Planetary Pressure-Adjusted HDI (PHDI)
The Planetary Pressure-Adjusted Human Development Index (PHDI) is a modified version of the Human Development Index (HDI), introduced in the 2020 Human Development Report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It incorporates the concept of environmental sustainability by adjusting HDI values to account for a country’s impact on the planet through carbon emissions and material footprint.
Key Features of PHDI
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Adjustments to HDI:
- PHDI reduces the HDI score based on a country’s per capita carbon dioxide emissions and material footprint (the amount of raw materials consumed).
- Countries with high environmental impact face larger reductions in their HDI scores.
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Components of HDI (retained in PHDI):
- Health: Life expectancy at birth.
- Education: Mean years and expected years of schooling.
- Income: Gross National Income (GNI) per capita.
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Focus:
- Promotes sustainable development by highlighting the trade-off between human progress and environmental degradation.
Significance of PHDI
- Environmental Accountability: Encourages countries to adopt environmentally sustainable practices.
- Global Equity: Highlights disparities between developed and developing nations in balancing human development and ecological sustainability.
- Policy Implications: Guides policymakers toward sustainable development strategies that reduce ecological footprints.
India’s Performance (2020)
- HDI (2020): 0.645 (Rank 131).
- PHDI (2020): Reduced to 0.607, reflecting the impact of India’s carbon emissions and resource consumption.
- India’s reduction was relatively smaller than that of highly industrialized nations, indicating a lower per capita environmental impact.
Current Affairs & Relevance
- India’s commitments at the COP26 Summit and the G20 Presidency 2023 emphasize transitioning to renewable energy and achieving net-zero emissions by 2070, aligning with the PHDI framework.
- Initiatives like National Solar Mission and Energy Efficiency Mission aim to reduce planetary pressures.
PHDI underscores the importance of achieving human development without compromising planetary health, aligning with the principles of sustainable development.
