By Mr Rajesh Khosla
Sustainability, environmental conservation and green growth continue to be central issues during India’s G20 presidency. The various commitments made during forums and conferences in Geneva, Sharm El-Sheikh and Montreal are being revisited during the various working group meetings in India. The importance that India is placing on discussions of these issues is unsurprising, given the increased impetus on sustainability and green growth in the past few years. India is well positioned to convert the initiatives in the country into models that can be applied internationally as well.
India’s commitment to sustainability
India is home to 17 percent of the world’s population, yet the country has been able to grow while meaningfully tackling the climate crisis. Our per capita emission of 2.4 tonnes of CO2 equivalent is less than the global average of 6.3 tonnes according to a report released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The 2022 Climate Change Performance Index ranked us among the top five performing countries. We are spearheading the transition towards a low-carbon economy. India has achieved its commitment to add non-fossil fuel capacity well before the target year (2030). Renewable energy usage is expected to grow, with additional capacity to double by 2026. India is one of the world’s leading producers of bioenergy and aims to be a hub for green hydrogen production and exports.
Through the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) initiative and through large-scale collective action initiatives, such as Swachh Bharat, Ujjwala Scheme, Give It Up Campaign, etc., sustainability measures have already begun. Another factor in India’s success in delivering on sustainability and environmental conservation commitments has been India’s demographic dividend, encouragement of innovation, large-scale mobilisation and the efficient use of tangible and intangible resources. Leveraging these factors have a significant accelerating effect on achieving sustainability goals and can be retrofitted as per the needs of other economies.
Further proof of India’s commitment to addressing leading climate issues can be seen in the three priorities identified by the Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) – arresting land degradation, accelerating ecosystem, restoration and enriching biodiversity. These pressing issues are common across countries, geographies and economies.
India’s presidency of the G20 is expected to have long-lasting, positive impact across the globe in terms of sustainability, environmental conservation and green growth. The theme of India’s presidency – Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (One Earth, One Family, One Future), is a clear indication that the path to emerge from the various discussions will be one that is based on cooperation, consensus and collaboration.
G20 – Forging collaborations for greater good
In the past few years, India has significantly expanded and deepened its relationship with many of the constituent nations of G20. It creates a great opportunity for India to play the role of not only a leader but also a facilitator of greater sustainability and green collaboration between countries.
An extension of India’s diplomatic approach of being firm yet fair on matters of local and global socioeconomic importance may see the creation of avenues that can lead to the development of holistic approaches to sustainability:
Collaboration between countries: The diversity of the G20 constituent countries creates an opportunity for numerous viable ideas to be brought to the table as countries will have diverse areas of expertise in sustainability. Such bespoke solutions and approaches can meet the needs of various economies while ensuring growth is not affected. Arriving at agreements and creating charters for greater collaboration and information sharing will catalyse existing collaborative channels.
Mobilisation of financial resources: Greater collaboration between the various G20 constituents will see the development of financial pools, which can help support the sustainability requirements of member nations. India can play the role of a pathfinder due to its success with low-cost energy project financing.
Collaboration between countries and public-private partnerships: Governments and industries will need to look beyond borders to create holistic sustainable models. Agreements at the policy level between countries will create viable platforms for industries to collaborate with other governments to create circular economies of scale.
Achievement of a consensus on approaches and goals: A common platform is what various countries need to air their concerns and reinforce their climate change commitments. Finding common ground will ensure that all regions and members find opportunities for equal sustainable growth while ensuring that the cost of it is not transferred to their citizens. The platform will play a crucial role in addressing any concerns that may cause roadblocks to achieving climate goals by member countries.
India is an example of how diversity, economic strength and intellectual capital can be leveraged to accelerate growth by going green. India’s presidency of the G20 may result in this summit being a landmark one for the environment, sustainability and green growth.
(The author is Mr Rajesh Khosla, CEO of AGI Greenpac, and the views expressed in this article are his own)
