Digital Platforms As Enablers For Climate Action
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in their report released in March 2023 cites the serious impact of climate change with long-term consequences for global humanity. The footprints are evidenced by shifting weather patterns, glacier melting, and rising sea levels. The present global temperature is 1.1 degrees Celsius above the temperature during the pre-industrial era, and the period 2015-2021 saw the warmest years according to the World Meteorological Organization. Millions of people stare at the prospect of displacement due to floods and droughts influenced by climate change. There is a forecast that by 2030, 700 million people will be displaced due to floods (UN Report, 2022). Shortly, the climate emergency could push people to abject poverty due to loss of livelihood and stifling economic growth. While climate change has impacted nature and human beings across the globe, what is so distressing is that the most vulnerable ones are those who contribute the least to climate change as per the report.
A report by New York Times found that the 23 rich, developed nations which contain only 12 percent of the world’s population account for 50 percent of all historical emissions leading to global warming. With the increase in population and improvement in the economy and standard of living, the quantity of greater greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has reached an unprecedented level today. India is among the developing countries that are most vulnerable to climate change. Large masses of people in India rely on natural resources for their livelihood, with a high dependence on rainfall. The average temperature of India has risen by 0.7 degrees in the last 100 years. The Overseas Development Institute (ODI) estimates that India may lose 3 to 10% of its GDP per year by 2100 and the poverty rate may surge by 3.5% by 2040.
However, India has made remarkable progress in addressing climate change in recent years, in line with the Paris Agreement and the launch of the International Solar Alliance, both in 2015. India is committed to reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45% and achieving Net-Zero by 2070. However, there are gaps at the planning, policy, and execution levels that need to be addressed to combat climate change. The challenges are as follows.
Addressing these gaps would require a concerted effort from multiple stakeholders including policymakers, civil society, and the private sector to promote a more comprehensive, integrated, and participatory approach to climate action in India, creating a playbook for climate change mitigation and adaptation, and building resilience at scale and speed.
We are witnessing increased usage of the digital toolbox for tackling climate change. For example, CrowdCurio is a crowdsourcing tool for the collection of phenological data to analyze plant sensitivity to climate change. There are digital platforms to deliver service around climate information in Ghana, enabling climate change applications through internet connectivity, phone-based application, and big data. These platforms, both public and private, are for the collection of data and information services. These platforms differ in technology, geographic coverage, financing structure, and information type, providing valuable insights into the climate information sector.
IPCC encourages an integrated and cross-sector approach to mitigate the risks of climate change (IPCC 2014). The mitigation efforts along with managing and reducing the risk associated can help develop mechanisms to enhance resilience in combating climate change. (Federspiel 2013; IPCC 2014; Dougill et al. 2017).
The IPCC report stresses the timing and urgency of climate action. According to it, the degree and speed of climate change and the risks it carries depend strongly on how immediately we can trigger climate change adaptation and mitigation action. The authors propose the idea that a nationwide digital platform congregating a network of different stakeholders globally would pave the way for greater public participation and a more comprehensive and integrated engagement in climate action, necessary for achieving a low-carbon and climate-resilient future. Such a robust platform using new-age technologies like AI/ML and multiple analytical frameworks could be a part of the playbook to mitigate the inadequate monitoring and reporting mechanism challenges.
India can now make it the defining moment in combating climate change through its present G20 leadership. The leadership slogan proposed by India 'One earth, one family, one future' also reflects that climate change mitigation is a common issue hovering over humanity, and is an important agenda for India. India will need to focus on emission reductions, adaptation measures, and climate finance flows, and for this, there is a need for better monitoring and reporting mechanisms to track the progress made. The G20 presidency not only brings responsibility but an opportunity for India to strengthen its position on the global stage and it must push for technology and finance to achieve Paris Agreement goals. India’s climate policy therefore must expand to include a nationwide digital platform with a huge network value creation among global stakeholders to accelerate the process while linking climate action to other social and economic reforms.
About Authors:
Dr. Asit K Barma: Director and Professor of Digital Business, Bharathidasan Institute of Management
Dr. Sangita Dutta Gupta: Associate Professor and Assistant Dean (Research), BML Munjal University
Dr. Ritu Chhikara: Associate Professor (Marketing), BML Munjal University
