The financial support expected of developing countries for tackling climate change should be viewed as duty, not promise, by the developed world. This was India’s message at the G20 Environment Ministers’ Meeting that took place this week.
Environment Minister, Bhupender Yadav, addressed the forum of the world’s 20 largest economies at Cape Town, South Africa, and highlighted India’s commitment to honouring the Paris Agreement and shunning fossil fuels under a dedicated mission.
He made it clear, however, that fighting climate change was a moral obligation of every nation, and should be viewed as such.
The finance to developing countries to tackle environmental challenges “needs to be honoured as an onerous duty rather than a mere promise, because equality is not a privilege, it is a right”, Yadav said.
The world’s nation, therefore, must act as a bridge between ambition and implementation and ensure that every nation’s contribution in the fight against climate change is respected and every nation’s capacity is enhanced, he added.
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The minister called for the reaffirmation of the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC).
The CBDR-RC principle states that while all countries share the obligation to address climate change, their responsibilities differ based on their historical contributions and current capacities.
With the Paris Agreement completing 10 years this year, Yadav pointed out the achievements made by India in several of its climate goals ahead of schedule.
As part of its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted to the UN Climate Change Secretariat in August 2022, India committed to achieving 50 per cent of its cumulative installed power capacity from non-fossil fuel-based sources by 2030. But, it had already surpassed this target by July 2025, five years ahead of schedule.
India has also pledged to reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030 and aims to create an extra carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through afforestation and other land-based measures.
“Ecosystem-based solutions and futuristic technologies must converge to create a sustainable future. Knowledge sharing, capacity building, technology co-development and transfer will play a significant role in attaining sustainability,” Yadav said, adding that a “whole-of-society” approach was ideal and that people should be encouraged to adopt “pro-planet lifestyle choices”.
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