Explained | What is Long-Term Low Emissions and Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) and what India’s LT-LEDS submission at COP27 consists of  

All nations are obligated to submit a strategy document outlining their plans in the long term to combat global warming before the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in accordance with the historic Paris Agreement of 2015. Long-Term Low Emissions and Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) is the term for these strategies.

The Paris Agreement in Article 4, states, “All Parties should strive to formulate and communicate long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies, mindful of Article 2 taking into account their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of different national circumstances.”

Further, COP 26 at Glasgow in November 2021, urged countries that have not yet done so to communicate their LT-LEDS by COP 27 (November 2022). Just 56 countries have so far submitted their LT-LEDS and India is the last of the world’s five largest economies to do so.

India’s long-term decarbonization plan

India submitted its Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), during the 27th Conference of Parties (COP27) on 14 November, 2022. The Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy was launched by the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav, who is leading the Indian delegation to COP 27, being held at Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt from 6-18 November, 2022.

“The two themes of ‘climate justice’ and ‘sustainable lifestyles’, alongside the principles of Equity and Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC), in the light of national circumstances, that India had emphasized at Paris, are at the heart of a low-carbon, low-emissions future,” the official statement said. 

“Similarly, the LT-LEDS has been prepared in the framework of India’s right to an equitable and fair share of the global carbon budget, which is the practical implementation of India’s call for climate justice. This is essential to ensure that there are no constraints on realizing India’s vision of rapid growth and economic transformation, while protecting the environment,” the statement added. 

India also highlighted that the LT-LEDS is also informed by the vision of LiFE, (Lifestyle for the Environment) that India has launched as a part of its fight against climate change. Life calls for a world-wide paradigm shift from mindless and destructive consumption to mindful and deliberate utilization.

Salient Features of Indian Strategy 

The official release on the occasion stated that the Indian strategy will focus on the rational utilization of national resources with due regard to energy security. The transitions from fossil fuels will be undertaken in a just, smooth, sustainable and all-inclusive manner, the statement said.

India’s LT-LEDS focuses on six key areas in terms of reducing emissions including electricity, urbanization, transport, finance, forests and industry. 

Electricity – Green Hydrogen

India is to become a green hydrogen hub according to the National Hydrogen Mission, which was established in 2021. Along with the overall development of the power sector, other Indian milestones planned include the quick expansion of green hydrogen generation, a rise in the nation’s electrolyser manufacturing capacity, and a tripling of nuclear capacity by 2032.

Transport Sector

The effort to enhance the penetration of electric vehicles, the greater use of green hydrogen fuel, and the growing use of biofuels, particularly the blending of ethanol in gasoline, are expected to propel the low-carbon development of the transportation sector in India. India wants to increase the use of electric vehicles, blend 20% ethanol by 2025, and move much more people and goods to public transportation.

Sustainable Urbanization

India looks to introduce future sustainable and climate-resilient urban development which will be fueled by smart city initiatives, integrated city planning for mainstreaming adaptation and enhancing energy and resource efficiency, effective green building codes, and swift advancements in innovative solid and liquid waste management. 

Industry

India envisages rapid expansion of the industrial sector along the lines of  “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” and “Make in India”. It feels that energy security, access to energy, and employment shouldn’t be impacted by low-carbon development transitions in the sector, the official release stated. The Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme, the National Hydrogen Mission, a high level of electrification in all pertinent processes and activities, improving material efficiency and recycling to expand the circular economy, and exploring options for challenging-to-abate sectors like steel, cement, aluminium, and others will be the main points of emphasis, added the release. 

Forests

India’s forest and tree cover serve as a net sink, absorbing 15% of global CO2 emissions in 2016 and by 2030, India will have achieved its NDC goal of sequestering 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of extra carbon in forests and other vegetative covers, the statement said. 

Climate Finance

India stated that the transition to low carbon development pathway will entail several costs pertaining to the development of new technologies, new infrastructure, and other transaction costs which fall generally in the range of trillions of dollars by 2050. It said that the provision of climate finance by developed countries will play a very significant role and needs to be considerably enhanced, in the form of grants and concessional loans, ensuring scale, scope and speed, predominantly from public sources, in accordance with the principles of the UNFCCC.  

Four Keys that underpin India’s LT-LEDS

India’s approach is based on the following four key considerations that underpin its long-term low-carbon development strategy:

1. India has contributed little to global warming, its historical contribution to cumulative global GHG emissions being minuscule despite having a share of ~17% of the world’s population.

2. India has significant energy needs for development.

3. India is committed to pursuing low-carbon strategies for development and is actively pursuing them, as per national circumstances

4. India needs to build climate resilience.