Local Environmental Footprints

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Context:

• While climate change is a global concern, issues like water scarcity and air pollution are often localised or regionalised.

Importance of Household Environmental Footprints:

• Understanding household environmental footprints is crucial for addressing local environmental issues.

Distribution of Household Environmental Footprints in India:

• A recent study titled ‘Water, air pollution and carbon footprints of conspicuous/luxury consumption in India’ highlights the environmental impact of affluent individuals.
• The study examines CO2, water, and particulate matter (PM2.5) footprints associated with luxury consumption choices among households in India.
• It contrasts luxury consumption footprints with those associated with non-luxury consumption.
• Luxury consumption categories include dining out, vacations, furniture, social events, etc.

Assessment of Environmental Impacts:

• The study employed an input/output analysis of the entire economy to map or link different components of household consumption to the resources or materials involved in their production.
• This approach enabled the capture and aggregation of the indirect or embedded environmental impacts associated with each stage of production.
• For example, the water footprint quantified water usage throughout various stages of production of different goods and services, as well as direct water usage by households.
• The PM2.5 footprint encompassed both embedded emissions and direct emissions from household activities such as the use of fuelwood, kerosene, and vehicular fuels.
• Similarly, the CO2 footprint captured both embedded and direct CO2 emissions associated with household consumption.

Key Findings:

• Increase with Economic Class: All three environmental footprints increase as households move from poorer to richer economic classes.
• Disparity: The footprints of the richest 10% of households are approximately double the overall average across the population.
• Surge in Footprints: A notable surge in footprints is observed from the ninth to the 10th decile.
• Air Pollution: The air pollution footprint experiences the highest increase at 68% in the 10th decile compared to the ninth.
• Water Footprint: The rise in the water footprint is the lowest at 39%.
• CO2 Emissions: CO2 emissions stand at 55% increase.
• Consumption Stage: Indian consumers, particularly those in the top decile, are still in the ‘take-off’ stage, with only the wealthiest segment exhibiting substantial increases in consumption-related environmental footprints.
• Attribution: Heightened footprints in the 10th decile are primarily attributed to increased expenditure on luxury consumption items.

Key Contributors to Environmental Footprints:

• Eating Out/Restaurants: Identified as a significant contributor to the rise in environmental footprints, particularly in the top decile households, across all three footprints.
• Consumption of Fruits and Nuts: Highlighted as a factor driving the increase in water footprint in the 10th decile.
• Luxury Consumption Items: Personal goods, jewellery, and eating out contribute to the rise in CO2 and air pollution footprints.
• Fuel Choices: Presence of fuels like firewood in the consumption baskets of poorer households showcases contrasting impacts of modern energy transitions.
• Transition to LPG: While transitioning from biomass to LPG reduces direct footprints, lifestyle choices associated with affluence lead to a rise in PM2.5 footprints (and subsequently, the CO2 footprint).

Per Capita CO2 Footprint:

• The average per capita CO2 footprint of the top decile in India is noted to be higher than the global average and the annual average required to achieve the Paris agreement target of 1.5°C.
• This disparity underscores the need for urgent attention from policymakers to align with sustainability goals.
• Policymakers should prioritize efforts to nudge consumption levels of affluent households downwards to align with sustainability goals, given their influence on broader societal aspirations.

Implications:

• Local vs. Global Focus: Sustainability efforts often prioritize global climate change, but global environmental footprints may not align with local and regional scale footprints.
• Disproportionate Impact: Local and regional environmental issues exacerbated by luxury consumption disproportionately affect marginalized communities
• Examples: Water scarcity and air pollution disproportionately impact marginalized groups, further marginalizing them.

• Affluent vs. Marginalized: Affluent sections can afford protective measures such as air-conditioned cars and air purifiers, exacerbating disparities.
• Importance of Analysis: Multi-footprint analysis is crucial in addressing environmental justice concerns and ensuring equitable sustainability efforts.

SOURCES:- THE HINDU

PRACTICE QUESTION Q. Discuss the significance of understanding local environmental footprints in the context of sustainable development, with particular emphasis on the implications for marginalized communities. Support your answer with examples and suggest measures to address disparities in environmental impacts.