New Delhi, Mar 31 (PTI) India has emerged as a “strong voice” of developing nations on climate change issues that can neither be suppressed not ignored, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav asserted on Thursday.
Yadav replied to a Lok Sabha debate on climate change. He said that India has been a solution provider to the entire world when it came to environment.
He said India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, was among the few countries that not only set Nationally Determined Contributions in 2015 but achieved them before time, setting an example for others.
Yadav emphasized that the prime minister has spoken often about climate justice and said that developed nations are principally responsible for carbon emissions.
He noted that the developed nations have already acknowledged this fact and have pledged USD 100 Billion to developing countries.
“If the fight against climate change has to be fought by the developed and developing nations together, then developed nations will have to give two facilities to developing nations — climate finance and technology transfer,” Yadav asserted.
During the COP26 meet in Glasgow, the prime minister talked about various aspects of India’s fight against climate change, including the country’s vision to achieve carbon neutrality by 2070, the Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said.
The share of developed countries, which account for 17 per cent of the world population, in global carbon emission is 60 per cent, while that of India that’s home to 17 per cent of the world’s population is just 4 per cent, the minister said.
India’s lifestyle can teach the world how to live in harmony with environment, he asserted.
Noting that climate change affects everyone transcending borders, Yadav said the new cyclones hitting India’s coastal areas in the last few years show that “we are also vulnerable”.
He listed the achievements of Modi government in the area of climate change. He said that India has been a leader in environmental policy and action for seven years due to its efforts.
Yadav stated, “India has under Modi not only created an environment policy which gives direction to the globe but is the only country that’s taken major steps towards achieving the goals of the climate summits.”
“The time is over when India’s voice was not heard on international platforms. Under Prime Minister Modi, India has created a strong identity for itself and the world community can neither suppress its voice nor ignore it,” he asserted.
Another achievement of COP26 from India’s point of view is that the country has become a “strong voice” of developing nations demanding equal treatment for themselves on climate change issues, the minister said.
He also hailed the government’s initiatives like the International Solar Alliance that India started along with France and asserted that such steps enhanced India’s prestige on the global stage. Participating in the discussion, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi questioned the government on the effects of the PM Gati Shakti scheme, the Centre’s big-ticket infrastructure project, on India’s commitment to cut emissions to net-zero by 2070.
Gogoi stated that while he supports the development, the scheme which is a national masterplan for multi-modal connectivity and large-scale construction will increase emissions.
“Lakhs of rupees have been allocated to PM Gati Shakti for infrastructure for railways, airports and highways. This scheme presents India with the greatest challenge.
“We would need coal, high-emission producing technology will be required. It will increase emissions. What model will keep emissions low? Will the government make a rule that only lower-emission technology will be used?” he asked.
Gogoi stated that even though the environment minister of India had said in Glasgow during COP26, that India would reduce its use of coal, the transition from coal to an alternative fuel must be planned so that those who are connected to the sector are not affected.
BJP MP Jayant Sinha said the net-zero commitment by 2070 is “massively net positive for India”. He demanded a global market for carbon and for India to be connected with a worldwide carbon network.
Both Sinha and Gogoi pitched for an institutional arrangement to secure India’s climate future, with the Congress MP even proposing that the government consider bringing a legislation to that effect.
BSP’s Malook Nagar said the government should encourage electrical vehicles and proposed that neem trees be grown in abundance to curb pollution.
He said that companies responsible for carbon emissions should be asked if they are willing to plant trees according to their carbon footprint.
Shiv Sena’s Arvind Sawant raised concern over the use of lithium batteries in e-vehicles and wanted to know how the government planned their disposal. PTI ASK ASG NSD ASK SK SK
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