to melting polar ice caps, rising sea levels, and climate change.

Global Conventions on Ozone Depletion Problem

1. Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer
   • Scientific confirmation of the depletion of the ozone layer: Prompted the international community to establish a mechanism for cooperation to take action to protect the ozone layer.
   • Action formalization: This was formalized in the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, which was adopted and signed by 28 countries in 1985.
   • Paved the way for Montreal Protocol: In 1987, this led to the drafting of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
2. Montreal Protocol
   • Signed: In 1987, the United Nations and 45 other countries signed the Montreal Protocol, on substances that deplete the Ozone layer.
   • Objective: It is a global agreement to protect the Earth’s ozone layer by phasing out the chemicals that deplete it.
   • Method: This phase-out plan includes both the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances.
   • Amendments: It has been amended six times since its creation. The most recent amendment is the Kigali Amendment.

1. Kigali Amendment
   • Reduce HFCs: It was amended in 2016 to reduce the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) — greenhouse gases with powerful climate-warming potential — by more than 80 percent over the next 30 years.

Way Forward

• Phase out CFC: Governments should make a mechanism to phase out the CFCs in any form.
• More stringent international agreements: International agreements should put legal binding commitments on parties to reduce ODS.
• Work on renewable energy: Global warming is a major concern, governments around the world should work towards cleaner technologies and promote renewable energy.
• Promote R&D: Institutions around the world should promote R&D to replace ODS from its use and find out better alternatives.
• Funding to least developed countries: Countries like Africa are more in use of ODS, due to lack of capabilities, there should be a proper funding mechanism for their phase-out.

VARIOUS REPORTS AND THEIR FINDINGS

EMISSIONS GAP REPORT 2022

Findings

• Top 7 Emitters: China, the EU27, India, Indonesia, Brazil, the Russian Federation, and the United States of America.
  • These seven and international transport accounted for 55% of global GHG emissions in 2020.
  • G20 members account for 75% of global GHG emissions.
• Paris Goals: The world is falling short of the goals set forth in the Paris Agreement.
• Global average per capita GHG emissions: 6.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent in 2020. India remains far below the world average at 2.4 tCO₂e.
• National Pledges: National pledges since COP26 (Glasgow, UK) make a negligible difference to predicted 2030 emissions + NDCs, only reducing emissions by 1 percent by the end of the decade.
• Global temperatures: With current policies, the global temperature is expected to rise by 2.8°C by the end of this century.
• Organic Farming: Area is increasing on all continents with close to 75 million hectares globally in 2020 (1.6 percent of global farmland), compared to 11 million hectares in 1999.
• Major contributors to Climate Change:
  • Land-use change and biodiversity loss
  • Depletion of freshwater resources
  • Pollution of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems through nitrogen and phosphorus run-off from fertilizer and manure application

Recommendations

• Reduction in GHGs: The world needs to reduce greenhouse gases by unprecedented levels over the next eight years.
• Need for alternative technologies in heavy industry to reverse the rise in carbon intensity of global steel production.
• Unconditional and conditional NDCs are expected to reduce global emissions by 5% and 10%, respectively, by 2030, compared to current policies.
• To be on the most cost-effective path to limiting global warming to 2°C or 1.5°C, these percentages must reach 30% and 45%.

ADAPTATION GAP REPORT 2022

Findings: 

• Global Situation: The world is currently on track for a 2.8°C increase in average global temperature over the average temperature obtained in the pre-industrialization era of 1850 to 1900.
• At least 84% of parties to the UNFCCC have adaptation plans in place (5% increase compared to the previous year).
• 8 out of 10 countries have at least one national adaptation planning instrument.
• Vulnerable groups: 90% per cent of planning instruments take into consideration gender and other vulnerable groups like indigenous communities.
• Funding for the developing countries’ adaptation: USD 29 billion in 2020, a 4% increase over 2019.
• Finance for adaptation increased to USD 29 billion in 2020.
• Cost of Adaptation: Expected to increase to 160-340 billion USD by 2030 and 315-565 billion USD by 2050.

Recommendations

• Nature-based solutions: Locally appropriate actions that address societal challenges, such as climate change, and provide human well-being and biodiversity benefits by protecting, sustainably managing, and restoring natural or modified ecosystems, must also become a priority.
• Climate Adaptation: Strong words in the Glasgow Climate Pact with strong action to increase adaptation investments and outcomes, starting at COP27.
• Increase Finance: Developed countries’ promise of doubling finance for adaptation to USD 40 billion, which was decided at COP26 in Glasgow.
• A New Business Model: New business model for turning adaptation priorities into investable projects as there is a mismatch between what governments propose and what financiers consider investable.
• Modified Warning Systems: The implementation and operationalization of early warning systems against extreme weather events and slow onset changes such as sea level rise.

