The Hindu Editorial Summary

Editorial Topic : Proposed climate law in India

 GS-3 Mains Exam : Environment Conservation

Revision Notes

Question : Discuss the significance of the Supreme Court judgment in M.K. Ranjitsinh vs Union of India that recognizes the right to be “free from the adverse impacts of climate change” in the context of proposing a climate law in India.

Context:

• Supreme Court judgement (M.K. Ranjitsinh vs Union of India) recognizes the right to be “free from the adverse impacts of climate change”.

Law for development choices:

• Needs to integrate low-carbon and climate resilient goals into decision-making across all levels of government.
• Must prioritize social justice in the transition to a clean energy future.
• Law should require well-defined procedures for realizing the right to protection from climate impacts.
• Umbrella law with clear government-wide goals, processes, and accountability is recommended.

India’s unique considerations:

• India’s emissions are lower than the global average but still growing.
• The law should focus on maximizing development per unit of carbon emitted and avoiding high-carbon infrastructure.
• India is highly vulnerable to climate impacts, so resilience must be a core principle.
• Social equity needs to be central to achieving both low-carbon development and resilience.

Key elements of the proposed law:

• Low-carbon development commission: An independent body with experts to advise governments on achieving low-carbon growth and resilience.
• Climate cabinet: A high-level group of ministers and state chief ministers for driving climate strategy across government.
• Strengthened Executive Committee on Climate Change: Reinvigorate this existing body with legal powers and duties for coordinating implementation across ministries.

Addressing India’s federal structure:

• The law must consider India’s federal system, where many climate-critical areas fall under state and local control.
• The law should establish channels for subnational governments to access national scientific expertise on climate change.
• The law could create mechanisms for financing local climate action and aligning central government spending with climate goals.
• The law should establish coordination mechanisms for central and state governments on major climate decisions.
• States could develop complementary institutions to mirror those at the center for knowledge sharing, strategy, and coordination.

Conclusion:

• The Supreme Court judgement creates an opportunity for a new legal framework to address climate change.
• The law should be tailored to India’s context and promote low-carbon, climate-resilient development while ensuring social justice.