The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report justifies India's focus on equity at each scale in climate action and sustainable development, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav stated on Tuesday, 5 April. He emphasised on the fact that the report fully supports the nation's stance on the need of public finance for developing countries.
Yadav welcomed IPCC Working Group III report on 'Mitigation of Climate Change' released worldwide on Monday, noting that the report highlights the requirement for urgent global emissions reduction.
"The IPCC report underlines the need for deep and urgent global emission reduction and justifies India's emphasis on equity at all scales in climate action and sustainable development. We welcome it," he said at an event hosted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on minimising plastic pollution.
'India Will Continue to Be the Champion of Equity on Behalf of Developing Countries'
"India firmly believes that climate change is a global collective action problem that can be solved only through international cooperation and multilateralism. India will continue to be the voice of ambition as well as champion of equity on behalf of developing countries," Yadav stated.
The report mentions that both cumulative and per capita annual emissions had risen during the pre-2020 period, he continued.
The report states that global emissions can be halved by 2030 with significant changes in the energy sector, which would have to include a major reduction in the use of fossil fuels. The world must begin phasing out fossil fuel infrastructure and existing infrastructure alone will make the 1.5 degree Celsius target impossible to reach, it pointed out.
"Pre-2020 emissions reduction in developed countries have been insufficient in comparison to the developing world's needs for sustainable development. Both historical cumulative emissions and per capita annual emissions show that India's role (as part of South Asia) is minimal," he said.
While emissions in the last decade were the highest in human history, many emission-reduction opportunities are available at low cost, and emission reductions and development can both be realised by shifting development pathways, the report has said.
IPCC reports are the syntheses of peer-reviewed research over the past few years, the Union Environment Minister expressed, adding that "India's position on the historical responsibility of developed countries for consuming the carbon budget is scientifically established."
"50 percent of the global population, the vast majority in the developing world, is responsible for only 14 percent of the global emissions," Yadav said, commenting on the report.
The climate panel released details on reducing carbon dioxide levels from the atmosphere to prevent the planet from heating further.
The access to a fair share of the budget for developing countries has become an important question, the minister said.
(With inputs from PTI and The Hindu.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)