GM crops to FTAs and renewable energy expansion: There’s a catch

As a growing India, acutely aware of the need for energy security and self-sufficiency, draws new lines on environmental issues, each of these have turned as deeply economic as political. Holding the line is already testing the country’s resolve at home and on the global stage.

There is ample evidence in the ‘tricky’ ongoing negotiations on several free trade agreements where binding environmental commitments on climate action and fossil fuels are being sought from India. The Indo-UK FTA is one of them and many others are likely to get into the green terrain. In fact, several Indian decisions on its own environmental regime are now causing ripples on a global scale. Case in point is the Genetically Modified (GM) crops.

The environment ministry’s expert panel on GM crops – the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) — has finally approved the ‘environmental release’ of a GM variety of mustard, sparking off a debate on the subject in India. The issue has not only been raised by the scientific and agricultural community but also drawn in the RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch into the debate. RSS affiliate magazine ‘Organiser’ recently ran a cover piece on ‘Seeds of Change or Disaster’ revealing the differing positions on the subject within the ruling dispensation.

India’s stand, however, has global implications. Just a few months before India permitted GM Mustard release, the US had moved the World Trade Organization over India’s insistence on a mandatory GM-free certificate for 24 food products.

So, as India unlocks windows to GM crops, there is the US questioning import barriers and a largely anti-GM Europe rising in caution.

The matter, now sub-judice, will test the resolve of the government as global parties raise economic costs, and elections and domestic pressure groups force open political minefields.
One of the latter erupted full scale when the national capital was once again smogged by Punjab’s stubble fire this November. Several districts in Punjab reported record stubble fire as Delhi struggled to breathe and the chief minister’s constituency led the tally, environmental ministry data showed.

Air crisis became the ground for a faceoff between the Centre and the state, showing how quickly environmental issues can turn political and electoral. With the Aam Aadmi Party ruling both Punjab and Delhi, the party was left in a tight spot and assured citizens of improvement next year even as it accused the Centre of political targeting.

Biodiversity conservation in the country can be equally challenging. The recent COP on biodiversity in Montreal saw India once again defend its fertiliser and crop subsidies amid mounting western pressure.

There are battles to fight at home as well. With India promising a leapfrog to renewable energy (RE) and the global stopwatch ticking on 2030 climate targets, the endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB) is the unexpected subject of an intriguing court battle which has several ministries, states and power companies locking horns.

The vast barren spaces of Gujarat and Rajasthan, earmarked for mega solar parks and windmills, have run into the GIB’s flight path and hence seriously turbulent weather.

RE projects worth several hundred crores are held up amid the case lingering in the Supreme Court while diverse Union ministries are attempting a consolidated stand that does both conservation of the big bird and an RE take off.

The resolution is crucial for global commitments India has made on the RE front and India would not want to falter. Especially, given that all eyes will be on India as it digs deeper to use up its vast coal reserves to fire up its power plants and meet the growing electricity demand as cities and industries expand.

Conscious of the global scrutiny, India is holding its own across every global fora pointing to its low per capita carbon footprint and its duty to ensure energy sufficiency for its citizens.

The Ukraine-Russia crisis has also brought home the need for energy security. At the same time, the RE transition is as inevitable as is the ultimate need to phase out coal.

India has time on its side and the possibility to grow in a ‘greener’ and more ‘sustainable’ manner than the global North did, eminent climate economists like Prof Nicholas Stern have often reminded.

All arms of the government are working in tandem to usher in green energy transition across sectors. Policy frameworks to enable energy transitions – from bringing in electric vehicles to sustainable housing, air pollution control missions, funding of municipalities for waste management, ban on several single use plastics — are already falling in place.

2023 has begun with India unveiling the even more ambitious plans such as the Green Hydrogen Mission which will open up the Indian RE market in a big way and also pave the way to long term decarbonisation.

With a pole position as it hosts G20, India is likely to showcase its Green Hydrogen Mission, the LIFE mantra articulated by Prime Minister Modi at the Glasgow COP27 and decarbonisation plans in hard to abate sectors such as fertilisers, cement, steel, long distance transport etc.