Climate change is no longer an invisible threat. Its impacts are visible from metropolitan cities to far-flung villages and from hilly areas to coastal regions. The consequences of climate change manifest in different forms – heatwaves, excess rainfall, droughts, floods, cyclones etc.
2023 was the warmest year on record since the 1850-1900 pre-industrial period. Though the record heat may have been exacerbated the El Nino climate phenomenon that recently concluded, the atmospheric heat as well as unprecedented sea-surface temperatures nonetheless have become a matter of concern. Scientists are trying to figure out whether the events of 2023 were an anomaly or has the planet begun to enter uncharted territory as far as climate change is concerned.
Amid such concerns, Indians are voting in the General Election this year to pick a government that will rule them for the next five years. In the next five years, a lot could change on our planet as far as climate and weather are concerned. The question is - is climate change an important issue for the two major parties in fray? On paper, yes. Both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the opposition Congress have in their Lok Sabha Election 2024 manifestos mentioned the climate crisis. However, whether the issue is an important one for them to fight an election on is debatable. None of the two parties has highlighted climate change as an issue upfront on their documents of intent.
For both the BJP and the Congress, employment, price rise, health, infrastructure, social justice etc continue to remain major issues on which the world’s biggest-ever election is being fought. However, the mere mention of climate change, the transition to renewable energy and fossil fuels raises hope that the incoming government will continue to work on mitigating the climate crisis.
In this context, let’s look at what the BJP and Congress have said on climate change in their manifestos:
BJP Manifesto On Climate Change
The changing climate makes nations prone to natural disasters of unprecedented scale and the incumbent BJP has promised to work towards a disaster-resilient India where casualties and losses will be minimised. The party has also promised to launch a National Atmospheric Mission, to be called ‘Mausam’, to make the country “weather ready” and “climate smart”.
The PM Narendra Modi-led party has also reiterated its commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2070 by taking several steps including increasing the non-fossil fuel capacity for power generation. The party has further promised to expand the Green Credit Programme to meet decarbonization requirements and to increase tree cover in order to meet carbon sink target.
The party, if it returns to power, has set a target of 2047 to achieve energy independence. It is noteworthy that India will mark 100 years of independence in the year 2047.
“We will achieve energy independence for Bharat by 2047 and reduce petroleum imports through a mix of electric mobility, network of charging stations, renewable energy production and improving energy efficiency,” says the party manifesto, talking about the ambitious goal.
Acceleration of transition to renewable energy and expansion of solar energy use are some other points on which the BJP has stressed upon in its manifesto.
Of late, during the Monsoon season, hill states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have been witnessing increasing instances of landslides and excessive rainfall due to climate-induced changes. In its manifesto, the BJP has talked about sustainable development of hill states by working with states and local bodies on a special master plan that will help these regions preserve their pristine beauty and biodiversity. The party has also promised to strategically manage Himalayan rivers to mitigate the devastating effects of floods.
The BJP manifesto also stresses upon sustainable development of cities so that these urban clusters are more adaptable and people-friendly. Further, the party’s aim is also to develop resilient infrastructure along the coast.
What Congress Will Do To Tackle Climate Crisis
The Congress party, which has ruled the country for a majority of the period since independence, on the other hand mentions in its manifesto how its previous governments have looked at the issue with all the seriousness it deserves and notes the National Action Plan on Climate Change that was formulated when Dr Manmohan Singh was heading the UPA government. The Congress, while accusing the successive BJP governments of weakening policies related to environment and climate, reiterates addressing these challenges in a serious manner.
The party has promised to set up an independent Environment Protection and Climate Change Authority to “establish, monitor and enforce environmental standards and to enforce the National and State Climate Change plans”. It will also launch a Green New Deal Investment Programme focused on renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure and the creation of green jobs if it comes to power.
Further, the Congress also plans to constitute the Green Transition Fund of India with the help of state governments and the private sector in order to secure funding for Green Transition and to achieve the goal of net zero emissions by 2070.
Additionally, the Congress also aims to transform the National Action Plan on Climate Change (2008) into a National Climate Resilience Development Mission.
The party will further closely look into the aspect of increased instances of landslides in hilly areas and undertake corrective measures. The party has also promised measures to tackle air and river pollution as well as to enhance the forest cover in the country. The Congress will redefine ‘forest’ and ‘forest cover’ in accordance with modern scientific standards, and take help of local communities in afforestation efforts.
