Development is first defence against climate change: Bhupender Yadav

NEW DELHI: The IPCC AR 6 Report reinforces the scientific view that CO2 is the primary greenhouse gas that needs to be drastically reduced to achieve the global temperature goal as agreed in the Paris Agreement. This was stated by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Labour and Employment Bhupender Yadav, while 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.

The Minister said developing countries 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.
The 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.

He 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).