Kirti Vardhan Singh, Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, urged developed nations to lead in mitigation efforts and allow developing nations adequate carbon space for growth, as required by the Paris Agreement.
He delivered a National Statement at the High-level Section of the UN Climate Change Conference’s CoP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. He said, “What we decide here, will enable all of us, particularly those in the Global South, to not only take ambitious mitigation action but also adapt to Climate Change. This CoP is historic in this context.”
The Minister emphasized the importance of equity, climate justice, and the UNFCCC’s Paris Agreement’s Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities in decision-making processes. He underscored the significance of considering national contexts, sustainable development objectives, and poverty alleviation, particularly in the context of the Global South.
India asserted that the Global North’s high carbon emission development has resulted in limited carbon space for the Global South. Furthermore, the minister defended India’s commitment to implementing climate policies despite facing financial burdens and losses from climate change, despite not being a contributing factor to the issue, stating that growth paths for poverty alleviation and sustainable development remain unaffected.
India has met its 2015 NDC emission intensity reduction targets and installed non-fossil-based electricity generation capacity earlier than 2030. The country is on track to meet the 500 GW target by 2030 and has nearly tripled its renewable energy capacity.
India is leading in environmental initiatives, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Ek Ped Maa ke Naam’ campaign and ‘Plant4Mother’ campaign planting one billion saplings on World Environment Day 2024, attracting people of all backgrounds.
The Indian statement highlighted its collaborations with international organizations like the International Solar Alliance, Circular Economy Industry Coalition, Leadership Group on Industry Transition, Global Biofuel Alliance, and CDRI.
India criticized a few wealthy nations for using unilateral actions that have made it harder for the Global South to take climate action. Before raising climate ambitions to meet the Paris Temperature Goals, green technologies must be freely available, produced on a large scale, and financed for deployment, especially in the Global South. According to the statement, “Given the current circumstances, we have no choice but to remove all obstacles to the flow of capital, technology, and capacity to the Global South.” In this context, the CoP’s theme of “enabling actions and enhanced ambition” is highly pertinent. The New Collective Quantified Goals (NCQG) on Climate Finance, or CoP29, is responsible for mobilizing climate finance for meeting the needs and priorities of developing countries.”
Shri Singh urged in the statement that people understand the enormous costs associated with taking climate action in a developing nation like India. He said, “What we decide here on NCQG must be founded on the principle of Climate Justice. The decisions must be ambitious and unambiguous, taking into consideration the evolving needs and priorities of the Developing countries, and their commitment to sustainable development and eradication of poverty.”
India warns of a potential carbon space breach by the end of the decade, urging developed nations to demonstrate leadership in mitigation efforts and allow sufficient carbon space for developing nations. India urges everyone to work hard to ensure significant and impactful outcomes at COP-29.
History will unfold according to the decisions we make here. I implore everyone to work resolutely to ensure that the outcomes of the CoP 29 are significant and impactful. You can be sure that India will work with you to make COP-29 a success.
