India has reportedly rejected the calls to announce a net-zero carbon emission target as it believes that it is more vital to build a roadmap to decrease such emissions and stop the dangerous rise in global temperature.
At next week's climate conference in Glasglow, India is expected to announce its plans to become carbon neutral by mid-century or around.
However, according to environment secretary R.P.Gupta, the net-zero target is not a solution to the climate crisis. Rather it is much more important to see how much carbon will be placed in the atmosphere before reaching net-zero.
For the record, the US, the European Union, and Britain have set the target date of 2050 for reaching net-zero. However, by then, they will only be able to emit greenhouse gases that can be absorbed by soils, forests, crops, and carbon capture technology.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and China have set the emission targets for 2060.
According to Mr. Gupta, the US will release 92 gigatons of carbon into the atmosphere by the middle of the century, while the EU would release 62 gigatons, based on Indian government figures. He claims that by the time China reached its net-zero target date, it would have contributed a whopping 450 gigatons.
Sources state that representatives from over 200 nations will convene in Glasgow, Scotland, from October 31 to November 12 for climate talks to strengthen the 2015 Paris Agreement's measures to combat global warming.
Officials say Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would attend the meeting to symbolize the country's commitment to addressing climate change.
Countries are anticipated to declare new and stronger intermediate emission reduction objectives as they progress toward net-zero.
Furthermore, India has pledged to reduce its GDP emissions intensity by 33 percent to 35 percent by 2030, compared to 2005 levels.