The Hindu Editorials Summary : WTO’s Investment Facilitation Negotiations: A Dispute
GS-2 Mains
Short Notes or Revision Notes
Question : Evaluate the potential of plurilateral agreements like IFD in revitalizing the WTO’s legislative function and suggest strategies for addressing the deadlock in decision-making processes.
Context:
- 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) did not adopt the Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) agreement.
IFD Agreement
- Proposed trade agreement by WTO.
- Aims to create binding provisions for smoother investment flows.
- Requires increased regulatory transparency and predictability for investments.
- Open to all WTO members (over 100 countries support it).
- India did not participate in negotiations.
India’s Concerns
- Agreement may require:
- Increased regulatory transparency.
- Streamlined procedures for foreign investment.
- Does not include:
- Market access provisions.
- Investment protection.
- Investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS).
- India, with South Africa, opposed including IFD in WTO rules.
- India’s main concerns:
- Whether investment belongs in the WTO framework (investment vs. trade).
- The process used to create the IFD agreement.
ISDS (Investor-State Dispute Settlement)
- System for investors to sue countries over discriminatory practices against foreign investment.
- Seen as a tool to encourage foreign investment.
- Included in many bilateral investment treaties (BITs).
Investment vs. Trade
- India argues investment is not inherently trade-related.
- Investment may or may not lead to cross-border trade.
- OECD data shows 70% of international trade occurs through global value chains (investment and trade linked).
- Modern trade agreements (RCEP, CPTPP) often include investment provisions.
- India’s new agreement with EFTA also has investment provisions (limited to facilitation and promotion).
Process Concerns
- India argues there was no mandate for WTO to negotiate on investment.
- They believe the IFD negotiations and resulting text are illegal since all countries didn’t agree.
- India is correct that there’s a negative mandate against launching negotiations on the trade-investment relationship.
Way Forward
- WTO needs to update rules for the complex world of international trade.
- Deadlocked decision-making process hinders progress.
- Plurilateral Agreements (PAs) like the IFD could help revive the WTO’s legislative function.
- India, soon to be the world’s third-largest economy, should reconsider its approach to PAs.
The Hindu Editorials Summary : Sustainable Building Materials in India’s Construction Boom
GS-3 Mains
Short Notes or Revision Notes
Question : Discuss the role of sustainable building materials in India’s construction boom, considering the country’s energy consumption, environmental impact, and climate change concerns.
Introduction
- India’s booming construction sector (300,000+ housing units annually) is a major energy consumer (33% of India’s electricity usage).
- This contributes to environmental degradation and climate change.
- The India Cooling Action Plan projects an eight-fold increase in cooling demand by 2037.
- Energy-efficient buildings are crucial for thermal comfort and reduced cooling needs.
Energy Efficiency in Buildings
- Addressing energy inefficiency is essential due to rising energy demand from:
- Economic growth
- Urbanization
- Heat islands
- Climate change
- Initiatives like Eco-Niwas Samhita (ENS) and Residential Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) promote energy efficiency.
- ENS introduces Residential Envelope Transmittance Value (RETV) to measure heat transfer through building shells.
- Lower RETV signifies cooler buildings and less energy use (ideally below 15W/m2).
- Current trends favor fast-paced construction with active cooling, compromising thermal comfort.
- Widespread knowledge about climate-responsive design is needed to overcome the perception of high initial costs.
Optimal Building Materials
- Common materials include:
- Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) blocks
- Red bricks
- Fly ash
- Monolithic concrete (Mivan)
- Despite sustainability concerns, Mivan is popular for speed, strength, and scalability.
- AAC blocks have the lowest RETV across all climates, indicating high thermal efficiency.
- A literature review shows a significant difference in embodied energy (environmental impact) of materials:
- Monolithic concrete – 75 times higher embodied energy than AAC blocks.
- Construction time comparison for a 100 sq. ft wall:
- Red bricks (longest)
- Mivan (fastest)
- While AAC offers a balance between embodied energy and construction time, all options have limitations:
- Red bricks – moderate embodied energy, resource depletion, emissions, and waste.
- AAC blocks – lower embodied energy, but still contribute to emissions and waste.
- Monolithic concrete – fastest construction but highest embodied energy and environmental impact.
Suggestions
- India has untapped potential for innovative building materials.
- Interdisciplinary collaboration is needed to optimize building design and strategies:
- Building orientation
- Window Wall Ratio (WWR)
- U-value (heat transfer rate) of building components
- Glazing performance
- Active cooling systems
- Mivan’s popularity raises concerns about embodied carbon and thermal discomfort.
- Sustainable construction requires innovation from manufacturers to develop:
- Cost-effective
- Scalable
- Durable
- Fire-resistant solutions
- Superior thermal performance
- Climate resilience
Conclusion
- Sustainable construction is crucial for a greener future.
- Re-imagining design practices, innovative materials, and a culture of sustainability are key to creating energy-efficient buildings for a better quality of life.
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