Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that climate adaptation has not got as much importance as mitigation in the international climate debate which is an injustice to vulnerable countries.
Speaking at a side event ‘Action and Solidarity: The Critical Decade’ at the 26th UN climate conference in Glasgow, Modi stressed on the need to include in the school syllabus the importance of living in harmony with nature as per traditional practices.
"Adaptation has not got as much importance as mitigation in the international climate debate. It is injustice to those countries which are highly vulnerable to climate change,” he told the gathering.
"Many traditional communities have the knowledge of living in harmony with nature. In our adaptation policies, the traditional practices should be given importance. To ensure this knowledge reaches the next generation, it should be added to the school syllabus,” Prime Minister Modi said.
Delivering the National Statement at the @COP26 Summit in Glasgow. https://t.co/SdKi5LBQNM
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 1, 2021
The prime minister said that India targets to achieve Net Zero by 2070. He gave a clear message to developed countries that just like India has raised its ambition in setting its targets, they also need to raise ambitions in climate finance & tech transfer. The world cannot achieve newer targets with old goals of climate finance, added Modi, as per News18.
He stressed that climate change is a huge challenge for the agriculture sector in developing nations, including India. "Climate is a huge challenge for the farmers of developing nations including India. Cropping pattern is changing, untimely rains, floods and continuous storms are destroying crops. From sources of drinking water to affordable housing, all need to be made resilient against climate change,” he said.
Talking about the importance of climate adaptation, Modi said it should be made the most vital part of the policies.
When India took the ambitious pledge of achieving 450 GW installed capacity by 2030 through non-fossil fuel sources, it was seen as over-ambitious, Modi said. Now, India is not only on the track to achieve this target, but India has decided to further raise it to 500 GW. India has also pledged to fulfil 50 percent of its energy requirements from renewables by 2030, Modi added.
"Climate adaptation has to be made the most vital part of our policies. In India, policies like tap water for all, Clean India Mission and clean cooking fuel for all have given adaptation benefits to the needy as well as improved their quality of life,” he said.
Modi said India, which has around 17 percent of the world’s population, is responsible for only about 5 percent of the total emissions.
He announced that India will reduce 1 billion tonnes of carbon emissions from the total projected emissions by 2030 and that India will also reduce carbon intensity by 45 percent in its economy.
Modi on Monday said India is the only country that is delivering in "letter and spirit" the commitments on tackling climate change under the Paris Agreement.
Calling for lifestyle changes, Modi said that environmentally conscious lifestyle choices can go a long way in tackling climate change. He urged to make 'Lifestyle for Environment' a global mission.
The prime minister reiterated that developed nations must fulfil the promised $1 trillion as climate finance, saying this should be tracked the same way as climate mitigation.
"India expects developed countries to make $1 trillion available as climate finance as soon as possible. As we track the progress of climate mitigation, we must also track climate finance. Justice would truly be served if pressure is put on those countries that have not lived up to their climate finance commitments,” Modi said.
He also shared how a new India is fighting climate change. "From the worlds largest railway carrier becoming Net Zero by 2030 to saving 40 billion tonnes of emission through LEDs, India is putting climate change at the centre of its policies," Modi added.
Modi was earlier on Monday warmly greeted by his British counterpart Boris Johnson upon his arrival at the Scottish Exhibition Centre to attend the opening ceremony of the COP26 climate summit where he delivered a much-awaited national statement.
Modi, who arrived in Glasgow on Sunday night from Rome, was received by Johnson and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Prime Minister Modi was then seen interacting animatedly with Johnson and Guterres with his arms around their shoulders. The three leaders had also attended the G20 Summit in Italy which concluded on Sunday.
"Together for our planet! PM @narendramodi received by UK PM @BorisJohnson and UN Secretary General @antonioguterres as he arrives at the Scottish Exhibition Centre to attend the World Leaders Summit of @COP26,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.
Later, Johnson opened the climate summit, warning that two degrees more to global temperatures will jeopardise food supplies, three degrees more will bring more wildfires and cyclones, while four degrees and "we say goodbye to whole cities".
He made the comparison between world leaders and James Bond, saying that the fictional secret agent often ends his films fighting to stop a force from ending the world.
"The tragedy is that this is not a movie and the doomsday device is real," he warned.
At the end of day one of the World Leaders’ Summit on Monday, Modi will join more than 120 Heads of Government and Heads of State at a special VVIP reception at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum – one of Scotland’s most popular visitor attractions.
The reception will also involve members of the royal family, including Prince Charles and wife Camilla and Prince William and wife Kate Middleton. Queen Elizabeth II was due to attend this special reception but pulled out last week after a medical advice against travel.
With input from agencies
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