With the world converging in Baku, Azerbaijan, for the COP-29 session, carbon finance and credit frameworks (carbon market) are at the core of all attention. India is among the key world actors currently engaged in developing its domestic carbon market. This editorial seeks to explore how carbon credits might mean a great deal to this forum while there remain two major challenges where much is debated: ensuring that carbon credits are properly checked and measured in such a manner as to not let the exercise go into mere greenwashing, and ensuring they are left aligned with the eventual and overarching international standards, from among them, Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
| GS Paper | GS Paper III |
| Topics for UPSC Prelims | COP-29, Nationally Determined Contribution, Carbon Market, Paris Agreement, Greenwashing, Greenhouse gas, International Solar Alliance, EU-ETS, Performance Achieve Trade (PAT) scheme, Energy Conservation Amendment Act 2022, Smart Cities Mission. |
| Topics for UPSC Mains | Opportunities for India in Developing a Domestic Carbon Market, Major Issues Related to Development of Carbon Market in India. |
This editorial is based on “Giving shape to India’s carbon credit mechanism” published in The Hindu on 12/11/2024. It delves into India’s efforts to establish a domestic carbon market and the challenges faced at COP-29.
Understanding the carbon market for UPSC aspirants would serve as an important landmark concerning environmental conservation, renewable energy, and government policies as topics. It gets at the heart of the on-ground implications of international agreements like the Paris Agreement and equips the aspirant with insight into strategies of sustainable development and economic growth tied to climate change.
Regarding India’s carbon market, the argument cast in a starker relief at COP-29 in Baku will pose the issue of carbon finance and credit frameworks as discussions shift gears in the world arena regarding globalization. In every respect, this would be a critical area for UPSC aspirants as part of policy efforts towards an environmental policy emanating from internal efforts at domesticating a carbon market, thwarting potentials of the greenwashing effect and realigning in light of international standards.
Carbon credit represents avoided or reduced greenhouse gas emissions and has been a key financial instrument that would play a large role in achieving the climate goals and is part of the development of India’s carbon market. With India setting up a sound carbon market, its mechanics needs to be understood in order to adhere to global commitments toward climate change and also to make its efforts toward sustainability.
Certification of carbon credits involves long, tedious procedures operated by governments or independent agencies. Credits typically constitute one metric ton of CO₂-equivalents avoided or abated. Standardization is key to ensuring the credibility and transferability of emission reductions from various projects in relation to compliance and voluntaristic reporting.
Beyond pure offsetting, carbon credits have non-offsetting roles for climate mitigation. They can relate to a lot broader environmental objectives if second-generation credits support high-quality projects aligned with tough criteria. Such an approach focuses on investment in sustainable projects that can help reduce emissions while fueling sustainable development and innovation.
The country stands to benefit greatly by building its domestic carbon market. An effort on this account offers ample opportunities on all dimensions-economic, environmental, and of leadership. India would yet better balance growth with sustainability through a well-structured carbon market that could galvanize a sea change.
Being a leading country in the world as an exporter of carbon credits, India issues 278 million credits, accounting for 17 percent of global supply. Trading is only one aspect of the opportunities the market has to offer: verification agencies and green finance institutions are expected to spawn over 200,000 jobs. That lines up with the vision of an Indian economy worth $5 trillion, promoting sustainable growth and job-making.
By building upon its carbon market, it can take an influential leadership in the arena of international climate finance, since it is the world’s third-largest emitter and is already a leader in renewable energy. The International Solar Alliance is a recent instance that shows India could lead in climate action. A proper working carbon market will, in many ways, strengthen India’s negotiating hand in climate talks, enhance the nature of South-South cooperation, and facilitate technology transfer from one place to the other.
Carbon pricing could stimulate modernization and innovation across industries. Carbon markets can fund efficiency improvements, lessons that can be drawn from the EU-ETS, for example, which have reduced industrial emissions by 41% since 2005. This will provide impetus to indigenous clean technologies in hard-to-abate sectors like cement and steel.
The highly digital-advanced infrastructure in India offers the platform an opportunity to develop truly transparent carbon markets. Models such as UPI and COWIN show the scope of information advanced trading platforms can handle. Adding blockchain, IoT, and AI creates the possibility of fundamentally new verification and trading workflows, which will have tremendous cost savings and transparency.
International green finance would flow easily into an appropriately constructed carbon market, as ESG investments are being accounted for about 18% of emerging markets’ financing. It could be a channel of capital access to viable sustainable projects thus catalyzing India’s green bonds and sustainable finance efforts on renewable energy and forest conservation.
Carbon markets offer rural India opportunities through agricultural and forestry credits. Carbon farming pilot projects evidence how farmers earn much more from those opportunities, both as a source of incentive for sustainable agriculture and agroforestry, but also as a support for the farmer and food security and climate resilience for a district.
All sectors have different opportunities: accelerating renewable transitions in the energy sector, efficiency in manufacturing, green buildings in the real estate sector, and electric mobility in the transport sector. The success of the PAT scheme indicates that the industries are ready for market mechanisms and the way is now open for specific carbon credit categories, which can be sold on the market.
This will help build expertise in carbon accounting, trading, and climate finance. Initiatives like this Climate University Network can only build specialized skills and research capacity; India will then be a knowledge hub in emerging carbon markets and drive innovation in environmental education.
