Indian political parties must prioritise climate change on their manifestos
With the G20 Presidency, India has showcased leadership in climate change mitigation and energy transition across panels. Yet, conversations around climate change mitigation and specific actions to combat climate change have not yet been a major focus in the overall G20 agenda. This spotlight is required based on warnings from scientists and an appeal by the United Nations Secretary-General for G20 countries to take the lead in curbing greenhouse gas emissions.
At the transition of the presidency from Indonesia to India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had emphasised that the challenges of “climate change, terrorism, and pandemics can be solved not by fighting each other, but only by acting together”.
India has remained one of the fastest-growing economies in the world which has significantly contributed to the country’s growing regional role in trade. But this has also resulted in increasing its greenhouse gas emissions and environmental footprint.
We have ambitious goals for ourselves to address climate change and at present, India remains committed to a 2070 deadline to achieve net zero. In line with this, the country has shared its Long Term Low Emission Development Strategy at the recent 27th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meeting.
India is focusing on a Long Term Low Emission Growth Strategy. This has played a crucial role in framing policy responses on the subject.
More importantly, the current Parliament, especially the 17th Lok Sabha elected in the 2019 Indian general election, has debated laws and legislative measures to curb the impacts of climate change. Many Members of Parliament (MP) across party lines have raised the issue of climate change in their parliamentary questions and debates, either by asking questions, providing solutions, or demanding action.
The net is cast wide on a range of topics, from air and water pollution to renewable energy and climate adaptation strategies. In particular, MPs have sought answers on India’s climate change commitments under the UNFCCC, the Paris Agreement and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).
There have also been questions on India’s strategy for promoting renewable energy, controlling carbon emissions, tackling air pollution, crop waste management related pollution, and addressing climate vulnerabilities faced by different communities across the country.
MPs have been discussing India’s progress in meeting its renewable energy targets, the impact of climate change on agriculture, water availability, and public health, and the government’s efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations.
Climate change is a crucial issue that requires a collaborative approach to finding a solution. Actions by MPs in India to raise the issue and push for policy change demonstrate the urgency and importance of the issue.
In terms of public awareness on climate change, India has fared better than developed nations such as the US and Russia. A Yale Programme of Climate Change Communication survey found that 84 per cent of Indians believe climate change is real and most of them also believe that climate change stems from anthropogenic activities. This statistic shows that most Indians are aware of climate change and the urgency of the issue which could be an important factor in their voting decision.
In view of the upcoming general elections in 2024, the two leading national parties in the country, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (INC), had both made climate-related promises. It is expected that the issue will play a significant role in the party manifestos of the upcoming 2024 elections.
The issue is particularly important for young voters who are more environmentally conscious and are increasingly aware of the challenges posed by climate change.
In its previous manifesto, the ruling party BJP had promised to fulfill “a long pending demand for the Himalayan region” through a green bonus for the region to facilitate the protection and promotion of forests in those states, a promise that is yet to be addressed (even in the new 2023-2024 budget).
It had also promised electrification for villages, conservation of rural water and groundwater recharge with a 2024 target under the Jal Jeevan Mission and focus on 102 polluted cities under the National Clean Air Plan.
The INC had also highlighted in its manifesto the need to focus on the deteriorating soil quality and promote the Water Bodies Restoration Mission and Wasteland Regeneration Mission.
Further action and concerted effort is also required to bolster the conversations of rural water and pollution in cities.
Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, government sources claim to be on track to achieve the 2024 target with reports that nearly 55.62 per cent rural households have been provided by tap connection with adequate water supply as of December 2022.
However, with India fast approaching a water crisis with its growing population size, the focus has to be expanded to restoring groundwater resources and rivers which still remain in a degraded state. Major cities and rivers across the country continue to battle major pollution concerns.
With growing heatwaves, there has been an increase in the number of forest fires as well with nearly 1,156 fires between February 13 and 20 in 2023.There has also been a reported internal displacement of 4.9 million people in India due to climate related disasters and risks.
The political leadership in the country needs to find means not only to strengthen mitigation measures in their manifestos and action, but also build on adaptation and resilience to climate change to minimise the disruption of livelihoods.
The ruling BJP’s 2019 manifesto included a section on environmental conservation, which focused on ambitious goals for renewable energy, afforestation, and conservation of wildlife habitats. The BJP also pledged to introduce policies that incentivize the manufacturing sector to adopt sustainable practices.
The Congress, on the other hand, has been vocal in its criticism of the government’s handling of climate change. In its 2019 manifesto, the party promised to form a National Climate Commission to coordinate the country’s efforts to combat climate change, and to establish a National Clean Air Programme aimed at controlling pollution levels.
Several smaller political parties have also prioritised climate change in their manifestos for previous elections, focusing on issues such as sustainable agriculture, eco-tourism, and promoting renewable energy.
Parties are expected to redefine their stance on the issue, introduce new policies to combat climate change, and leverage the issue as a key differentiating factor. With the recent reports of India being one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, it seems imperative to situate where climate adaptation promises find their place in the country’s politics ahead of the 2024 elections.
Given India’s current climate vulnerabilities coupled with its enormous population, it is imperative that the political parties and leaders position climate change as a priority issue on their manifestos. This would help in mitigating the impacts of climate change and ensure that the country is on a sustainable and resilient path towards a better future.
Neha Simlai is the Founder-Director and Trustee for Social Policy Research Foundation, New Delhi (SPRF). SPRF works on a range of critical themes to bridge academic research and public policy. She is also Head of Market Development (Asia-Pacific) at the Forest Stewardship Council.
Anusha Arif is a research associate at Social Policy Research Foundation, New Delhi (SPRF). Her work mainly focuses on climate change and sustainability. She is a policy researcher and a lawyer, who holds an LL.M in Environment Law. Anusha’s work aims at bringing valuable insight to the climate change policy and related areas by addressing complex challenges facing the world.
Views expressed are the authors’ own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth