COP26 comment: 'We shouldn't congratulate India too much on 2070 net zero target'

Professor Chris Hilson, Professor of Law and Director of the Centre for Climate and Justice, said:

"India’s net zero target by 2070 is later than all of the other major emitting countries. The reason it cannot be delivered earlier is because the nationalist Modi government has prioritised coal over renewables, nuclear, and gas.

"The significant taxes fossil fuels bring in to national and state governments are still often more appealing than the health of the environment and citizens. This says everything about the challenges the world faces in meeting emissions targets. The Indian government had choices, and it chose coal.

"While we rightly worry in the UK about one metallurgical coal mine being given planning permission, the Indian government has been running ongoing auctions to inject private capital into more than 67 coal mines. Tellingly, no foreign bidders have been attracted to this process, because they see no future for coal, which will increasingly become a stranded asset.

"In his COP26 speech, the Indian Prime Minister clearly identified the need for developed countries to commit more to climate finance (from $100 billion to a suggested $1 trillion per year) and for India to have space to develop. But it is a skewed form of development if millions continue to die every year from air pollution, significantly exacerbated by dirty coal-fired power stations that have repeatedly been allowed to avoid tighter national air pollution rules.

Coal mining has also come at a significant cost to the indigenous tribal communities in key coal belts, whose land – often rich in forest and biodiversity – has been under threat from the new private coal barons.

"There are also energy security reasons for moving away from coal. Just as Europe has faced significant gas shortages in the face of pandemic re-opening, so too India has seen a coal supply shortage – exacerbated by its reliance on coal imports which have rocketed in price in recent months.

"While India itself is keen to reduce reliance on imports, it should be wary of replacing these with domestic coal production. If it wants its heavy industries to remain competitive internationally, it may well be forced by measures like carbon border taxes to move away from coal earlier, at least in those industries.

"India’s net zero target is positive, but clear targets for shutting down coal mines and power stations by 2050 would have been something to genuinely celebrate."