Environment minister Bhupender Yadav said the IPCC AR 6 Report re-emphasises that development is our first defence against climate change. The report supports the scientific view that carbon dioxide (CO2) is the main greenhouse gas that needs to be significantly reduced in order to achieve the global temperature goal as agreed in the Paris Agreement.
Speaking to 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.”
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.
— Bhupender Yadav (मोदी का परिवार) (@byadavbjp) April 15, 2023
The minister said since the advent of the Industrial Revolution, there has been an enormously disproportionate amount of greenhouse gas emission since the start of the Industrial Revolution in order to accomplish economic expansion and development. 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 said to save our planet from the challenges of climate change, pollution, and loss of biodiversity, we need collective action guided by the founding principles of the Rio Conventions. 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.
The minister said developing nations also require the resources for implementation, financing, and technology. We do hope that the developed countries will honour their obligations to give the necessary funding to combat climate change and to address environmental degradation and biodiversity loss.
Yadav said reaching targets on carbon neutrality and increased ambition will not fly unless they are created with equity and CBDR-RC consideration in mind, as well as unless developed nations fulfil their pledges to provide means of implementation.
He said our efforts so far have been concentrated on developing a legal framework to address climate change. It is time for governments all around the world to concentrate on fostering individual participation in this process.
The union minister said individual actions have the potential of a revolution. At COP 27 in Sharm el Sheikh, the significance of sustainable lifestyles, sustainable consumption patterns, and sustainable production was emphasised at COP 27 in Sharm el Sheikh.
He urged all the nations present to take the initiative in leading the global effort to combat climate change, environmental degradation, and pollution by focusing on changing individual behaviour in line with Mission LiFE and adopting a Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) mindset.