Challenges in Achieving the 1.5°C Goal

GS 3: Environment and Biodiversity: Combating climate change

Why is it in the news?

• Recent assessments ahead of the annual climate change conference reveal that efforts to combat climate change remain insufficient. Global emissions continue to rise, with greenhouse gas concentrations reaching record highs in 2023.
• The goal of limiting global warming to 5°C above pre-industrial levels seems increasingly out of reach. Despite some theoretical options, the 2030 emissions reduction targets are expected to be missed by a wide margin.
• At this year’s conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, the focus will be on finalizing a critical finance agreement to support ambitious climate initiatives. Financial negotiations have historically led to deadlocks, but there is hope that a comprehensive funding deal in Baku could drive more decisive action.

An Analysis

• Over 20 years after countries began emissions reduction efforts, levels remain persistently high. Emissions in 2023 rose to 57.1 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, marking a 1.3% increase from 2022.
• The UN Environment Programme’s Emissions Gap Report suggests emissions might start to decline in 2024 if clean energy expansion continues and methane emissions are reduced. The report estimates a 70% chance that emissions peaked in 2023, contingent on accelerating the energy transition and reducing fossil fuel reliance.
• However, even if emissions peak, global warming will persist due to the accumulated greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. CO₂ concentrations in 2023 reached 420 parts per million, over 150% above pre-industrial levels, with methane and nitrous oxide also at unprecedented highs.
• The rise in greenhouse gas concentrations has escalated warming trends, with 2023 marking the hottest year on record, as global temperatures reached 1.45°C above pre-industrial levels.
• Average temperatures between 2014 and 2023 were 1.2°C above pre-industrial times, and the World Meteorological Organization predicts a near-term breach of the 1.5°C threshold.
• The IPCC recommends a 43% reduction in emissions from 2019 levels by 2030 as a key milestone toward achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Yet, UNFCCC projections indicate that, by 2030, emissions will likely be just 2.6% below 2019 levels—far short of the target.
• Although slightly better than last year’s projection of a 2% reduction, this trend reflects a continued pattern of deferring significant action, leaving major emissions cuts to future years.

LiDAR: The Remote Sensing Technology That Revealed a Lost Mayan City

GS 3: Science and Technology: Remote sensing technology

Why is it in the news?

• LiDAR, or Light Detection and Ranging, is a cutting-edge remote sensing technology that uses pulsed laser light to measure distances from a sensor, which is usually mounted on an aircraft, to the Earth’s surface.
• This innovative approach has recently enabled scientists to uncover a lost Mayan city, hidden for centuries beneath the thick jungles of

Understanding LiDAR

• LiDAR operates using a system that includes a laser, a scanner, and a GPS receiver. The laser emits rapid pulses that travel to the ground, striking various surfaces such as vegetation, buildings, and other topographical features. The light is then reflected or scattered back to the LiDAR sensor.
• By calculating the two-way travel time of these light pulses, the system can determine the distance between the sensor and the terrain. This information, combined with data from the Global Positioning System (GPS) and Inertial Measurement System (IMS), allows for the creation of detailed elevation maps of the Earth.
• LiDAR data is initially collected as a “point cloud,” consisting of individual points reflecting from all surfaces. The system also measures how much light energy returns to the sensor, enabling the identification of various features like vegetation and structures.
• For instance, even dense tree canopies allow some light to pass through and reach the ground. By processing this data, scientists can create a “bare earth” Digital Elevation Model that strips away vegetation and structures.

LiDAR’s Impact on Archaeology

• LiDAR provides precise three-dimensional information about the Earth’s shape and surface characteristics, making it an invaluable tool for geographers, policymakers, conservationists, and engineers. In recent years, it has also proven to be a powerful asset in archaeological exploration.
• Luke Auld-Thomas, the lead author of research, pointed out that the area previously studied for the Maya civilization was limited to a few hundred square kilometres, requiring archaeologists to painstakingly walk over every square meter, often clearing vegetation with machetes to find potential sites.
• In contrast, LiDAR allows researchers to survey much larger areas quickly and efficiently from their homes or laboratories.
• Auld-Thomas utilized publicly available LiDAR data from a 2013 forest monitoring project to identify a previously unknown city, which he named Valeriana, in Mexico’s Campeche region.
• This city exhibits features characteristic of a Classic Maya political capital, including multiple enclosed plazas connected by a broad causeway, temple pyramids, a ball court, a reservoir created by damming a seasonal watercourse, and an architectural layout that likely dates back to before 150 CE.
• Auld-Thomas expressed optimism that this unexpected discovery could lead to the identification of more hidden settlements of the Maya civilization.

Recognizing the Economic Value of Unpaid Work in India

GS 3: Economy: Acknowledging women’s unpaid care work

Why is it in the news?

• The economic contributions of women through unpaid care work, parenting, and domestic responsibilities are increasingly being acknowledged in research and public discussions. There is a pressing need to assign monetary value to these contributions in national accounts.
• Although the System of National Accounts has included household production in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) calculations since 1993, unpaid care work has been notably excluded. The Time Use Survey is frequently used to quantify this labour, but its irregular implementation limits the comprehensiveness of the data.

