Decarbonisation of Indian Economy

Decarbonisation refers to the reduction of carbon emissions in different sectors of the economy, which is essential for mitigating climate change and promoting sustainable development.

The Brundtland Report in 1987 defined sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. The concept of sustainable development nowadays has a focus on economic development, social development and environmental protection for future generations. Sustainable development was first institutionalized with the Rio Process initiated at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

 

UFCCC The UNFCCC secretariat (UN Climate Change) is the United Nations entity tasked with supporting the global response to the threat of climate change. UNFCCC stands for United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The UNFCCC, signed in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development also known as the Earth Summit, the Rio Summit or the Rio Conference The Convention has near universal membership (197 Parties) and is the parent treaty of the 2015 Paris Agreement. It is also the parent treaty of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.   The Conference of the Parties (COP) Article 7.2 defines the COP as the “supreme body” of the Convention, as it is its highest decision-making authority. The climate change process revolves around the annual sessions of the COP.   Kyoto Protocol The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement linked to the UNFCCC, which commits its parties by setting internationally binding emission reduction targets.  The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan in 1997 and entered into force in 2005. It recognized that developed countries are principally responsible for the current high levels of GHG emissions in the atmosphere as a result of more than 150 years of industrial activity.  The detailed rules for the implementation of the Protocol were adopted at COP-7 in Marrakesh, in 2001 and are referred to as the Marrakesh Accords. Kyoto Protocol Phase-1 (2005-12) gave the target of cutting down emissions by 5%. Phase- 2 (2013-20) gave the target of reducing emissions by at least 18% by the industrialized countries.

 

India, being one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters globally, has committed to reducing its carbon footprint by 33-35% by 2030 under the Paris Climate Agreement.

Paris Agreement on Climate Change It is a legally binding global agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that was adopted in 2015. It was adopted in UNFCCC COP21.  It aims to combat climate change and limit global warming to well below 2 degree C above pre-industrial levels, with an ambition to limit warming to 1.5-degree C. It replaced the Kyoto Protocol which was an earlier agreement to deal with climate change. Under the Paris Agreement, each country is required to submit and update their Nationally Determined Contributions every 5 years, outlining their plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change.   India’s NDC PM of India made 5 pledges at COP 26 held at Glasgow.

 

India is the third largest aggregate emitter in the world. Emissions are expected to grow by 5x if emissions continue to grow at the historical rate of 5%. India is home to 1/6th of the world’s population but historically has accounted for only 3.3% of cumulative global emissions.

The NITI Aayog report identifies four key sectors that contribute significantly to carbon emissions in India:

1. Power: The power sector is responsible for almost half of the country’s total emissions.
2. Industry: The industry sector is the second-largest emitter of carbon dioxide, accounting for around one-fifth of the country’s total emissions.
3. Transport: The transport sector accounts for around 15% of the country’s total emissions.
4. Buildings: The buildings sector is responsible for around 8% of the country’s total emissions.

 

Need for Decarbonisation

• Based on the current policy pathway defined by countries worldwide, the earth is expected to be 2.7-3.5°C warmer than pre-industrial temperature levels by the end of this century.
• India ranked 7th in the world’s most affected countries by climate change in 2019.
• India made the historic announcement of reaching Net Zero by the year 2070 but there is a need for more energy intake as the Indian economy clocks high growth rates over coming decades.

 

 

 

 

Three Parent baby

Recently, a baby was born using three persons’ DNA in the UK.

 

Mitochondrial Disease

Mitochondria are membrane-bound cell organelles (mitochondrion, singular) that generate most of the chemical energy needed to power the cell’s biochemical reactions. Chemical energy produced by the mitochondria is stored in a small molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

 

Certain defects might occur impacting on the way the mitochondria produces energy for the cells and thereby impacting cell function. When the mitochondria are impaired and do not produce sufficient energy, that affects how the organs function, leading to a broad assortment of symptoms across the body, including brain damage, organ failure and muscle wastage. The diseases that arise out of such mitochondrial mutations are called mitochondrial diseases.

Mitochondrial diseases are only passed on by the mother.

Mechanisms for this include simple dilution (an egg contains on average 200,000 mtDNA molecules, whereas a healthy human sperm was reported to contain on average 5 molecules. Most mitochondria are present at the base of the sperm’s tail, which is used for propelling the sperm cells; sometimes the tail is lost during fertilization.

 

How a 3 parent baby is produced?

 

Through an advanced In Vitro Fertilisation technique the baby’s biological father’s sperm was used to fertilise the eggs from the biological mother, who has a mitochondrial disease, and a third, female donor with clear mitochondria, separately.

Then, the nuclear genetic material from the donor’s egg is removed and replaced with the genetic material from the biological parents’. The final product – the egg – which has the genetic material (DNA) from the parents, and the mitochondria from the female donor, is implanted in the uterus, and carried to full term to yield a baby who will be free from the mother’s mitochondrial disease. This process is termed Mitochondrial Donation Treatment (MDT).

 

Ethics of Designer Baby

Genetic engineering involves the direct manipulation of an organism’s genes using biotechnology. In the case of human genetic engineering, this can involve editing the DNA of embryos, sperm, or eggs to introduce or remove specific genes. Several gene-editing techniques have been developed over the years, with the advent of CRISPR-Cas9, a revolutionary gene-editing tool, significantly changing the landscape of genetic engineering.

Two types of editing

1. Somatic Editing
2. Germline Editing

Somatic means changing genes in some of the cells of an existing person in a way that does not impact their reproductive cells, and germline means changing the genes in someone’s offspring and, ultimately and in a small way, the human species.

Germline editing is particularly controversial as the changes made to the genetic material can be passed down to future generations, potentially affecting the human gene pool.

 

Potential benefits

Proponents of human genetic engineering argue that the technology has the potential to eliminate or reduce the risk of many genetic diseases.

This could lead to healthier individuals and reduce the burden on healthcare systems.

Additionally, genetic engineering could be used to select for traits that may be beneficial, such as increased intelligence or athletic ability, potentially leading to a more capable and productive society.

 

Eugenics is the scientifically erroneous and immoral theory of “racial improvement” and “planned breeding,” which gained popularity during the early 20th century. Eugenicists worldwide believed that they could perfect human beings and eliminate so-called social ills through genetics and heredity.

 

Ethical Concerns

• Informed consent: embryos, sperm cells and egg cells cannot provided consent for the procedure.
• Social Inequality: genetically enhanced individuals with significant advantages over those who cannot afford the technology.
• Economic Inequality: This could lead to a further widening of the gap between the rich and the poor.
• It will promote Eugenics
• What will happen to disabled people?
• Long term effects of gene editing