INDIA ENERGY OUTLOOK 2021

Findings

• Energy demand: India will witness the “largest increase in energy demand of any country”.
  • India will have the highest population by 2025, leading to a huge rise in energy demand of more than 3% per year from 2021-2030.
• Demand for coal: With just over 10% of global coal consumption, India is also the world’s second-largest coal consumer today.
  • Coal use in India dropped by 7% in 2020 due to the pandemic, but increased by 13% in 2021.
  • Demand will peak anywhere between the late 2020s and early 2030s.
• Renewables: Gati Shakti National Master Plan and Atmanirbhar Bharat could promote a “robust growth” in renewables and electric mobility.
  • By 2030, renewables will meet more than 60% of the growth in demand for power and account for 35% of the electricity mix.
• Net Zero by 2070: India could be within reach of its goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2070.

2nd WORLD OCEAN ASSESSMENT

Findings

• Dead zones: The number of dead zones in the oceans have doubled. It has increased from 400 in 2008 to 700 in 2019.
• Mangroves: 90% of the Mangrove Seagrass and marsh plant species are facing extinction.
• Sea birds: 30% of seabird species are facing the threat of extinction.
• Huge ocean degradation: Only 10% of the ocean has been explored and studied. With this minimal study, scientists have found out that the oceans are being degraded at a huge level.

• Debris in ocean: The heat content in the oceans has more than doubled since 1990. This has affected the marine lives.

Recommendation

• Human management of ocean: The management of human uses of the ocean requires improved coordination and cooperation.
• Marine environment protection: The marine environment can be protected by establishing marine protected areas and improved management of pollution and fisheries.

NATIONAL CLIMATE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT REPORT

Findings

• Highly Vulnerable States: Identified Jharkhand, Mizoram, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, and West Bengal as states highly vulnerable to climate change.
• Lower-middle Vulnerable States: Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Sikkim, and Punjab.
• Low Vulnerable States: Uttarakhand, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Nagaland, Goa, and Maharashtra.

PROVISIONAL STATE OF THE GLOBAL CLIMATE 2022

Findings

• Increase in Concentration of Greenhouse Gases: Carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and Nitrous oxide (NOₓ), were all at record highs in 2021.
  • The emissions of methane increased at the fastest pace ever.
• Temperature: The global average temperature in 2022 is estimated to be about 1.15°C above the 1850-1900 average. 2015 to 2022 are likely to be the eight warmest years on record.
• Glaciers and Ice:
  • Average thickness losses of between 3 and over 4 meters were measured throughout European Alps.
  • In Switzerland, 6% of the glacier ice volume was lost between 2021 and 2022, according to initial measurements.
  • For the first time in history, no snow outlasted the summer season even at the very highest measurement sites, and thus no accumulation of fresh ice occurred.
• Sea Level Rise:
  • Global mean sea level has risen by an estimated 3.4 ± 0.3 mm per year over the 30 years (1993-2022) of the satellite altimeter record.
  • The rate has doubled between 1993-2002 and 2013-2022, and sea level increased by about 5 mm between January 2021 and August 2022.
• Ocean Heat: Stores around 90% of accumulated heat from human emissions of greenhouse gases. 55% of ocean surface experienced at least one marine heatwave in 2022.

STATE OF THE GLOBAL CLIMATE 2021

Findings

• Average global temperature: It was about 1.11 (+0.13) °C above pre-industrial levels in 2021. The report observed that the past seven years have been the warmest seven years on record.
• Greenhouse gas concentrations: It has reached a new global high in 2020. The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO₂) reached 413.2 parts per million (ppm) globally, or 149% of the pre-industrial level.
• Ocean heat: The upper 2000m depth of the ocean continued to warm in 2021, and it is expected that it will continue to warm in the future.
• Ocean acidification: The oceans absorb around 23% of the annual emissions of anthropogenic CO₂ to the atmosphere.

• Global mean sea level: It also reached a new record high in 2021, after increasing at an average of 4.5 mm per year over the period 2013-2021.
• Cryosphere: On average, the world’s reference glaciers have thinned by 33.5 meters (ice-equivalent) since 1950, with 76% of this thinning since 1980.
• Ozone Hole: The ozone hole over the Antarctic was unusually large and deep, reaching its maximum area of 24.8 million km² (the size of Africa).

GLOBAL ENERGY REVIEW 2021

Findings (Global)

• Record High Carbon Dioxide Emissions: CO₂ emissions rose six percent to 36.3 billion tonnes last year. 33 percent of these can be traced back to China.
  • CO₂ emissions from energy combustion and industrial processes -> 89 percent of energy sector greenhouse gas emissions in 2021.
  • CO₂ emissions dropped in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic as countries announced strict lockdowns.
• Rise in Renewables: Renewables-based generation reached an all-time high, exceeding 8,000 TWh in 2021.
• Methane levels: Went up five percent in 2021, but were still lower than pre-pandemic levels.
• GHG emissions: The overall greenhouse gas emissions -> 40.8 gigatonnes of CO₂ equivalent in 2021.
• Emissions from the world’s power plants: Reached their highest ever level.

Findings (India Specific)

• India used 13 percent more coal to generate electricity in 2021 than the previous year, given the COVID-19 pandemic.
• CO₂ Emissions: India’s carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in 2021 soared to 80 megatonnes (Mt) above pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
• Renewable Energy Slowed: Growth in the renewable energy sector slowed to a third of its average rate of the previous five years.
• High Commodity Prices: Increased the cost of producing solar photovoltaic modules, wind turbines, and biofuels.