G7 ministers’ meeting: India stresses need to address climate change in tandem with environmental action

New Delhi: There is a need to holistically address climate change issues in tandem with environmental action, India said on Sunday at the G7 Ministers’ Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment in Japan’s Sapporo.

Addressing a plenary session of the G7 ministers’ meeting, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav highlighted India’s emphasis on collective action to address environmental challenges, including efforts to encourage individual and community action through Mission LiFE.

He said changing individual and community behaviour can have a meaningful impact on mitigating the effects of environmental and climate crises.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last year launched ‘Mission LiFE’ (lifestyle for environment) which calls for a global mass movement for inducing behavioural changes focused on “mindful and deliberate utilisation” of resources.

“Protecting and restoring ecosystems can help us reduce the extent of climate change and cope with its impacts. It is, therefore, important that we address issues related to climate change in tandem with environmental action, holistically. We do hope that this is at the core of deliberations of this meeting of the Climate, Energy and Environment Ministers of the G7 countries,” he said.

“Climate change, desertification, and biodiversity loss are deeply interlinked and pose existential challenges to humanity,” said Yadav.

He said Rio conventions have made remarkable progress in addressing these challenges through a consensus-driven approach based on principles.

While India has taken strong domestic actions to combat climate change, set ambitious targets for itself, and steer international actions through various initiatives, Yadav emphasised the need for a country-driven approach based on the principles of equity and CBDR-RC (common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities) to undertake decisive action.

Equity essentially means each country’s share of carbon dioxide emissions is equal to its share of the global population.

The CBDR-RC principle recognises that each country is responsible for addressing climate change, but developed countries should bear primary responsibilities as they account for most of the historical and current greenhouse gas emissions.

Yadav expressed hope that the leadership of G7 nations would ensure an effective fight against the triple challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, conscious of the fact that “we have One Earth, we are One Family and have One Future”.

The G7 comprises Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom.

During the G7 summit in Germany last year, the participating countries established a shared objective of transitioning towards a predominantly decarbonised electricity supply by 2035.