The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary– Apr 26, 2021; Day 46

Today we have collated the 10 tricky words/phrases/terms from the editorial on the U.S.-India climate pact. Go through these words and see how many did you know already. Check their usage as well. This will surely help you to understand the sense the tricky words have conveyed in the editorial.

Difficult Word/ Phrase/ Term	Contextual Meaning/ Definition
Green	relating to the protection of the environment
Greenhouse gas	any gas that has the property of absorbing infrared radiation (net heat energy) emitted from Earth’s surface and reradiating it back to Earth’s surface, thus contributing to the greenhouse effect
Per capita	the average per person
Shake off something	to get rid of something bad
Envisage	contemplate or conceive of as a possibility or a desirable future event
Open source	software or other projects with source code that can be viewed, modified, or upgraded by anyone
Decarbonise	reduce the amount of gaseous carbon compounds released in or as a result of (an environment or process)
Net zero emission	an overall balance between greenhouse gas emissions produced and greenhouse gas emissions taken out of the atmosphere
Recalcitrance	the quality of being determined not to do what other people, especially people in authority, want or expect to be done
Anew	in a new or different and typically more positive way

A green (relating to the protection of the environment:) partnership: On U.S.-India climate pact

The U.S.-India climate pact has the potential to aid sustainable post-pandemic development

The U.S.-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership raises expectations that the coming decade will see sustained financial and technological cooperation between the two countries to cut greenhouse gas (any gas that has the property of absorbing infrared radiation (net heat energy) emitted from Earth’s surface and reradiating it back to Earth’s surface, thus contributing to the greenhouse effect) emissions. At the Leaders Summit on Climate organised by U.S. President Joe Biden, the world’s attention was focused on countries responsible for the highest carbon emissions. India ranks third, behind the U.S. and China, although its per capita (the average per person) CO2 emissions are less than 60% of the global average, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi pointed out. There is little confidence in a pandemic-stricken world, however, that future growth pathways will be aligned away from fossil fuels. The International Energy Agency, in fact, expects a dramatic rise in emissions as countries race to shake off (shake off something means to get rid of something bad) the impact of the coronavirus, as they did after the 2008 financial crisis. Yet, the years to 2030, as President Biden put it, are part of a “decisive decade”, and action to scale up funding and innovation can help all countries move closer to keeping global warming well below 2°C or even 1.5°C, as the Paris Agreement envisages (contemplate or conceive of as a possibility or a desirable future event). There are many aspects to the bilateral pact that could be transformative for energy-intensive sectors in India, starting with renewable power expansion to 450 GW. With open source (software or other projects with source code that can be viewed, modified, or upgraded by anyone) technologies, India could incorporate innovative materials and processes to decarbonise (reduce the amount of gaseous carbon compounds released in or as a result of (an environment or process)) industry, transport and buildings, the biggest emitters, apart from power.

Many developed countries tend to view India’s reluctance to commit to a net zero emissions (an overall balance between greenhouse gas emissions produced and greenhouse gas emissions taken out of the atmosphere) target as recalcitrance (the quality of being determined not to do what other people, especially people in authority, want or expect to be done), but the climate change crisis originated not here but in the industrialised world, which has used up much of the world’s carbon space. A forward-looking policy should, therefore, envision green development anew (in a new or different and typically more positive way), providing funding and green technologies as compensation for the emissions space lost by poorer countries. This is a win-win game, since it would aid sustainable development, boost employment, clean up the environment and, crucially, help all countries emerge healthier from the pandemic. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who announced enhanced ambition at the summit for Britain to cut carbon emissions by 78% by 2035 over 1990 levels, advanced the agenda by calling for climate funding by rich nations to exceed the decade-old goal of $100 billion. For the India-U.S. agreement to yield results, Mr. Biden would have to persuade industry and research institutions at home to share knowledge and subsidise transfer of technologies. He has won commendations for steering America around from the science-deprived Trump years and announcing enhanced ambition: cuts in emissions by 50% to 52% by 2030 over 2005 levels. But much of his climate effort will rely on executive authority, rather than bipartisan support. With political will on both sides, the engagement with India can become a model.

Hope you got to know some new words/phrases which will definitely be useful in the English section of upcoming competitive exams. Wishing you all the best for your preparation!

Want to improve your vocabulary further? Download the Lists of Word-Meanings of Previous Months here.