Developed Countries Must Fulfil Financial Commitments To Achieve Climate Goals: Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav

Panaji: Developed countries will have to fulfil their financial commitments if the goal of restricting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels is to be achieved, Union environment and climate change minister Bhupender Yadav said here on Saturday (February 4). He was speaking at the concluding function of the First International Environment and Sustainability Summit. He said,

There is a need to discuss climate change, but also there is a need to speak about climate justice. When it was told in Glasgow (during the 2021 climate summit) that we should stop using fossil fuels, developed countries pledged 100 billion dollars (annually to developing countries) to enable them stop using fossil fuels.

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“Developed countries have not fulfilled their pledge of (providing) 100 billion dollars. If you do not fulfil your financial commitments, how will the world achieve its goal of limiting Earth’s warming to 1.5 degrees,” he said.

India has 17 per cent of the world’s population but contributes only four per cent carbon emissions, while the developed countries together have 17 per cent of the population but their carbon emissions account for 60 per cent of the total, Mr Yadav noted.

Speaking about initiatives taken by the Indian government to help curb global warming, he said the International Solar Alliance headquartered in India has 130 countries as its members.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi believes in ‘one sun, one world, one grid’ for ensuring the supply of clean energy to every part of the world,” he said.

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(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.