India aims to compel developed nations to pursue a ‘carbon-negative‘ stance by 2050, rather than simply ‘carbon-neutral.’ The argument is that this approach would afford emerging market economies more time to utilize fossil fuels for developmental needs, according to two Indian government sources. India plans to present this proposal at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai later this year.
One of the government officials explained, “The rich countries should become net negative emitters before 2050 to enable the world to achieve the target of global net-zero by that year while allowing developing nations to use the available natural resources for growth.”
While developed countries like the United States, Britain, Canada, and Japan are aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050, China has committed to achieving this goal by 2060, and India has set a target of 2070. Net zero, or carbon neutrality, means balancing the release of carbon dioxide with equivalent removal measures. Carbon-negative goes a step further, requiring a country to remove more CO2 from the atmosphere than it emits.
These discussions at COP28 are taking place amidst a backdrop of extreme weather events, heatwaves, erratic monsoons, and calls from scientists for immediate action.
India remains steadfast in resisting the pressure from developed economies to establish a deadline for phasing out fossil fuels. Instead, it advocates a shift towards reducing overall carbon emissions through “abatement and mitigation technologies.” The sources requested anonymity as these discussions are private, and the final position has yet to be determined.