2024 UN Water Development Report released

The 2024 edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report (UN WWDR) calls attention to the complex and interlinked relationships between water, prosperity and peace, describing how progress in one dimension can have positive, often essential, repercussions on the others.

Short Summary
•    Water security leads to prosperity and peace, while the hardships of conflict are amplified through water.
•    Water directly supports billions of livelihoods and can promote peace.
•    Water nurtures prosperity by meeting basic human needs, supporting health, livelihoods and economic development, underpinning food and energy security, and defending environmental integrity.
•    Water influences the economy in many ways, and global trade dynamics and market adaptations can have direct repercussions on the water use of regional and local economies. The water-related impacts of conflict are multi-faceted and often indirect, such as those linked to forced migration and increased exposure to health threats.
•    Climate change, geopolitical unrest, pandemics, mass migration, hyperinflation and other crises can exacerbate water access inequalities. In nearly all cases, the poorest and most vulnerable groups are those that suffer the greatest risks to their well-being.

Statistics
Facts and figures on the state of the world’s freshwater resources from the 2024 UN WWDR:

Water demand and use
•    Worldwide, agriculture accounts for roughly 70% of freshwater withdrawals, followed by industry (just under 20%) and domestic (or municipal) uses (about 12%).
•    Groundwater supplies about 25% of all water used for irrigation and half of the freshwater withdrawn for domestic purposes.
•    Since 1980s the global demand for freshwater has been increasing by just under 1% per year during this period.
•    Water demand from the municipal sector has experienced a considerable increase relative to the other sectors and is likely to continue growing as populations urbanize and the water supply and sanitation systems servicing these cities expand.

Water availability and stress
•    Roughly half of the world’s population experiences severe water scarcity for at least part of the year.
•    Water deficits were linked to a 10% increase in global migration between 1970–2000.

Water quality and pollution
•    In lower-income countries, poor water quality is due to low levels of wastewater treatment. whereas in higher-income countries, runoff from agriculture poses the most serious problem.
•    Emerging contaminants include pharmaceuticals, hormones, industrial chemicals, detergents, cyanotoxins, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and nanomaterials.

Extreme events
•    Floods and drought are among the most devastating water-related disasters.
•    Over the period 2002–2021, floods caused nearly 100,000 deaths (with an additional 8,000 in 2022), affected another 1.6 billion people (with another 57 million in 2022) and caused US$832 billion in economic losses (US$45 billion in 2022).
•    Over the same period, droughts affected over 1.4 billion people, killed over 21,000 more and triggered US$170 billion in economic losses.
•    Continued global warming is projected to intensify the global water cycle, and to further increase the frequency and severity of droughts and floods, with more very wet and very dry weather and climate events, and seasons.

Progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6
•    SDG 6 seeks to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
•    None of the SDG 6 targets appear to be on track.
•    As of 2022, 2.2 billion people were without access to safely managed drinking water (SDG Target 6.1).
•    Four out of five people lacking at least basic drinking water services in 2022 lived in rural areas. 

•    The situation with respect to safely managed sanitation (SDG Target 6.2) remains dire, with 3.5 billion people lacking access to such services. 

2024 Global Wind Report Released

In April 2024, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) released the 2024 Global Wind Report. The Global Wind Energy Council is the international trade association for the wind power industry. Its mission is to ensure that wind power establishes itself as the answer to today’s energy challenges, providing substantial environmental and economic benefits.

GWEC is a member-based organisation that represents the entire wind energy sector. The members of GWEC represent over 1500 companies, organisations and institutions in more than 80 countries, including manufacturers, developers, component suppliers, research institutes, national wind and renewables associations, electricity providers, finance and insurance companies.

Working with the UNFCCC, REN21, the IEA, international financial institutions, the IPCC and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), GWEC represents the global wind industry to show how far we’ve come, but also to advocate new policies to help wind power reach its full potential in as wide a variety of markets as possible.

Key statements from the 2024 Global Wind Report:

At COP 28, nearly 200 governments agreed on the need to triple renewable energy capacity globally and double energy efficiency improvements by 2030, to get on-track for a pathway that limits global warming to 1.5°C. Wind energy was also recognised in the final decision text as a key climate change mitigation technology, which has become increasingly cost-effective and available.

