The first-ever global inventory is expected to be concluded at the COP28 climate summit later this year, the UN said. In the first week of the COP28 conference, a draft text was created for the Global Inventory, which called for the phase-out of all fossil fuels.
It proposed options for a gradual phase-out of coal without limiting consumption and an orderly and fair transition away from fossil fuels. This could prove to be a sticking point for India, where “coal is and will remain an important part of India’s energy mix”. Coal and other fossil fuels are responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, which in turn affect the global climate and temperature.
What is global inventory?
The United Nations says that a global inventory is like an inventory. Meanwhile, the Center for Science and the Environment says it’s like a report card on the goal of the 2015 Paris Agreement.
Why is global inventory important?
The process is expected to produce a blueprint for future policy action by governments to try to prevent climate change from escalating to extremes.
The assessment can help policymakers and stakeholders strengthen their climate policies and commitments in their next round of Nationally Determined Contributions, or “NDCs,” paving the way for accelerated action.
The global inventory takes place every five years, with the first ever inventory to be completed at COP28.
India’s position in the global inventory
The new draft text favored “phasing out” over the “gradual reduction” strategy proposed by India at last year’s climate conference. Last year, India proposed phasing out all fossil fuels, not just coal. New Delhi’s call was supported by several countries including the European Union, news agency PTI reported.
India even skipped signing the pledge to commit to triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030. Due to greenhouse gas reductions, India also abstained from signing the COP28 declaration on climate and health.
Why did India refuse? PTI sources said that limiting the use of greenhouse gases for cooling in the healthcare sector, which is one of the points of the document, may not be practical or achievable within the country’s healthcare infrastructure in the short term.
India, representing the BASIC bloc, played a significant role in pushing for accountability. The nation stressed the need for the global inventory to consider the failures of developed countries.
Sources had earlier told PTI that the BASIC grouping of Brazil, South Africa, India and China had pushed during the annual climate talks in Dubai for the global inventory to also take into account the failures of developed countries.
