Hindi English Translation || Editorial || A climate dividend: On India, net zero and energy transition

A climate dividend: On India, net zero and energy transition

While a net zero commitment can be avoided, India stands to gain from an energy transition (ऊर्जा संक्रमण)

As it prepares to face pressure at the COP26 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow, India is adopting the stand (खड़ा होना, प्रतीक होना) that a national deadline for net zero carbon dioxide emissions is uncalled for (अनावश्यक, अनुचित), given (दिया गया, विचार करना, ध्यान में रखना) its moral claim to a far greater share of the remaining global carbon budget (the cumulative amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions permitted over a period of time to keep within a certain temperature threshold (upper limit)). The budget, which represents the estimated volume of future emissions that will allow global average temperature rise to be kept within safe limits — well below 2° C or 1.5° C under the Paris Agreement — must anyway be shared by all countries. Since China, the U.S. and the EU collective (सामूहिक, समुदाय), representing the highest emissions, are expected to occupy a big share of the remaining budget calculated at between 420-580 Gigatonnes (a measure of the strength of an explosion or a bomb based on how many billion tons of TNT would be needed to produce the same energy) of CO2, India will again rely on (पर भरोसा, पर निर्भर, सहारा लेना) its historical energy poverty (ऊर्जा गरीबी), underdevelopment (अविकसित, विकास जारी है) and low per capita emissions to convince the world that a net zero target is incongruous (contradictory, irreconcilable, clashing/conflicting) with the present reality. Yet, as the Centre must acknowledge (स्वीकार करना, एहसास करना), a minimalist approach is not an option, given the global repercussions (प्रतिक्रिया, परिणाम, प्रभाव) of emissions for all vulnerable (endangered, unsafe, unprotected, unguarded, ill-protected; easily affected by, prone to, at risk of) nations, and India’s own alarming losses from periodic (सामयिक, आवर्तक) extreme weather events. It can seek (मांगना, कोशिश करना, लक्ष्य बनाना) convergence (coming together, union, confluence) with the world on identifying green growth pathways, aligning (संरेखित, सहयोग करना) future investments with a smart recovery plan for COVID-19, embracing (welcome, accept, support, back) renewable energy more widely and averting (टालना, रोकना, बचना) long-term lock-in effects (it is a practice, where a company makes it extremely hard for their customers to leave them/switch to a new provider, even if the customer wants to) of fossil fuel dependence in energy generation, buildings, mobility (transportability) and so on.

An immediate leap (jump, rush, hurry) into net zero may yet be avoided, and a core message at Glasgow would be that rich countries are yet to deliver on the promised $100 billion a year from 2020 to help poor nations adapt to climate change; but India’s case can be strengthened (reinforce, fortify, bolster, buttress, underpin) only with a clear plan for a multi-sectoral energy transition. There is little evidence, for instance (as an example), that the indirect carbon tax (a tax levied on the carbon contents used by the burning fossil fuels (gasoline, natural gas, coal and oil) so as to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide) released into atmosphere) in the form of very high levies on automotive fuels has been earmarked (set aside, set apart, save, reserve, designate (for a particular purpose)) for a big green push (drive, initiative) through affordable electric mobility, or even a financial dividend (लाभांश, भाग, इनाम) to all citizens to mitigate (alleviate, reduce, diminish, lessen) inflationary price effects on essential consumption. As national scientific advisers have argued in a joint statement on the eve of (a period or day before an important event) the UN climate conference — and to which India’s Principal Scientific Adviser is a signatory — it is essential for governments to draw up (prepare a plan of action in detail) precise technological, socio-economic (relating to the interaction of social (position, rank, or importance) and economic (income, pay, and wealth) aspects), and financial policies and requirements to demonstrate a commitment to the 1.5°C goal. The country must seize the moment (to make the most of today (present moment); to take full advantage (of opportunities)) and present convincing plans that will be rolled out (launch, introduce, organize, inaugurate (something officially)) in the present decade (a period of ten years) in order to attract climate finance (it refers to local, national or transnational financing-drawn from public, private and alternative sources of financing-that seeks to support mitigation and adaptation actions that will address climate change), even while buttressing (confirm, defend, back up, uphold, support, strengthen, reinforce, fortify) the argument for a medium-term window to taper down carbon emissions. If severe floods, droughts (dry spell, dry period, lack of rain, shortage of water) and more frequent storms erode ((gradually) undermine, weaken, spoil, deteriorate, destroy) the assets of citizens, governments of the future will have to pay for lack of (shortage, absence, deficiency) foresight today.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.dividend (noun)