The last year gives cause for hope that wind energy can significantly contribute to this landmark goal. There is rising political ambition on the global energy transition, as well as recognition at the highest diplomatic and institutional levels of the urgency to close the “say/do gap” when it comes to implementing renewable energy targets. In 2023, a record-high 117 GW of new wind power was installed worldwide, a 50% increase from 2022.

The top 12 takeaways from this year’s Global Wind Report

1. Meaningful action is needed to mobilise larger volumes of investment into wind energy.

2. Growth at scale comes with stable and ambitious policy environments that offer reasonable returns on investment

3. Collaborate to build a secure global supply chain with healthy, managed competition.

4. Trade policy should foster competitive industries, not push higher costs onto end-users.

5. New production models are needed to industrialise and decelerate the turbine platform race on size.

6. Ensure the advantages of AI and machine learning outweigh the drawbacks.

7. Close the gap on grids: Grids must become a national and cross-cutting policy priority for countries to meet their energy security, climate and economic growth goals.

8. Scale modern and flexible power systems.

9. Take action to accelerate permitting of wind projects.

10. Community engagement is more critical than ever.

11. Guard against misinformation and disinformation that sow doubt in wind and renewable energy.

12. The global wind industry must fulfil its role in delivering a just and equitable transition.

Important references to India in the report:

While thermal power continues to dominate the power generation mix, India is expected to more than double its onshore wind and solar PV capacity by 2028 and achieve its milestone of 50% non-fossil fuel generation before 2030. Globally, India ranks fourth in total wind installations, with 45 GW of installed onshore wind as of January 2024. It is the second- largest wind market in the Asia Pacific region after China.

In 2023, due to a range of policy and institutional interventions by central and state governments, over 2.8 GW onshore wind capacity was commissioned – the highest annual installation level since 2017. GWEC expects continued recovery and has revised its onshore wind outlook for 2024-2028 to 22.8 GW. As per the National Electricity Plan of the central government for the period ending 2032, India’s installed wind capacity is estimated to amount to around 73 GW in 2026-2027 and 122 GW in 2031-2032.

There is more than 13 GW of wind projects in the pipeline in India as of September 2023. To advance the attainment of targeted volumes of annual wind and renewable auctions, the central government has provisioned administration of auctions by public sector undertakings (PSUs) such as NHPC, NTPC, Indian Railways, SJVN and PTC. State utilities have announced standalone wind, RTC, FDRE and hybrid auctions totalling 21 GW of capacity in 2023.

The step-up in wind demand will accelerate onshore wind growth, alongside other policy enablers Despite positive policy and regulatory momentum, the current onshore wind forecast through the end of the decade still leaves a sizeable gap between wind market growth and the government’s 140 GW target of installed capacity by 2030.

A few challenges continue to deter progress on onshore wind, including state-level issues for right of way, PPA sanctity and delayed payments, as well as land allocation. The industry is also experiencing increased turbine prices due to commodity price inflation and higher cost of financing.

Good progress has been made to finalise the first offshore wind seabed tender, including the publication of the revised ‘Strategy Paper for Establishment of Offshore Wind Energy Projects’ showcasing three models to award 37 GW of capacity through 2030. The offshore wind lease rules have been released as well, and in early February 2024, the central tender agency, SECI, announced offshore wind seabed leasing of 4 GW capacity in Tamil Nadu.

Viability gap funding (VGF) has also finally been approved for an initial 1 GW of offshore wind capacity. GWEC’s India Offshore Wind Working Group has been proactively contributing industry inputs on offshore wind developments to authorities.

To achieve offshore wind installation progress, India needs to address key market barriers such as readiness of ports and grid infrastructure, availability of vessels, supply chain or import strategy, assurance for offtake, streamlined permitting and clearances, community partnership and the availability of a local skilled workforce.

As the second-largest hub for onshore wind turbine assembly and key component production in the Asia Pacific, India is strategically well-placed for wind manufacturing expansion. It can benefit from a “China + 1” approach adopted by many major supply chain actors. Domestic manufacturing is sufficient to meet India’s own onshore wind demand through 2030, leaving additional export and trade value ahead if India can significantly scale up manufacturing capacity.

India can make additional efforts to reduce imports of a few large components such as castings, generators and pultrusion carbon fibre. For example, in January 2024 at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, Reliance announced that it would set up India’s first carbon fibre facility at Hazira, Gujarat, for use in blade manufacturing in the wind sector.

Additionally, the successful award of offshore wind tenders is likely to attract investments in domestic offshore wind manufacturing. The attractiveness of financial and non-financial incentives offered by the central and state governments will be a determining factor in this regard.

