New Delhi, April 14
Strongly reiterating India’s commitment towards climate change goals, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Wednesday India will complete its commitments and raise ambitions and goals but not under any pressure. In a strong statement at an international event “From Paris to Glasgow: Stepping up global action on Climate Change”, Javadekar said historical responsibility is important and India will “not forget it and not let anyone forget it”.
Asking nations to provide finance and technological support they promised at Copenhagen in 2009, Javadekar said the World is suffering today because of what was caused 150-100 years ago.
“Countries… European, America, China emitted and therefore the World is suffering, India is suffering. In climate debate historical responsibility is important. We will not forget it and not let anyone to forget it.
“We are not responsible for climate change still India is on the right path following the principal of Common but Differentiated Responsibility (CBDR)”, he said.
The statement assumes importance amid international pressure on carbon neutrality/net zero targets commitments.
Earlier at a bilateral meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian also Javadekar said India is the only G-20 country to walk the talk on the Paris climate agreement and had done more than it had promised. Speaking at the panel debate, Javadekar said despite contributing only 3% in historical emission, India has taken numerous ambitious measures for climate action, including reduction in emission intensity, increase in forest area, biodiversity conservation and aspirational target of 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030.
“Many countries say don’t use coal, but the alternative has to be much cheaper than coal, only then India will do away with coal,” he said.
“We must also take into consideration climate justice to poor nations, they have the right to develop. Developed countries should finance what they committed. What they committed in Copenhagen ($ 100 billion) it is now $ 1.1 trillion dollars. Where is the money? There is no money in sight. You have polluted, you have destroyed the world and are now saying that do not use coal. Nobody wants to use coal, but alternative comes at a cost,” he said.
Asserting that “climate change not a business and one should not profit from it”, Javedekar said: “There is something called climate justice. Countries responsible for bringing climate change should make available technology at affordable cast and finance they committed. Climate change is not business, fighting climate change is our duty. If climate change is a disaster, we should not profit from it”.
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