Right priorities: On U.S. COVID-19 aid to India
Why in News
- Recently, India-US talked over call regarding the emergence of second wave of Pandemic.
India-US Talk
- On the conversation over call, the S. President joined India against the fight of COVID-19 and would quickly deploy a number of COVID-19-related supplies to help India battle its current crisis with the pandemic.
- The move comes after what many saws as a delay in the U.S.’s response to the situation.
- After a few days, where the Biden administration seemed to dither, making the point that protecting Americans first was in the world’s interest, it appears to have amended its stand, in some part due to pressure from U.S. Congressmen, business chambers and academics.
- In the short term, what India needs from abroad is two-fold: Medicines and oxygen-management devices, including containers, concentrators and generators.
- It is heartening that more than a dozen countries, including the U.S., have promised to supply these within a week, and some of those supplies have already begun to arrive.
- In addition to the U.S. government’s supplies, the S. private sector has also mobilized aid for various COVID-19 resources in India.
- In the longer term, New Delhi wants Washington to consider a shift in its long-held state policies for the duration of the pandemic, which may be a more difficult proposition as it includes setting aside patent rights for pharmaceuticals produced in the U.S. and supporting the India-South Africa petition at the World Trade Organization for waiving all TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) so vaccines can be manufactured generically for the next few years.
- The U.S. should consider its assistance to India both in light of their relationship and of the fact that as a key global supplier of pharmaceuticals and vaccines, India’s faltering steps in the fight against COVID-19 will impact the world.
Way Forward
- There is no denying that the perceived delay in the U.S.’s response to the crisis in India, which is not just a bilateral strategic partner but key to the U.S.’s Indo-Pacific strategy as a member of the Quad, has caused some disappointment in South Block.
- However, it is unlikely that this will seriously impact the partnership, nor should such matters affect the broader relationship.
- There is also a kernel of truth in the U.S.’s earlier assertion that the American government has a “special responsibility” to American citizens first and addressing their COVID-19 needs was also in the world’s interests.
- Instead of chiding the U.S. for its delay, New Delhi would do well to learn from this prioritization, and complete its vaccination programme for all Indians, even as it uses all its resources and those received from the U.S. and other countries to rescue the nation from the current ravages of the pandemic.
GS PAPER III
Marking the beginning of a green era
Why in News
- The pandemic has created an unprecedented crisis that demands an exceptional global response
- Even as countries rightly continue to focus on tackling the immediate health emergency, the need is to have a long term vision to build a climate resilient global economy for the future.
Saudi Arabia Middle East Green Initiative
- Ambition alone cannot attain goals. Good results depend on the ability to act.
- The G20 introduced initiatives like
- Establishing a Global Coral Reef Research and
- Development Accelerator Platform to accelerate:
- Scientific knowledge and
- Technology development in support of coral reef survival, conservation, resilience, adaptation and restoration.
- G20 leaders also acknowledged the Circular Carbon Economy (CCE) Platform as a tool towards affordable, reliable, and secure energy and economic growth.
- Saudi Arabia is committed to lead regional efforts to address Climate Change, so they are going to launch ‘Middle East Green Initiative.’
- The Objective of the Middle East Green Initiative is to:
- Raise the vegetation cover,
- Reduce carbon emissions,
- Combat pollution and land degradation, and
- Preserve marine life.
- As part of the initiative, 10 billion trees will be planted in the Kingdom.
- It aims to reduce carbon emissions by more than 4% of global contributions, through a renewable energy programme that will generate 50% of Saudi’s energy from renewables by 2030.
- Saudi Arabia is working towards raising the percentage of its protected areas to more than 30% of its total land area, representing roughly 6,00,000 sq km, exceeding the global target of 17%.
- As part of the Middle East Green initiative, Saudi Arabia will work with the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and regional partners to plant an additional 40 billion trees in the West Asian region.
- It represents 5% of the global target of planting one trillion trees and reducing 2.5% of global carbon levels.
- Saudi Arabia has been sharing its expertise and know-how with its neighboring countries to reduce carbon emissions resulting from hydrocarbon production in the region by 60% and globally by 10%.
- Saudi Arabia currently operates the largest carbon capture and utilization plant in the world, turning half a million tons of CO2 annually into products such as fertilizers and methanol.
- It also operates one of the region’s most advanced CO2-enhanced oil recovery plants that captures and stores 8,00,000 tons of CO2 annually.
- Plans are afoot to deploy additional carbon capture, utilization and storage infrastructure.
- Saudi Arabia have already joined hands in February 2019 with India when it joined the International Solar Alliance during the Crown Prince’s state visit to the country, hence promoting cooperation in the renewable energy sector.
- Later that year, when the Indian Prime Minister visited Saudi Arabia, several MoUs and agreements in key sectors including renewable energy were signed.
- To ensure momentum and continuity, Saudi Arabia will convene an annual summit called the Middle East Green Initiative which will host leaders from the government, scientists and environmentalists to discuss the details of implementation.
- Saudi Arabia also recognizes the scarcity of financial resources to irrigate the terrain.
Goal – 2030
- In 2016, the Crown Prince unveiled Vision 2030, a comprehensive road map to improve the quality of life of the citizens of the country.
- As part of this, Saudi Arabia carried out a comprehensive restructuring of the environmental sector and established the Environmental Special Forces in 2019.
- With NEOM and the Line, Saudi Arabia has already redefined the idea of sustainable habitats.
- NEOM’s location also gives Saudi Arabia many advantages in the field of hydrogen production.
- According to the World Bank, for every dollar invested in resilient infrastructure, $4 in benefits are generated.
- With the Public Investment Fund recently pumping in $15 billion in the NEOM project and another $10 billion in renewable and solar energy projects, it is clear that the pandemic has only strengthened Saudi Arabia’s resolve to realize the goals of Vision 2030 and become one of the major producers of renewable energy with a capacity to generate 9.5 GW by 2023.
Way Forward
- India have also made remarkable commitments to tackle climate change and is on track to achieve its Paris Agreement targets.
- India’s renewable energy capacity is the fourth largest in the world and has an ambitious target of achieving 450 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2030.
- Saudi Arabia hopes that the launch of the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative marks the beginning of a green era and that these initiatives provide momentum to other countries to unify their efforts to save our planet.