India fighting climate change despite accounting for less than 4% of total emissions: Environment Minister

Addressing COP27, Minister points to Indian initiatives in renewable energy, e-mobility, ethanol blended fuels, green hydrogen and the International Solar Alliance as evidence of the country’s commitment

Union Minister for Environment Bhupender Yadav speaks at the COP27 U.N. Climate Summit, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on November 15, 2022. | Photo Credit: AP

India is undertaking an arduous effort to fight climate change despite accounting for less than four per cent of the world's cumulative emissions so far, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Tuesday.

Delivering the national statement at the UN climate summit in Egypt, Mr. Yadav said that India had responded to the call for increased ambition in the 2030 climate targets and had updated its Nationally Determined Contributions in August.

"India, home to 1.3 billion people, is undertaking this arduous effort despite the reality that our contribution to the world's cumulative emissions so far is less than 4 per cent and our annual per capita emissions are about one-third of the global average," he said.

The Minister pointed out that the country has embarked on far-reaching new initiatives in renewable energy, e-mobility, ethanol blended fuels, and green hydrogen as an alternate energy source. It seeks to foster strong international cooperation through action and solutions-oriented coalitions like International Solar Alliance and the Coalition of Disaster Resilience Infrastructure, both of which were launched and nurtured by India, Mr. Yadav said. "This is a testimony to our ethos of collective action for global good," he added.

Mr. Yadav mentioned that India would assume the presidency of the G20 in 2023 with the motto of “One Earth, One Family, One Future”.

"Our journey towards a planet safe for humanity is one that no nation can undertake alone. This is a collective journey to be undertaken with equity and climate justice as our guiding principles," said the Minister. "We hope that the fight against climate change will unite the world as one family," he added.

Mr. Yadav underscored that Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 20 in the presence of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, is at the heart of India's vision of a safe planet. The mission is a pro-people and pro-planet effort that seeks to shift the world from mindless and wasteful consumption to mindful and deliberate utilisation of natural resources.

"The world urgently needs a paradigm shift from mindless and destructive consumption to mindful and deliberate utilisation," Mr. Yadav said. "We're trustees of this planet earth. We must nurture it through sustainable lifestyles that optimise resource use and minimise waste," he added.