Hindi Meaning - लाभांश, भाग, इनाम
English Meaning - benefit, advantage, reward, gain; share, portion, percentage.

2.energy transition (noun)

Hindi Meaning - ऊर्जा संक्रमण
English Meaning - the shift from an energy mix based on fossil fuels to one that produces very limited, if not zero, carbon emissions, based on renewable energy sources.

3.stand (verb)

Hindi Meaning - खड़ा होना, प्रतीक होना
English Meaning - be in a particular situation (where one is likely to do/get something).

4.uncalled for (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अनावश्यक, अनुचित
English Meaning - unnecessary, unneeded, inessential.

5.given (preposition)

Hindi Meaning - दिया गया, विचार करना, ध्यान में रखना
English Meaning - considering, taking into account, bearing in mind.

6.collective (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सामूहिक, समुदाय
English Meaning - cooperative, community.

7.avert (verb)

Hindi Meaning - टालना, रोकना, बचना
English Meaning - prevent, stop, avoid.

8.rely on (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - पर भरोसा, पर निर्भर, सहारा लेना
English Meaning - depend on; resort to, have recourse to.

9.energy poverty (noun)

Hindi Meaning - ऊर्जा गरीबी
English Meaning - it is defined as the absence of sufficient choice in accessing adequate, affordable, reliable, high quality, safe and environmentally benign energy services to support economic and human development.

10.underdevelopment (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अविकसित, विकास जारी है
English Meaning - it is low level of development characterized by low real per capita income, widespread poverty, lower level of literacy, low life expectancy and underutilisation of resources, etc.

11.acknowledge (verb)

Hindi Meaning - स्वीकार करना, एहसास करना
English Meaning - admit, accept, confess, recognize, realize.

12.repercussion (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिक्रिया, परिणाम, प्रभाव
English Meaning - consequence, result, effect, outcome, reverberation, fallout.

13.periodic (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - सामयिक, आवर्तक
English Meaning - regular, recurrent, repeated, cyclical.

14.seek (verb)

Hindi Meaning - मांगना, कोशिश करना, लक्ष्य बनाना
English Meaning - try, aim, attempt to obtain something.

15.align (verb)

Hindi Meaning - संरेखित, सहयोग करना
English Meaning - place, position, put, team up, band together, cooperate, collaborate.

16.net zero emissions/carbon neutrality (noun)

English Meaning - it means annual zero net CO2 emissions; Carbon neutrality means every ton of anthropogenic (human-caused or influenced) CO2 emitted is compensated with an equivalent amount of CO2 removed (e.g. via carbon sink or carbon sequestration).

17.26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) (noun)

English Meaning - The 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is expected to take place from 01-12 November 2021, in Glasgow, UK. The COP26 summit will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

18.The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (noun)

English Meaning - The UNFCCC entered into force on 21 March 1994. Today, it has near-universal membership. The 197 countries that have ratified the Convention are called Parties to the Convention. Preventing “dangerous” human interference with the climate system is the ultimate aim of the UNFCCC.

19.stand (noun)

English Meaning - stance, viewpoint, standpoint, perspective, position.

20.carbon budget (noun)

English Meaning - the cumulative amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions permitted over a period of time to keep within a certain temperature threshold (upper limit).

21.Climate Treaty or Paris Agreement/Accord/pact (noun)

English Meaning - The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at COP 21 in Paris, on 12 December 2015 and entered into force on 4 November 2016. Its goal is to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.

