The saga of limiting the Scourge

In the Climate Change series, I have chronicled various discussions held from the first conference in Bonn to the 28th conference in Dubai. I have discussed the victories such as the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement and also the disappointments such as inadequate climate finance and insufficient transfer of technology. Be that as it may, our track record in meeting the global warming targets under Paris Agreement are looking increasingly challenging: the average global temperature is already 1.1 degrees Celsius warmer as compared to the pre-industrial levels. Keeping it within 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2050 looks unlikely. Even the 2 degrees Celsius target is looking very difficult. The other metric of parts per million of carbon dioxide is also not giving us a happy picture. The redline of 400 ppm of CO2, prescribed by IPCC has also been crossed: we are now at 411 ppm of CO2. In the next few articles, I will take up various initiatives being taken by governments and the private sector across the world to reduce emissions and limit global warming. Broadly, the initiatives are towards either mitigation or adaptation. Mitigation measures include efforts to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases and adaptation measures include efforts to adjust to the changes being brought forth by climate change. Both these measures have to go hand in hand to ensure a smooth transition to a future where global warming is controlled.

The mitigation measures are broadly of two types: those that prevent emissions from entering the atmosphere and those that remove carbon dioxide from the air. Activities of the first type include:

• Environment friendly manufacturing (particularly of cement, steel and plastics).
• Green transportation (electric vehicles and batteries).
• Clean power (solar, wind, nuclear, hydro, geothermal etc.)

There is a view that the above activities that prevent emissions, would not be sufficient to achieve the targets of the Paris Agreement. The activities of the second type, i.e. those that remove pre-existing greenhouse gases from the air, would also have to be undertaken. In other words, avoidance has to be accompanied by removal of emissions. (There is a contrary view which advocates that we focus on avoiding putting carbon dioxide in the air in the first place, rather than run to pluck it out of the air). These activities include:

• Direct Air Capture (DAC), which involves capturing carbon dioxide from the air and storing it away for thousands of years.
• Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW), which accelerates the natural process of rock weathering leading to dual advantages of locking up carbon dioxide and improving the fertility of the soil.
• Biochar is a solid carbon-rich material, which is produced from animal or plant waste. This waste is subjected to a thermochemical process such as pyrolysis and gets converted into a charcoal like substance called biochar. Biochar has a number of applications such as improving soil fertility. It is also considered as a carbon sink that absorbs CO2 and keeps it locked in for thousands of years.
• Blue carbon: Forests have been carbon sinks since long. Reforestation, Silvopasture, Cropland Agroforestry and expanding forest cover are straightforward ways to capture carbon. However, the role of mangroves and salt marshes in sequestering carbon is being discussed with interest. This is because of the far higher capacity of mangroves to capture carbon as compared to tropical forests.
• Increasing alkalinity of oceans: Similarly, oceans already capture carbon through the many algae, seaweed and phyto-planktons and through the natural process of CO2 dissolving in ocean water. These processes can be accelerated by adding certain minerals to seawater that react with dissolved CO2 and lock it away; or running an electric current through seawater to accelerate reactions that ultimately help extract CO2.

In addition to the above, I will also look at other initiatives that can be taken to reduce and remove carbon dioxide in sectors such as energy, agriculture and food, urban development, transport, land use and science and technology.

Conclusion

In the coming articles, we will continue to explore the various measures that avoid and remove CO2 from the atmosphere. We will also look at adaptation and mitigation measures.

The writer is Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Mass Education Extension and Library Services and Department of Cooperation, Government of West Bengal