Piyush Goyal urges developed countries to contribute their ‘fair share’ towards sustainability goals

The Minister said countries need to be sensitive of each other’s needs and potential goals or roadmaps towards sustainability

World leaders, political leadership of developed world should recognise their fair share of contribution for sustainability, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has said.

“The world leaders, business leaders, along with political leadership particularly of developed world, must recognise that we will all have to contribute our fair share to make the world a better place to live in, towards all goals including energy efficiency, reduction of waste, contribution towards circular economy and green goals… how quickly we can transition ourselves and help others,” Goyal said at the India-Europe Business and Sustainability Conclave in New Delhi.

The Minister said countries need to be sensitive of each other’s needs and potential goals or roadmaps towards sustainability, adding, “We still have to recognise that developing countries viz-a-viz developed countries will have to have different goals, different timelines and will also have to provide for a better for their children as they transition over the next few decades."

“Each of our countries will have to be very sensitive of each other's needs and potential goals towards sustainability. I believe that technology and finance are both going to play an important role as is sustainable lifestyle. Unless we address these three issues, whatever be the amount of discussions, debates, dialogues we have on this, results are going to be sub-optimal,” he added.

Referring to the Paris Accords or the Paris Climate Accords, an international treaty on climate change, the minister said, “In Paris in 2015, we had come to a shared understanding of our goals & future. India is amongst the top 5 performers when it comes to benchmarking our work on meeting our nationally determined contributions. There is no G20 country in top 10 and that is a matter of concern.”

The Paris Agreement is a global treaty where some 200 countries agreed to cooperate to reduce GHG emissions and rein in climate change. The agreement seeks to limit global warming to well below 2°C, preferably to 1.5°C, compared to pre-industry levels.

“India is committed to ensuring that sustainability & inclusive growth are going to be defining features of India's growth story in years to come,” Goyal concluded.