Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that there is a need to move beyond the "don't do this or that" approach to a positive appraoch to tackle climate change.
Modi has also highlighted that there is no one solution for all the countries when it comes to energy transitions. He said that as different countries have different conditions, their transitions will also be diverse.
The comments from Modi come ahead of the G-20 Summit to be held in Delhi on September 9-10. In recent years, climate change has emerged as a major area of focus of multilateral organisations like the G-20. As reports have suggested that the world is in the last phase before irreversible harm to the environment sets in, climate change and transition to cleaner sources of energy have emerged as a global area of focus.
PM Modi on climate change approach
In recent years, India has emerged as the voice of the developing world on climate change and has pressed the developed West to do its bid in tackling climate change. While India has set its own climate targests, which have at times come under criticism, it has also pressed the West to provide the climate financing it has pledged earlier and to account for their historic role in global emissions and pollutions.
In an interview with PTI, Modi also said that lifestyle decisions affect the environment. He said "people across the world can come together to become planet-conscious" as "each lifestyle decision can be made based on what impact it will have on the planet in the long term".
As for the approach to climate change, Modi told PTI, "We are working with other nations to alter the approach from a restrictive to a constructive approach. Rather than focusing purely on the approach of don't do this or that, we want to bring in an attitude that makes people and nations aware of what they can do and help them with that, in terms of finance, technology and other resources."
On energy transition, Modi said that "diversity is our best bet" and dimissed any one-size-fits-all solution.
Modi told PTI, "Our principle is simple – diversity is our best bet, whether in society or in terms of our energy mix. There are no one-size-fits-all solutions. Given the different pathways countries are on, our pathways for energy transition will be different."
PM Modi hails India's climate efforts, leadership role
In the interview with PTI, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also hailed India's leadership role on climate. He mentioned India's leading role in renewable energy generation and promotion. He also touched upon the Indian leadership role in the developing world.
Saying that India has left no stone unturned in meeting its climate goals despite accounting for less than 5 per cent of the cumulative emissions, Modi told PTI, "So, we are certainly on track while also tailoring in various factors needed to ensure growth. We are perhaps the first among the G20 countries to have achieved our climate targets nine years ahead of the scheduled date."
Modi also told PTI that there have been many climate meetings over the decades, but despite the best intentions the discussions would end up revolving around who is to blame.
"But we took a positive and affirmative approach with a ‘can do’ spirit. We set up the International Solar Alliance and took the initiative to bring countries together under the vision of ‘One World One Sun One Grid’,” said Modi.
Modi also said India also started the Coalition for Disaster Resilience so that countries across the world, especially developing countries, learn from each other and build infrastructure that is resilient even during disasters, reproted PTI.
Modi told PTI, "We have also worked with small island nations of the world to further their interests, including under the Forum of India and Pacific Island Countries."
Modi also said India has been making great progress in climate-centric initiatives as it had ramped up solar energy capacity 20-fold in just a few years, reported PTI.
"India is among the top four nations in the world in terms of wind energy. In the electric vehicle revolution, India is playing an important role in both innovation and adoption," said Modi to PTI, adding that initiatives like the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure are bringing countries together for the planet.
India has set a target for 2070 to have net zero emissions and has also set the target to have 50 per cent electricity production from non-fossil fuels by 2030. As per the latest data, India produces around 41 per cent of electricity from renewable (non-fossil fuel sources) sources. In the interview with PTI, Modi said "we are certainly on track while also tailoring in various factors needed to ensure growth".