More about the news

• In a recent paper, researchers measure the monetary value of unpaid household work in India, emphasizing its economic significance.
• Data indicate that women not in the labour force spend over seven hours daily on unpaid domestic and care work, while employed women dedicate 5.8 hours to similar tasks. In contrast, unemployed men spend less than four hours, and employed men contribute only 2.7 hours daily.
• This stark disparity highlights the substantial burden of unpaid labour on women, prompting the authors to advocate for policy reforms that recognize these contributions and promote equitable acknowledgment of women’s labour in the national economy.
• To estimate the economic value of unpaid household work, the authors utilized data from the Consumer Pyramids Household Survey (CPHS) by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), which covers individuals aged 15 and older from September 2019 to March 2023.
• The CPHS collects annual data on employment, health, and financial information from approximately 200,000 households. The authors applied two valuation methods: Opportunity Cost (GOC) and Replacement Cost (RCM).
• Globally, there is a growing recognition of unpaid work’s economic contributions, particularly emphasized in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established in 2016.
• SDG 5 aims to achieve gender equality and empower women, with Target 5.4 specifically focused on recognizing and valuing unpaid care and domestic work, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
• In India, unpaid work is estimated to contribute approximately ₹22.7 lakh crore, or about 7.5% of GDP, according to a 2023 report from the State Bank of India.
• This figure highlights the crucial role of unpaid labour in the economy, with women spending about 36 hours per week on these tasks compared to just 16 hours for men. This disparity reflects broader societal norms surrounding domestic responsibilities.
• The authors assert that addressing this imbalance could lead to significant economic gains. Research suggests that increasing women’s labour force participation could boost India’s GDP by as much as 27%.
• According to experts, women account for nearly 88% of unpaid domestic work, and studies estimate that women’s unpaid labour constitutes around 61% of India’s GDP. To harness this potential, policies must recognize and value unpaid work, fostering gender equity and enhancing overall productivity.
• The authors calculated the monetary value of unpaid household activities using GOC and RCM methods. The GOC method estimates the value of unpaid labour based on annual average hourly wages for unskilled labour, reflecting the monetary benefits individuals forgo while engaged in unpaid work.
• Conversely, the RCM method values household tasks as if they were performed by hired market workers, utilizing average wages for comparable occupations.
• Their analysis revealed that the value of unpaid household work was ₹49.5 lakh crore based on the GOC method and ₹65.1 lakh crore using the RCM for the fiscal year 2019–20, equating to 24.6% and 32.4% of nominal GDP, respectively.
• The COVID-19 pandemic further affected these values, increasing household contributions to 27.2% and 42.3% of nominal GDP in 2020–21. During this period, men’s contributions to household tasks rose from 10.4% of nominal GDP in 2019–20 to 13.1%, while women’s contributions reached 26.2%.
• As the economy began to recover in 2021–22 and 2022–23, the overall percentage of GDP attributed to unpaid household work declined, indicating a shift in labour towards other sectors. The authors emphasize women’s contributions, valued at 14.5% (GOC) and 21.5% (RCM) of GDP in 2022–23.
• However, they caution against directly incorporating these estimates into GDP calculations, highlighting the importance of recognizing unpaid labour’s role in the economy.
• The paper calls for future research to refine methodologies, promote equitable recognition and redistribution of care responsibilities, and ultimately enhance women’s labour force participation.

India – Spain Bilateral Relations

GS 2: International Relations: Enhancing India-Spain Relations

Why is it in the news?

• The Prime Minister of Spain recently visited India for a State Visit.

More about the news

• During this visit, Prime Ministers Sanchez and Modi inaugurated the Final Assembly Line Plant for the C-295 aircraft, co-produced by Airbus Spain and Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. in Vadodara.
• This facility will produce the first ‘Made in India’ C-295 aircraft by 2026, as part of a contract for a total of 40 aircraft. Additionally, Airbus is delivering 16 aircraft in ‘fly-away’ condition to India, of which six have already been delivered to the Indian Air Force.

India-Spain Bilateral Relations

• Diplomatic relations between India and Spain began in 1956, leading to high-level exchanges aimed at enhancing political ties.

Economic Relations:

• Spain ranks as India’s sixth-largest trade partner in Europe, with bilateral trade reaching US$ 9.9 billion in 2023. India exported goods worth US$ 7.17 billion, while imports from Spain totalled US$ 2.74 billion.
• The India-Spain Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation (JCEC) was established under the 1972 Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement and has convened twelve times.

Investment:

• Spain is the 16th largest foreign investor in India, with cumulative foreign direct investment (FDI) amounting to US$ 3.94 billion as of December 2023.

Defence:

• Spain has become a key player in India’s defense modernization efforts. The acquisition of 56 C-295 aircraft from Airbus Spain marks the first Make in India project in the defense sector.

Tourism:

• Tourism between India and Spain is thriving, with about 250,000 Indian tourists visiting Spain annually and around 40,000 Spanish tourists traveling to India.
• The Spain-India Council Foundation, in partnership with the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), organized the 3rd Spain-India Forum in 2023 to further promote bilateral relations.

Multilateral Cooperation:

• Both countries collaborate in international forums such as the United Nations, G20, and International Solar Alliance (ISA), addressing critical global challenges like climate change, terrorism, and sustainable development.

Diaspora:

• The Indian diaspora in Spain comprises approximately 75,000 individuals, primarily located in Catalonia, Valencia, Madrid, and the Canary Islands.

Way Forward

• The strengthening economic and diplomatic relationship between India and Spain holds substantial potential for cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, renewable energy, infrastructure, and defense. Spanish expertise in these sectors complements India’s expanding market.
• Initiatives like “Make in India” and “Digital India” create favourable conditions for increased collaboration and foreign direct investment. As both nations leverage their strengths, the future of India-Spain bilateral ties looks bright, with opportunities for enhanced cooperation.