COP26 | ‘India First’ must be our approach at Glasgow

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An ‘India First’ approach should govern the stand of the world’s second-most populous country at the COP26 meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, starting on October 31, especially when it comes to making any pronouncements on the critical issue of Net Zero, that holds the key to keeping global temperatures at a point that would allow human beings to survive in the next century and beyond. The United Nations defines Net Zero as a scenario where “we are not adding new emissions to the atmosphere”.

India’s representatives at the summit should make it unambiguously clear that while India would do its bit to address the worldwide challenge posed by Climate Change, its approach will always be governed by what will be in the best interests of its billion-plus citizens. Simultaneously, India must strongly resist any attempts at climate colonialism through which select rich countries try to determine the climate agenda for the world to benefit themselves most of all.

An ‘India First’ stance would ensure that achieving the national goals of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, and the Prime Minister’s development mantra of ‘Sabka Vikas’ remain the central considerations while taking a decision on what position India should take on issues connected with Climate Change at Glasgow. Such a stance would, in addition, provide a sense of comfort to local corporate groups that the government would not announce a Net Zero timeline that may cause stress to Indian business entities.

It may be relevant to point out in this context that although some large, progressive Indian corporate groups have underlined their intent to achieve a carbon neutral status, and have started taking proactive steps in this direction, advancing the national Net Zero timeline to a date before 2050 may prove a challenge for India’s countless small and medium enterprises.

Adopting an ‘India First’ strategy, moreover, would also assuage concerns of ordinary citizens that the COP26-induced current heightened focus on Net Zero, and, by extension, the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 related to Climate Action, will not take the attention away from other equally important SDGs. This includes SDG 8 that talks of promoting ‘sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all’ — an issue of vital importance to India that has a large young population.

Significantly, an ‘India First’ approach could have other positive ramifications as well. The chief among them could be in the form of other developing countries mustering the courage to highlight their concerns on the challenges of being able to balance their developmental goals with a Net Zero agenda in the absence of the developed countries not fulfilling their stated commitments till date on climate financing.

Another positive fallout of India standing up for its interests at Glasgow could be in terms of the UN itself pulling up rich nations at a global forum about the need for them to walk the talk on the aspect of climate funding support for developing nations. The present climate crisis has largely been caused by the industrial activities from advanced countries.

As home to nearly 17 percent of the world’s population, India has its own unique challenges that must be overcome. Glasgow affords a fantastic platform for India to let the world know that while it would take all possible measures connected with climate action, its moves would always be guided by the belief that what would work best for the people of India would also work for the rest of the globe. For, as the Prime Minister, said, recently, “When India grows, the world grows. When India reforms, the world transforms”.

Sumali Moitra is a current affairs commentator. Twitter: @sumalimoitra.

Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication.