Japan Govt, IMD & UNDP Launched Joint Project to Accelerate Climate Action in IndiaThe India Meteorological Department (IMD), an agency under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the Government of Japan, and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) have launched a new initiative to accelerate climate action in 10 states and Union Territories (UT) across India.
- The initiative will support National Determined Contribution (NDCs) help to achieve net-zero emissions and also supports climate-resilient development.
- For this initiative, Japan has given USD 5.16 million to UNDP India for climate funding.
- Aim – To foster green jobs and green innovation in the Renewable Energy sector by providing skills and training to more than 2000 people.
Key Highlights:
i.The initiative comes after the inclusion of Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs) in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
ii.Under the initiative, UNDP will work with IMD to promote climate resilience and work with Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) to promote climate mitigation by deploying clean energy infrastructure and low emission technologies in sectors including transport, health and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).
- Through this initiative, 150 healthcare facilities, 20 micro-enterprises will be solarized and also supplies solar energy to 85 Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations and 30 solar cold storage facilities in the 10 states.
iii.This also demonstrates resilient climate planning at the grassroots through climate information systems for 30 Gram Panchayats.
Implementation:
i.Japan had provided the fund as a part of Japan’s global assistance to 23 countries through the UNDP Climate Promise-From Pledge to Impact initiative.
ii.This initiative will be implemented in coordination with the IMD at the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the MNRE.
iii.The project will be rolled out in states and UTs of Bihar, Delhi National Capital Region (NCR), Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh from 2022-2023.
Note – In November 2021, at the Conference of Parties – 26 (COP-26) held in Glasgow, India pledged to cut India’s total projected carbon emission by 1 billion tones in 2030, install 500 GW of non-fossil fuel energy capacity by 2030, reduce carbon intensity by less than 45 percent and net zero emissions by 2070