Dr Ajay Mathur, Director General, The Energy Resources Institute (TERI) addressed the THNK Lecture of The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry on 10th January 2018. The topic was ‘Climate – The New Paradigm?’ His address commenced with the key decisions of COP 21 and Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). His narration highlighted the importance of business and social decisions through the climate lens.

Nationally determined contributions are national plans of action, identifying each country’s goals to restrict global temperature rise to less than 2oC; as close to 1.5oC.

India also pledged to reduce carbon emission intensity. It was decided that Carbon Dioxide emitted per rupee would be reduced. It allowed India to commit in the line of its development plans. It was determined that 40% of the total installed capacity would be in renewables by 2030.

The summation of INDCs of all the countries which pledged, did not add up to the required reduction. 2030 emissions were expected to reach 54 to 56 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent – far above the level of 42 needed to have a chance of limiting global warming to 2oC this century.

The unique feature of COP 21 was that each country would monitor and report its actions and the global community would carry out a “stocktake” in 2023 (and a rehearsal in 2018). Countries would revise their NDCs in the light of their own achievements and global need.

This would cut across all economic activities, of the countries involved, influencing Carbon Dioxide emission. This way, climate became the focal point of all key policies and decisions.

Technology would play a major role for emission reduction. Storage would be a crucial factor. Investments in low carbon technologies would shape demand-supply graph. National goals and public perceptions would together influence investment eco-system.

Interestingly, climate is becoming the rationale in the areas it is not the driver. Dr Mathur shared some case studies like aforestry solutions for food security and climate change challenges in Africa and gender equality in Peru. In Hasselt, Belgium, and Oslo, Norway, major programmes to promote electric vehicles had been introduced. It has also been reported that climate change is the rationale for foreign policy as well. In the developing world, nature and growth are often at odds. Ugandan geographer Shuaib Lwasa lamented how his hometown of Kampala sees new construction as the best course of action for environmental impact.

Climate has become the rationale to introduce new ideas and actions in the public discourse.