PM committed to net-zero carbon emission by 2070

New Delhi, Nov 3: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed to net-zero carbon emission by 2070. Modi made the surprise announcement at the UN COP26 climate summit in Glasgow on Tuesday. Modi said, the ‘No Emission’ target by 2070 was one of five measures the country planned to undertake to meet its commitments under the Paris climate accord. It is more important for the world to lay out credible pathways to reduce emissions. Mr Modi defended India as having stuck to its climate pledges "in spirit and letter".He noted that though India represented 17 per cent of the world's population, it was "responsible for only 5 per cent of global emissions".  India expects wealthy countries to give $US1 trillion ($1.33 trillion) in climate-finance, far more than the $US100 billion ($132 billion) promised but not yet delivered. Modi told other world leaders that India would increase the share of renewables in its energy mix from about 38 per cent last year to 50 per cent by 2030. "India has increased its non-fossil fuel energy by 25 per cent, and this now represents 40 per cent of our energy mix," he told leaders.  "More people travel on the Indian railways every year than the entire population of the world. This huge railway system has committed to attain net zero by 2030. This initiative alone will reduce carbon emissions by 60 million tonnes annually." The PM also called for a global push to adopt sustainable lifestyles. However, The United States, Britain, the European Union and Australia have set a target date of 2050 to reach net zero, while China, Russia and Saudi Arabia have set targets of 2060.  Scientists say the world needs to halve global emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050 to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Only last week, India, currently the world's third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after China and the United States, rejected calls for a net zero carbon emissions target.