Editorial: Wages of climate change

We no longer have the luxury of putting off till tomorrow what we must do today

The writing on the wall is very clear. The scorching heat wave currently sweeping large swathes of India, with intensity increasing year after year, is a grim reminder of the dangers of climate change, a result of the unbridled exploitation of natural resources like coal and other fossil fuels. Such intense heat waves are the clearest indicator that climate change impacts the entire world. Over the last few years, the spring season has shrunk in most parts of the country. Experts emphasise the need to take concrete measures to protect the most vulnerable from the scorching temperatures. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has now warned that heatwave spells could last 10-20 days, instead of four to eight days in the past. This year, several parts of south India experienced a hotter-than-usual March. Climate change has resulted in increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. For every additional increment of global warming, changes in extremes will continue to be larger. For too long, India has been slow off the blocks on this critical front. During the Climate Summit in Glasgow in November 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced enhanced climate targets for India — increasing the non-fossil energy capacity to 500 gigawatts and meeting 50% of the country’s energy needs through renewable sources by 2030. However, there are fears that this deadline will be missed as many States are not doing enough to substantially increase their non-fossil energy capacity.

It is baffling that solar energy’s vast potential remains underexploited in a country which witnesses sunny days for most of the year. The emissions caused by the burning of coal and other fossil fuels are worsening the situation. One of the world’s major consumers of coal, India needs to expedite its phase-out plans for this polluting fuel, overdependence on which can spell disaster. The most effective way of making that switch is to generate energy from sustainable sources like wind and solar. To switch to clean energy, the country must invest heavily in R&D and chalk out clear plans that are environmentally friendly for sectors like infrastructure, transport, industrial production and forestry. The country’s food security can also come under threat if immediate efforts are not made to sensitise farmers about opting for climate-smart practices like judiciously using fast-dwindling natural resources. The heat has already started to singe us and we no longer have the luxury of putting off till tomorrow what we must do today to arrest the slide. All the States are supposed to have put in place Heat Action Plans (HAPs) focused on creating an early warning system, increasing the capacity of healthcare professionals, promoting adaptive measures in workplaces and creating awareness. However, these are not updated regularly and do not have regular budgets to cater to the needs of the most vulnerable sections of society.