India is the voice of developing nations in the world on the issue of climate change, the government told Lok Sabha Thursday.
Replying to a discussion on climate change, Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav said: “Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, India is among the few countries that not only set Nationally Determined Contributions in 2015 but achieved them before time, setting an example for others.”
Underlining that the PM has often talked about climate justice, Yadav said developed nations who are chiefly responsible for carbon emissions must take responsibility.
The developed countries have acknowledged this earlier and also pledged $100 billion to the developing countries, he noted. “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 Environment Minister said.
The share of developed countries, which accounts for 17 per cent of the world population, in global carbon emission is 60 per cent, while that of India, which is home to 17 per cent of the world’s population, is just 4 per cent, he added.
India’s lifestyle can teach the world how to live in harmony with the 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”.
“The time is over when India’s voice was not heard on international platforms. Under PM Modi, India has created a strong identity for itself and the world community can neither suppress its voice nor ignore it,” he said.
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.
During 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 said while he supported the development, the scheme, which is a national master plan for multi-modal connectivity entailing large-scale construction, will raise emissions.
“Lakhs of rupees have been allocated to PM Gati Shakti for infrastructure for railways, airports and highways. This scheme is the greatest challenge for India,” he said.
Source: india Express
