India is in a unique position to provide leadership in the Global South, said Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during his recent visit, adding that there can be no solution to climate challenges without India being at the centre.
Calling India’s development “extraordinary”, Albanese stated, “The perception of India in the world is very different from what it was in 1991, when I had visited the country for the first time, and this is a great tribute to the people essentially.” In fact, that is how the world perceives India today; and the country is making all-round efforts. Last year witnessed the launch of Mission LiFE by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a flagship programme to promote sustainable lifestyle across the globe.
LiFE focus at COP27
The central elements of Mission LiFE – sustainable lifestyle and sustainable patterns of consumption to address climate change – were mentioned in the cover decision of Sharm El Sheikh Implementation Plan of COP27.
India participated in COP27 with focus on mainstreaming the theme of LiFE – Lifestyle for Environment. The Indian Pavilion at COP27 highlighted the theme of LiFE in various ways – models, audio visual displays, activities. It also included 49 sideevents with participation of various Central Government ministries, state governments, UN and multilateral organisations, public sector undertakings, think-tanks, private sector, international organizations, and civil society organisations.
Global collective action
Various reports claim that the challenges faced due to global warming are mainly due to cumulative historical and current greenhouse gas emissions of the developed countries. In a statement, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ashwini Kumar Choubey recently told the Rajya Sabha that climate change is a global collective action problem. India, with more than 17 pc of the global population, has contributed only about 4 pc of the global cumulative greenhouse gas emissions between 1850 and 2019, he said.
“Even though we are not part of the problem, India is part of the solution and is doing more than its fair share,” he added.
The minister further said that the Union Government is implementing several programmes and schemes including the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) which comprises missions in specific areas of solar energy, energy efficiency, water, sustainable agriculture, Himalayan ecosystem, sustainable habitat, green India, and strategic knowledge for climate change.
Thirty-four states and Union Territories have prepared – and some have updated – their State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) in line with NAPCC. The SAPCC considers state-specific issues relating to climate change.
Among other initiatives, the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC) was established to support adaptation activities in the states and Union Territories of India that are vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. Further, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued several disaster-specific guidelines for managing extreme weatherrelated disasters such as cyclones, floods, and heat waves.
