Along with renewables, carbon capture could help India transition to a net zero economy

Net Zero has become the focal point for action to deal with global warming and climate change induced by human activities. It does not take account of past emissions, which have already led to significant climate impacts. The methods used to achieve net zero goals announced by various countries are also subject to manipulation and fuzziness; actual reductions may not be as advertised. Nevertheless, it represents the net step in the difficult global challenge of arresting a process that will otherwise lead to disastrous outcomes for much of the planet.

At COP26, many countries agreed to goals of achieving Net Zero by 2050. While these goals may be too timid to stave off catastrophe, they do represent progress over previous agreements. However, countries like India, which are still relatively poor (China is four times as rich as India, for example), have been reluctant to commit to goals that will keep large segments of their populations from improving their material well-being to the point that they can enjoy decent lives. The case here is that advanced countries, which created the current mess with their past emissions, should rightfully do more to fix the problem. At COP26, India did agree to a goal of Net Zero by 2070.