Reducing emissions in a growing economy is possible

Since a long time, numerous experts have believed that adopting sustainable practices and economic growth at the same time is impossible for countries at large. This is also one of the main reasons why numerous industries have hesitated in rapidly shifting to carbon neutral activities. However, a recent report by the World Resources Institute (WRI) has shown that close to two dozen countries in the world, including developed, developing and under-developed countries, have managed to grow while reducing their overall carbon emissions.
According to the report, the United States of America (USA) is the largest country out of the 21 countries that made it to the list, to experience multiple consecutive years of ‘decoupling’ economic growth from carbon emissions. Between 2000 and 2014, the period of consideration of the research by WRI, USA witnessed economic growth of 28 per cent along with a six per cent reduction in carbon emissions. In the case of the United Kingdom, the economic growth reached 27 per cent while its reduction in carbon emissions stood at 20 per cent. The case of an even smaller country, the Czech Republic, is more encouraging as it witnessed 40 per cent economic and -14 per cent carbon emission growth.
The report states that the US Energy Information Administration forecasts that moving to a cleaner electricity system after 2020 by adopting the measures of the Clean Power Plan (CPP) would bring about a sustained period of GDP-GHG decoupling. CPP implementation is expected to reduce total US energy-related carbon dioxide emissions by a further six per cent between 2020 and 2025, while GDP increases by 13 per cent in real terms over the same period. However, it must be noted that there is no single formula or policy that can aid in decoupling GDP and emission growth rates. In the case of Denmark, for example, the rapid installation of renewable energy plants across the country helped it in decoupling. On the other hand, Sweden’s carbon taxes, among its other ambitious policies, supported the country’s reduction in carbon emissions amid economic growth.
About 90 per cent of the countries which are in the WRI list adopted the method of reducing the share of industries in their GDP, thereby reducing carbon emissions, and increasing the share of other sectors. The stand-out cases of Bulgaria and Uzbekistan, however, show that despite increasing the share of industries in the overall GDP of the country, GDP-GHG growth can be decoupled to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.
The case of India cannot be left unnoticed here either. In an interview with Reuters, Rameshwar Prasad Gupta, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, revealed that between 2005 and 2016, India’s carbon emissions fell by 24 per cent as compared to 2005 levels. This means that in the coming 14 years till 2030, India will have exceeded its emission-reduction targets, becoming the only country in the world to do so. This has been possible due to the government’s multiple policies and schemes promoting a switch to renewable sources of energy, electric mobility, and reduced emission-practices like sustainable waste management.
It must be kept in mind, however, that the actions taken by close to two dozen countries will not be successful in reducing climate change and global warming. This is a war that has to be fought on an equal footing by each and every individual. Until we realise this, the 2030 Agenda will be nothing but an agreement on paper.