22.gigatonne (noun)

English Meaning - a measure of the strength of an explosion or a bomb based on how many billion tons of TNT would be needed to produce the same energy.

23.per capita (adverb & adjective)

English Meaning - per person, for each; relating to each person.

24.incongruous (adjective)

English Meaning - contradictory, irreconcilable, clashing/conflicting.

25.minimalist (adjective)

English Meaning - supporting moderate political policies.

26.vulnerable (adjective)

English Meaning - endangered, unsafe, unprotected, unguarded, ill-protected; easily affected by, prone to, at risk of.

27.alarming (adjective)

English Meaning - worrying, disturbing, shocking/distressing.

28.convergence (noun)

English Meaning - coming together, union, confluence.

29.green (adjective)

English Meaning - environmentally friendly, ecologically sound, energy-efficient.

30.embrace (verb)

English Meaning - welcome, accept, support, back.

31.renewable energy (noun)

English Meaning - clean energy, green energy; energy generated from natural resources (such as water, wind & solar energy).

32.lock-in effect (noun)

English Meaning - it is a practice, where a company makes it extremely hard for their customers to leave them/switch to a new provider, even if the customer wants to.

33.fossil fuel (noun)

English Meaning - non renewable resources (or fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas are formed from the buried/deposited organic materials).

34.mobility (noun)

English Meaning - transportability.

35.and so on (phrase)

English Meaning - among others, et cetera., etc.

36.leap (noun)

English Meaning - jump, rush, hurry.

37.climate change (noun)

English Meaning - a long-term change in the Earth’s climate, or of a region on Earth (Courtesy: NASA).

38.strengthen (verb)

English Meaning - reinforce, fortify, bolster, buttress, underpin

39.for instance (phrase)

English Meaning - as an example.

40.carbon tax (noun)

English Meaning - a tax levied on the carbon contents used by the burning fossil fuels (gasoline, natural gas, coal and oil) so as to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide) released into atmosphere.

41.levy (noun)

English Meaning - imposition, charging (a tax, fee, fine).

42.earmark (verb)

English Meaning - set aside, set apart, save, reserve, designate (for a particular purpose).

43.push (noun)

English Meaning - drive, initiative.

44.affordable (adjective)

English Meaning - economical, inexpensive, reasonably priced.

45.mitigate (verb)

English Meaning - alleviate, reduce, diminish, lessen.

46.Inflationary/price/cost pressures (noun)

English Meaning - the demand and supply-side pressures that can cause a rise in the general price level; cost-push inflation, hot-economy, deficit finance.

47.on the eve of (phrase)

English Meaning - a period or day before an important event.

48.signatory (noun)

English Meaning - the person who signed an official document/agreement.

49.draw up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - prepare a plan of action in detail.

50.precise (adjective)

English Meaning - exact, accurate, specific.

51.socio-economic (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the interaction of social (position, rank, or importance) and economic (income, pay, and wealth) aspects.

52.seize (verb)

English Meaning - take hold of, snatch, grab, capture (suddenly); to take an opportunity decisively.

53.seize the moment (phrase)

English Meaning - to make the most of today (present moment); to take full advantage (of opportunities).

54.roll out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - launch, introduce, organize, inaugurate (something officially).

55.decade (noun)

English Meaning - a period of ten years.

56.in order to (phrase)

English Meaning - with the purpose/aim of.

57.climate finance (noun)

English Meaning - it refers to local, national or transnational financing-drawn from public, private and alternative sources of financing-that seeks to support mitigation and adaptation actions that will address climate change.

58.buttress (verb)

English Meaning - confirm, defend, back up, uphold, support, strengthen, reinforce, fortify.

59.window (noun)

English Meaning - opportunity, chance, opening.

60.taper off/down (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - decrease, lessen, reduce something gradually.

61.drought (noun)

English Meaning - dry spell, dry period, lack of rain, shortage of water.

62.storm (noun)

English Meaning - low-pressure weather system; cyclone.

63.erode (verb)

English Meaning - (gradually) undermine, weaken, spoil, deteriorate, destroy.