EDITORIAL ANALYSIS : Moving away from the ‘take-make-dispose’ model

Source: The Hindu

• Prelims: Current events of international importance, G20, Global south, reduce-reuse-recycle’ model, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) etc
• Mains GS Paper II & III: Bilateral, regional and global grouping and agreements involving India or affecting India’s interests.

ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS

• Recognising the need to switch from the ‘take-make-dispose’ to ‘reduce-reuse-recycle’ model,
  • India has prioritized ‘Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy’ as one of the three core themes for deliberations in the G-20 forum.

INSIGHTS ON THE ISSUE

Context

G20:

• The G20 is an informal group:19 countries and the European Union, with representatives of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
• The G20 Presidency rotates annually: according to a system that ensures a regional balance over time.
• For the selection of the presidency: 19 countries are divided into 5 groups, each having no more than 4 countries.
  • The presidency rotates between each group.
• Every year the G20 selects a country from another group to be president.
  • India is in Group 2 which also has Russia, South Africa, and Turkey.
• The G20 does not have a permanent secretariat or Headquarters.

Circular Economy:

• It is often known as “circularity”.
• It is an economic system that addresses issues including pollution, waste, biodiversity loss, and climate change.
• A circular economy emphasizes the 3 R’s (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) as well as material refurbishment, recovery, and repair.
• Circular economy is focused on boosting production through resource consumption that is more effective and hence has the least negative effect on the environment.
• Sustainability serves as the foundation for all aspects of production, consumption, and design.
• Resource efficiency and circular economy are powerful strategies that can effectively minimize dependence on natural resources
• It can curtail waste and encourage sustainable design practices

G20 Countries:

• Most G-20 member countries have committed to net zero ambitions and are working to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
• In order to ensure growing resource consumption in an environmentally responsible manner, there is also a need to raise the current recycling rates of 15%-25%.

Priority areas for India in the circular economy during its G-20 presidency:

• Circularity in the steel sector;
• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
• Circular bioeconomy
• Establishing an industry-led resource efficiency and circular economy industry coalition.

Circular steel sector

• The demand for steel is poised to grow especially in growing economies such as India.
• Globally, about 7% of energy sector emission is attributed to iron and steel production.

How to tackle steel sector emissions?

• Ensuring collaboration among the G-20 member countries for knowledge sharing, technology co-development and technology transfer.
• The presidency document for knowledge exchange on the ‘Circular Economy in the Steel Sector’ is a potential blueprint for a net zero pathway for the steel industry, reducing resource utilization and minimizing wastage.

EPR framework:

• Under India’s G-20 presidency, there is an emphasis on the significance of the EPR framework in integrating circularity throughout the value chain.
• Different countries have implemented different EPR models, it is necessary that G-20 member-countries share best practices to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.
• Effective implementation of EPR plays a pivotal role in promoting the growth of the recycling infrastructure and establishing a streamlined waste collection system.
• Centralized EPR portal:
  • With over 20,000 registered Producers, Importers, and Brand Owners (PIBOs) and over 1,900 plastic waste processors on the centralized EPR portal
  • India boasts one of the largest frameworks for EPR.
• India has also notified comprehensive rules for e-waste and battery waste management.

Bio wastes:

• Since 1970, the consumption of biological resources in G-20 member countries has risen 5(two point five)times.
• Biowaste such as municipal and industrial waste and agricultural residue has become a global issue
  • It causes pollution, biodiversity loss and global warming.
• Combined with crops well-suited for degraded lands, biowaste can serve as valuable primary raw materials and viable substitutes for mineral resources.
• Adopting a circular bioeconomy approach will reduce the need for extracting virgin resources and provide an effective waste disposal solution.

Steps by the government:

• The Government has been working towards the adoption of biofuels.
• The Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana provides financial support to integrated bio-ethanol projects to set up second generation (2G) ethanol projects.
  • 2G bioethanol technology produces bioethanol from waste feedstock such as crop residues and municipal solid waste that would otherwise have no value.
• India has also made it mandatory for coal-burning thermal power plants to use a 5% blend of biomass pellets along with coal.
• The Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources (GOBAR) Dhan scheme was launched to convert cattle dung and other organic waste into compost, biogas, and biofuels to promote sustainable agriculture and reduce pollution.
  • The scheme has helped create rural livelihoods and ensured improved sanitation.
• The Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) Scheme(2018) to promote the use of Compressed BioGas (CBG) as an alternative green transportation fuel.
  • It has aided the bioenergy sector by accelerating the development of infrastructure for the production, storage and distribution of CBG.

Way Forward

• In the collective global endeavor to ensure sustainable development and realize the Sustainable Development Goals, decoupling resource utilization from economic growth is going to be the key.
• Industries are crucial in advancing resource efficiency and circular economy practices, India has envisioned an industry coalition in these areas.
  • The coalition will aim to achieve
    • enhanced technological collaboration
    • build advanced capabilities across sectors
    • mobilize de-risked finance
    • facilitate a proactive private sector engagement.
  • Global platforms such as the G-20 play an important role in addressing key issues and presenting solutions by adopting a collaborative approach.
  • Resource efficiency and circular economy have emerged as key solutions in collective efforts in tackling triple planetary challenges.
  • India’s G-20 presidency has focused extensively on these approaches which offer promising pathways towards a more sustainable and resilient future.

QUESTION FOR PRACTICE

Do you think India will meet 50 percent of its energy needs from renewable energy by 2030? Justify your answer. How will the shift of subsidies from fossil fuels to renewables help achieve the above objective? Explain.(UPSC 2022) (200 WORDS, 10 MARKS)