Climate Change Mitigation



Published on 06 Apr 2025

  • Geoengineering to fight Climate Change: Geoengineering is the deliberate, large-scale intervention in the Earth's natural systems to mitigate climate change.

    • Solar Radiation Management (SRM): It aims to reflect a small fraction of the sun's light and heat back into space, lowering global temperatures.

      • Example: Stratospheric aerosol injection (releasing reflective particles in the upper atmosphere) and cloud brightening (increasing the reflectivity of clouds).

    • Ocean Fertilization: Involves supplementing the water with nutrients, mainly iron, to promote the growth of phytoplankton, which absorbs carbon dioxide during photosynthesis.

      • Example: LOHAFEX is an ocean iron fertilization experiment that the Helmholtz Foundation in Germany and the CSIR in India jointly organized.

    • Carbon Dioxide Removal: The primary goal of CDR methods is to remove and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

      • Example: Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), direct air capture.

  • Climate Smart Cities: This mission was started in 2015 with the goal of encouraging the creation of 100 smart cities in India with an emphasis on equitable and sustainable urban development.

  • Green Economy: A sustainable economy that attempts to eliminate environmental risks and promote sustainable development while without harming the environment. 

  • National Green Hydrogen Mission: This initiative aims to encourage the development of green hydrogen for commercial use and turn India become a net exporter of the fuel. The mission will facilitate demand creation, production, utilization, and export green hydrogen.

    • SIGHT Programme: Green hydrogen will be produced, and electrolysers manufactured domestically will be funded.

    • Green Hydrogen Hubs: Green Hydrogen Hubs will be established from states and areas that can sustain large-scale hydrogen production and/or usage.

  • United Nations Conference on Environment and Development: It is also known as the 'Earth Summit' with a primary focus to produce a broad agenda and a blueprint for international action on environmental and development issues that would help guide international cooperation and development policy.

  • UNFCCC Conference of Parties: All States that are Parties to the Convention are represented at the COP, at which they review the implementation of the Convention and any other legal instruments that the COP adopts.

COP 28 2023 Dubai outcomes

  • Transition away from Fossil fuels: Nearly 200 countries agreed to “transition away from fossil fuels”.

  • Global renewables and energy efficiency pledge: The goal is to triple the world's green energy capacity to 11,000 GW by 2030.

  • Loss and Damage Fund: Member nations came to an agreement to operationalize the L&D fund, which will compensate nations suffering from the effects of climate change.

  • Global Climate Stocktake: Countries would have to submit increased emissions reduction targets by mid-2025 for them to be finalized at COP30, based on the global stocktake review at COP28.



Kyoto Protocol vs Paris Agreement


Kyoto Protocol

Paris Agreement

Adoption

Adopted in 1997 during the COP3 in Japan.

Adopted in 2015 during the COP21 in Paris, France.

Objective

It aimed to cut emissions of greenhouse gases across the developed world by about 5 per cent by 2012 compared with 1990 levels.

The Paris Agreement aims to limit global average temperature rise to less than 2 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels

Targeted countries

It was only for developed countries.

All countries

Time Frame

The first-round targets apply over the years 2008–2012 and the second-round Kyoto targets, which apply from 2013–2020.

The timescale differs, but most nations expect to meet their targets by 2025-2030.


Carbon Tax vs Carbon Trading


Carbon Tax

Carbon Trading

Definition

It imposes a tax on the extraction, use, or distribution of fossil fuels according to the amount of carbon released after burning.

Carbon trading is the purchase and sale of permits and credits that allow the permit holder to emit carbon dioxide.

How emission is determined

The amount of total emissions reduction is not predetermined but the price is predetermined

The amount of total emissions reduction is predetermined

Advantages

  • They produce revenue for governments to develop renewable energy.

  • Tax rates for different fossil fuels can vary.

  • They have positive effects for the environment, economy, and society.

  • Carbon credits that have not been used can be traded to other companies.

  • Encourages businesses to invest money on eco-friendly technologies.

  • Carbon emission caps can be imposed strictly.

Tags:
Environment

Keywords:
Climate change Climate change mitigation Geo engineering COP28 Kyoto protocol Paris agreement carbon tax

Syllabus:
General Studies Paper 3

Topics:
Environment and Climate Change

Related Articles

Backgrounder

Functions of an ecosystem

Principles of ecology

Ecological niche VS Habitat

Factors influencing ecosystem

Cloud Forest Assets

Sovereign Green Bonds

Sustainable cities integrated approach pilot (SCIAP) project

Sustainable Development Report 2023

Sponge City Concept

Jal Jeevan Mission