Road to Busan clear as negotiations on a global plastics treaty close in Ottawa

 Background

On 2022, UN Environment Assembly requested the Executive Director of UNEP to convene an intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC) for reaching a global plastics treaty. The INC was tasked with developing an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, henceforth referred to as “the instrument”, which could include both binding and voluntary approaches, based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic.

INC-4
The fourth session of the INC to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-4), was held in Ottawa, Canada, from 24th to 29th April, 2024. The session ended with an advanced draft text of the instrument and agreement on intersessional work ahead of the fifth session (INC-5) in November 2024 in Busan, South Korea.

More than 2,500 delegates participated in INC-4, representing 170 Members and over 480 Observer organizations including - non-governmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, and UN entities. INC-4 marked the Committee's largest and most inclusive gathering to date, with Observer participation increasing by almost fifty per cent.

Over the course of INC-4, delegates worked on negotiating the Revised Draft Text of the international legally binding instrument. Delegates discussed, among other things: emissions and releases; production; product design; waste management; problematic and avoidable plastics; financing, and a just transition.

At this meeting, some areas of convergence, or “low hanging fruit,” emerged, including on provisions addressing plastic waste management and just transition. But sharp divergence was also noted, especially on whether to include any provisions on primary plastic polymers, how to address chemicals and polymers, and how to address linkages to existing processes. Other areas of divergence related to financing, extended producer responsibility, and, significantly, the scope of the agreement.

Delegates eventually agreed to establish two ad hoc intersessional open-ended expert groups, whose work will be considered at INC-5 in November 2024, to:
•    develop an analysis of potential sources and means that could be mobilized for implementation of the objectives of the instrument including options for the establishment of a financial mechanism, alignment of financial flows, and catalyzing finance; and
•    analyze criteria and non-criteria-based approaches, with regard to plastic products and chemicals of concern in plastic products and product design, focusing on recyclability and reusability of plastic products considering their uses and applications.

INC Members also agreed on intersessional work – expert meetings that take place between the official INC sessions – that is expected to catalyze convergence on key issues. In addition, Members decided to create an Open-ended Legal Drafting Group to form at INC-5, serving in an advisory capacity by reviewing elements of the draft revised text to ensure legal soundness.

While some proposed convening an additional session of the Committee before INC-5, due to the amount of work remaining, delegations were unable to reach agreement. This left some participants expressing uncertainty as to whether the negotiations will be able to produce a robust agreement to address plastic pollution by the end of 2024.

 “We came to Ottawa to advance the text and with the hope that Members would agree on the intersessional work required to make even greater progress ahead of INC-5. We leave Ottawa having achieved both goals and a clear path to landing an ambitious deal in Busan ahead of us,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. “The work, however, is far from over. The plastic pollution crisis continues to engulf the world and we have just a few months left before the end of year deadline agreed upon in 2022. I urge members to show continued commitment and flexibility to achieve maximum ambition.”

 “Canada is committed to reaching a final agreement at INC-5 in the Republic of Korea before year end. We are no longer talking about “if” we can get there, but “how.” Together we can land one of the most significant environmental decisions since the Paris Agreement and the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework,” said Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change. “We are doing everything we can to raise the international profile of the plastic pollution crisis so that the agreement gets the global attention it deserves to cross the finish line.”

The Chair of the INC, Ambassador Luis Vayas said: “During these seven days of intense deliberations, the delegates managed to build on and advance the revised draft text of the instrument, providing streamlined text and entering textual negotiations on several elements. At the same time, we also leave with a much clearer picture of the work that remains to be done, if we are to deliver on the promise that Members have made through the UNEA Resolution.”  

“We are all united by our strong shared commitment to deliver an international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. It is this spirit of multilateralism which has guided our discussions here in Ottawa,” he added. “We have found some common ground, and we are walking this path together until the end. I firmly believe that we can carry this same spirit forth to Busan to deliver on our mandate.”

“It has been an ambitious timeline of just 18 months and four sessions to get us to this point, and we are now firmly on the road to Busan. Compromise and commitment remains strong at this advanced stage of the negotiations,” said Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, Executive Secretary of the INC Secretariat. “Members should arrive in Busan ready to deliver on their mandate and agree a final text of the instrument. This is more than a process – it is the fulfilment of your commitment to saving future generations from the global scourge of plastic pollution.”