Syllabus
GS Paper 3 – Environmental conservation; Environmental pollution and degradation; Environmental Impact Assessment.
Applications where to apply?
When asked about
– Climate Justice
– Inclusive growth
– Climate change mitigation
Context
A recent study titled ‘Water, air pollution and carbon footprints of conspicuous/luxury consumption in India’ sheds light on the environmental impacts of affluent individuals.
Source
The Hindu | Editorial dated 22nd May 2024
Analysing local environmental footprints
Climate change is a pressing global issue, but many environmental challenges, such as water scarcity and air pollution, have localized impacts. Understanding household environmental footprints, particularly the impact of luxury consumption, is crucial for addressing these localized environmental issues.
Study Overview – Environmental Footprints of Luxury Consumption
- Study Title: “Water, air pollution and carbon footprints of conspicuous/luxury consumption in India.”
- Focus: Examines CO2, water, and PM2.5 footprints linked to luxury consumption among different economic classes in India.
- Luxury Consumption Categories: Includes dining out, vacations, furniture, social events, etc.
- Comparison: Contrasts luxury consumption footprints with non-luxury consumption.
Methodology
- Input/Output Analysis: Used to link household consumption to resources/materials in production.
- Water Footprint: Quantified water usage in production stages and direct household use.
- PM2.5 Footprint: Included embedded and direct emissions from activities like fuelwood and vehicular fuels.
- CO2 Footprint: Captured embedded and direct CO2 emissions from household consumption.
Key Findings
- Footprint Increase with Wealth:
- All environmental footprints rise as households move from poorer to richer economic classes.
- Richest Households with double footprint:
- The wealthiest 10% of households in India have environmental footprints that are about twice as large as the average household, underscoring the disproportionate impact of the richest segment.
- There is a sharp rise in environmental footprints when moving from the ninth to the 10th economic decile, indicating that the top 10% of households have markedly higher impacts.
- Air Pollution:
- The air pollution footprint (PM2.5) jumps by 68% from the ninth to the 10th decile, showing the high environmental cost of luxury consumption.
- Water Footprint:
- The water footprint increases by 39% from the ninth to the 10th decile, indicating greater water usage among the wealthiest households.
- CO2 Emissions:
- CO2 emissions rise by 55% from the ninth to the 10th decile, reflecting higher carbon footprints associated with affluent lifestyles.
- Deviation from Paris goals:
- To meet the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, the average per capita CO2 footprint should be 1.9 tonnes CO2eq. The top Indian households exceed this target by a significant margin.
- The CO2 footprint of the top 10% of Indian households is 6.7 tonnes per person per year, reflecting high emissions levels.
- The global average CO2 footprint in 2010 was 4.7 tonnes per person, indicating that the top Indian households exceed this average.
- Energy Transitions:
- While transitioning from biomass fuels to LPG reduces direct environmental impacts, the overall lifestyle associated with affluence still leads to higher PM2.5 and CO2 footprints.
- Impact on Marginalized Communities:
- Luxury consumption exacerbates local issues like water scarcity and air pollution, disproportionately affecting marginalized groups.
- Marginalized communities lack the resources to mitigate these effects.
Key Contributors to Environmental Footprints
- Eating Out/Restaurants: Dining out is a significant factor driving environmental footprints in the wealthiest households, impacting CO2, water, and PM2.5 footprints.
- Fruits and Nuts: The consumption of fruits and nuts, which require substantial water resources for production, is a key driver of the increased water footprint among the richest households.
- Luxury Items: like personal goods and jewellery, contribute significantly to the CO2 and air pollution footprints of affluent households.
Future Prospects
- Global vs. Local Footprints: Effective sustainability efforts must address both the global and local/regional environmental impacts of consumption.
- Environmental Justice: A multi-footprint analysis is essential to ensure that sustainability efforts are equitable and address environmental justice concerns.
- Policy Recommendations: Policymakers need to focus on curbing the environmental impacts of luxury consumption among affluent households to achieve sustainability and equity goals.
Conclusion
Addressing the environmental footprints of luxury consumption is crucial for mitigating localized environmental issues and ensuring environmental justice for all communities. P olicymakers must focus on reducing the environmental impact of affluent households to achieve broader sustainability goals.
Related Topics
Climate justice
Climate justice frames global warming as an ethical and political issue, emphasizing the social, economic, and public health impacts on underprivileged populations rather than just environmental or physical aspects.
- Climate change impacts are not equally distributed. They disproportionately affect:
- Rich vs. poor
- Women vs. men
- Older vs. younger generations
- Marginalized and underserved communities
Types of Climate Justice
- Procedural Climate Justice: Focuses on fair, accountable, and transparent decision-making processes.
- Ensures fair procedures for distributing goods.
- Includes public participation, due process, and representative justice.
- Emphasizes transparency, fair representation, impartiality, and objectivity.
- Distributive Climate Justice: Deals with the fair distribution of climate change costs and benefits.
- Goods to be Distributed: Food, clothing, water, power, wealth, respect.
- Entities for Distribution: Community members, stakeholders, generations, humankind.
- Modes of Distribution: Status, need, merit, rights, social identities.
- Recognition Climate Justice: Focuses on recognizing differences and vulnerabilities.
- Identifies vulnerable groups affected by processes like low-carbon transitions.
- Emphasizes equal rights protection and understanding differences.
- Intergenerational Climate Justice: Concept from the Brundtland Report (1987) on sustainable development.
- Ensures current generations meet their needs without compromising future generations’ ability to meet theirs.
References
Related PYQ
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predicted a global sea level rise of about one metre by AD 2100. What would be its impact in India and the other countries in the Indian Ocean region? [ UPSC Civil Services Exam – Mains 2023]
Practice Question
Discuss the implications of luxury consumption on environmental footprints in India. [150 words]