These carbon markets can promote sustainable urban development through waste management and clean transport projects. Indore, for example, now generates revenue by producing carbon credits from waste. It therefore supports India’s Smart Cities Mission by promoting low-carbon infrastructure and opening new revenue streams for urban bodies.
A strong carbon market in India will involve addressing many critical issues regarding market structure design, regulatory matters, and international compatibility. Overcoming these challenges is important in developing an efficient carbon market that can support Indian climate goals.
Indeed, it is very difficult to craft an efficient market structure due to diverse industrial capacities and emission intensities. Therefore, strategic policy decisions, balanced against the environmental goals against economic realities, shall be carried out in order to ward off any volatile price and maintain a market effective for strategic sectors of industry.
The most egregious gaps and weaknesses exist in data collection and verification systems, especially in SMEs that do not have technical capacity to precisely monitor their emissions. Baselines in a carbon market therefore need to be instituted credible; infrastructure must be strong; and capacity building is a priority.
Despite efforts from the side of legislation, such as with the Energy Conservation Amendment Act 2022, for example, regulatory gaps continue to exist. Programs such as the Green Credit Programme experience delays in implementation based on limited capacity. The orchestration of myriad agencies and strengthening of regulatory frameworks are critical in managing the intricate carbon market operations.
High compliance costs and technical capacity gaps relating particularly to MSMEs might make the same market distortive. This disadvantages specific types of sectors and regions in various ways. It necessitates targeted support and capacity building to enable them to participate in the market.
Aligning domestic markets to foreign standards while maintaining sovereignty is difficult. Continued debate on credit quality and carbon leakage necessitates prudent policy design in protecting national interests while being compatible with the international framework.
The main issues include problems of integrity in giving and double counting of credits. Verification problems characterize criticism of forestry credits, requiring clear ownership rights and mechanisms to track the credits. Overlaps demand complicated systems for the overlaps of various schemes.
Variability in the development and technical capacity in the industries creates equity issues. The states that have a high concentration of industry may dominate all market dynamics; whereas others, less developed, may incur disproportionate costs. Hence, the state needs to address this inequality to bring fair market benefits.
High technologies may expose the technological infrastructure and will provide poor cybersecurity, primarily in the risks related to such advanced affairs. Secure, open trading platforms and monitoring schemes cost investment to bridge the digital divide and access the market.
It tends to be astonishing by price manipulation and greenwashing; all these factors affect credibility and consumer trust. To fight these dangers, verification procedures must be strict, and carbon credits should show transparency.
Such strategic measures can be taken by India to speed up the development of its carbon market, therefore overcoming existing problems and developing a sound and healthy carbon market consistent with international practices and towards sustainable development.
| Political Factors: India’s updated climate commitments under the Paris Agreement drive the need for a structured domestic carbon market. With strong government support through renewable energy incentives and policies, India has a favorable environment for developing its carbon markets. Economic Factors: India’s carbon market promises substantial economic growth and job creation, with projections of over 200,000 jobs in verification, finance, and consulting. The market can attract significant foreign investments in green technology, reducing India’s dependence on fossil fuels. However, high compliance costs may deter smaller industries from participating unless offsetting incentives are provided. Social Factors: The carbon market can provide valuable benefits to communities, especially rural areas, by offering additional income opportunities through sustainable farming and forestry. It also opens up green job roles in verification and consulting. To gain acceptance, educating industries and the public on the benefits of carbon trading and emission reduction is essential. Technological Factors: India’s advanced digital infrastructure, including blockchain and AI, supports efficient, secure, and transparent carbon trading. Carbon pricing encourages industries to adopt cleaner technologies, increasing efficiency and reducing emissions. However, cybersecurity is critical to prevent market manipulation and ensure transaction credibility. Environmental Factors: India’s carbon market aligns with its emissions reduction goals by promoting low-carbon technologies across various industries. Additionally, it supports sustainable projects in renewable energy, waste management, and forestry conservation, ensuring that economic growth goes hand-in-hand with ecological preservation. Legal Factors: A clear and enforceable regulatory framework is necessary to govern carbon trading, uphold credit integrity, and prevent issues like double counting. Standards for data and emissions verification, especially for smaller enterprises, are essential to maintain transparency and credibility in the carbon market. Global alignment is also crucial, balancing international compliance with national interests. |
In this context, the carbon market in India is a very significant potential source of sustainable development. Challenges like the designing of markets, integrity of data, and regulatory frameworks are in effect leading to the creation of a rich and effective market in India. Green investments will be attracted through such reduction of emissions while making India a leader in action for climate. For UPSC aspirants, this is necessary in which to understand with the changing landscape: a policy in economics and environmental stewardship.
| UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs) Mains Q. What do you understand by ‘Standard Positioning Systems’ and ‘Precision Positioning Systems’ in the GPS era? Discuss the advantages India perceives from its ambitious IRNSS programme employing just seven satellites. (UPSC Mains 2015, GS Paper III) Q. Discuss the role of reusable spacecraft in revolutionizing space exploration. How have missions like Falcon Heavy and other private space ventures contributed to reducing costs and expanding accessibility to space? |
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