In addition to offering to host COP-33 in India in 2028, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a special address at the COP-28 in Dubai on Friday. He also introduced a new pro-environment Green Credits program that would allow communities to participate in the building of carbon sinks.
In his speech during the High-Level Segment of the COP-28 for Heads of State and Heads of Government, Prime Minister Modi stated that the efforts of the COP had proven that universal welfare could not be achieved without the protection of everyone's interests and the participation of everyone.
He expressed his desire that all countries will join the Green Credits program, which aims to generate carbon sinks through community engagement and goes beyond the commercialization of carbon credits.
“We do not have much time to rectify the mistakes of the previous century. A small part of humanity has blindly exploited nature. But the entire humanity, especially the residents of Global South, is paying the price,” remarked the Prime Minister.
“If we think only of our well-being, it will lead the world towards darkness. Every person sitting in this hall, every head of state, has come here with a great responsibility. We all must fulfill our duties. The whole world is watching us today, and the future of this planet is at stake,” observed Modi.
“We must succeed. We have to be decisive, We must resolve that every country will fulfill the climate targets it has set for itself, every commitment it has made. We have to work in unity. We must resolve to work together, help each other, and cooperate,” Modi stated.
“We must allocate appropriate share to all developing countries in the global carbon budget. We have to be more balanced,” he added. “We must resolve to move forward while maintaining balance in Adaptation, Mitigation, Climate finance, Technology, Loss and damage.”
“We have to be ambitious. We must resolve that energy transition should be just, inclusive, and equitable. We have to be innovative. We must resolve to continuously develop innovative technology. We must rise above our self-interest and transfer technology to other countries. Strengthen the clean energy supply chain," noted the Prime Minister.
He confirmed that India is committed to the UN Framework for Climate Change Process. “I hope that the review of the Global Stock-take in the coming 12 days will lead us to a safe and bright future. The decision to operationalize the Loss and Damage Fund taken yesterday has increased our hopes,” he further stated.
He stated that India has demonstrated to the world an excellent balance of ecology and economy. Despite accounting for 17% of the global population, contributes less than 4% of global carbon emissions.
India is one of the few economies on pace to reach its NDC objectives. “We achieved emissions intensity targets 11 years ago. We achieved non-fossil fuel targets nine years ahead of schedule,” he remarked.
However, India continues beyond, according to him. “Our goal is to reduce emissions intensity by 45 per cent by 2030. We have decided to increase the share of non-fossil fuels to 50 per cent. And we will continue progressing towards the goal of net-zero emissions by 2070.”
With the goal of "One Earth, One Family, One Future," India had repeatedly stressed the importance of climate challenges during its G20 presidency, he added.
The G20, led by India, struck an agreement on the Green Development Pact to ensure a sustainable future. "We reached an agreement on lifestyle principles for sustainable development." "We intend to triple global renewable energy," he stated.
India, according to the Prime Minister, has supported the hydrogen industry for alternative fuels and formed the Global Biofuels Alliance. He said that during India's presidency, the G20 concluded that "commitments for climate finance needed to be increased from billions to trillions."
Mr. Modi stated that India launched the Infrastructure Resilience Initiative for Island States in Glasgow. In 13 nations, India is promoting initiatives connected to this agenda.
"I introduced the vision of Mission LiFE - Lifestyle for Environment," he remarked in Glasgow. According to an International Energy Agency research, this technique might cut yearly carbon emissions by two billion tons by 2030.
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