Identifying short-lived climate pollutant mitigation opportunities in India

Delhi Metro. Photo: Varun Shiv Kapur / Flickr

Ongoing

started:

2021

India has substantial capacity for planning to reduce air pollution and climate change and is taking action at the national, state and city levels. However, these strategies, like in many countries, still tend to be developed and implemented in silos. This project will provide decision makers an overview of integrated climate, air pollution and short-lived climate pollutant (SLCP) strategies and their potential to provide additional benefits for health, agricultural yields and sustainable development. It will work in consultation with air quality decision makers in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, as well as with stakeholders at the state level, where the measures will be implemented, and some of the country's key polluting sectors.

Objectives

This project aims to propose integrated climate, air pollution and SLCP strategies aligned with political priorities at different scales in India. Inevitably, the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic will be an important consideration. The project will also promote the advantages of addressing air pollution in a way that advances other development priorities, including climate change, and how such planning can save money and resources.

Why we’re doing this work

Action in India is essential to achieving the benefits estimated from SLCP mitigation. According to a UNEP/WMO assessment, of the 2.4 million premature deaths and 52 million tonnes of crop yield loss avoided from implementation of SLCP mitigation measures, 33% and 19% of these benefits would be achieved in India alone. Mitigating these pollutants can make a substantial contribution to improving health and food security in India and achieve key sustainable development goals, while contributing to slowing near-term climate change.

The Indian Government launched NCAP – the National Clean Air Programme – in 2019. The programme provides a roadmap to prevent, control and reduce air pollution, including cutting PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ emissions by 20-30% compared to 2017 levels by 2024. SLCP mitigation strategies can help achieve these goals.

Main activities

Preparing a background document

A document on the benefits that can be derived from integrated air pollution and climate strategies in India, including the benefits of SLCP-focused strategies will be prepared using concepts developed by the Coalition’s SNAP Initiative and look at the application of these strategies in the Indian context. It will also build on the recent TERI report, Co-benefits of Low Carbon Pathway on Air Quality, Human Health and Agricultural Productivity in India, considering key priorities in India, including the implementation of NCAP and recovery from the Covid-19 Pandemic. The Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment is sponsoring this background work.

The document will be used as a vehicle to engage with key decision makers, especially from central government and key research institutions, as well as representatives from state governments and the private sector.

A steering group composed of interested Coalition partners will provide advice during development of this activity.

Holding a stakeholder workshop

The team will organise a stakeholder workshop to present the key messages from the report and discuss how the recommendations can be taken forward. Members from the steering group will be invited to participate.