Bhupender Yadav says the IPCC AR 6 Report reemphasises that development is our first defence against climate change
The global goal of reaching
net zero by 2050 requires enhanced descaling of emissions by the Developed
Countries: Yadav
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate
Change and Labour and Employment Bhupender Yadav said the IPCC AR 6 Report
reemphasises that development is our first defence against climate change. The
Report reinforces the scientific view that CO2 is the primary GHG that needs to
be drastically reduced to achieve the global temperature goal as agreed in the
Paris Agreement. Addressing the Plenary Session at G7 Ministers'
Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment in Sapporo, Japan he said the
global goal of reaching net zero by 2050 requires enhanced descaling of
emissions by the Developed Countries. He said this will provide space for
countries like India to achieve the development required for its people, which
will provide necessary defence against the impacts of climate change, environmental
degradation and pollution.
Yadav said since the advent of Industrial
Revolution, there has been enormous disproportionate emission of GHGs to
achieve economic growth and development. He said over-exploitation of natural
resources has also led to widespread environmental degradation. This has come
at the cost of altering the balance of nature, putting at serious risk the
existence of Planet Earth, he added.
He also pointed that to save our planet from the
challenges of climate change, pollution, loss of biodiversity, we need
collective action guided by the founding principles of the Rio Conventions. He
said we have made some progress collectively through the process of UNFCCC,
CBD, UNCCD. However, there is an urgent need for greater action to deal with
the three challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, he
added.
The Union Minister said developing Countries also
need the means of implementation, finance and technology. He said we do hope
that the Developed Countries will make good their commitments on finance for
combatting climate change and provide for the same for dealing with the
environmental degradation and biodiversity loss.
Yadav said reaching targets on carbon neutrality
and increased ambition will not fly unless they are made keeping Equity and
CBDR-RC consideration in view as well as unless the Developed Countries meet
their commitments to provide means of implementation.
Yadav said our actions have so far focused on
creating a policy framework to combat climate change. It is time that
governments across the world focus on making this a participative process at
the level of individuals.
The Union Minister said individual actions have the
potential of a revolution. At COP 27 in Sharm el Sheikh, the importance of
sustainable lifestyles and sustainable patterns of consumption and production
to combat climate change was underscored.
Yadav requested all countries around the table to
take lead in setting an example for the world in the collective fight against
climate change, environmental degradation and pollution, by focusing on nudging of individual behaviour in the spirit of Mission LiFE, by making the shift to Lifestyle for
Environment (LiFE).