Global goal of reaching net zero requires de-escalation of emissions: Minister

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Saturday that the global goal of reaching net zero by 2050 requires enhanced emission reductions by developed countries.

The minister said this will provide space for countries like India to achieve the development required for their people, thus providing the necessary defense against the impacts of climate change, environmental degradation and pollution.

The minister was addressing a plenary session at the G7 Ministerial Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment in Sapporo, Japan.

The Union Environment Minister said the IPCC AR 6 Report re-emphasizes that development is our first defense against climate change, according to a statement issued by the Union Environment Ministry.

The Sixth Assessment Report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is the sixth in a series of reports assessing scientific, technical, and socioeconomic information on climate change.

“The report reinforces the scientific view that CO2 is the main GHG that must be drastically reduced to achieve the global temperature target agreed in the Paris Agreement,” Yadav said.

According to Yadav, since the advent of the industrial revolution, there has been a huge and disproportionate emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) to achieve economic growth and development. He said the overexploitation of natural resources has also led to widespread environmental degradation.

This has come at the cost of upsetting the balance of nature, putting the existence of planet Earth at serious risk, he added.

The minister said that to save the planet from the challenges of climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, we need collective action guided by the founding principles of the Rio Conventions.

He said that we have made some progress collectively through the UNFCCC, CBD and UNCCD process. However, there is an urgent need for more action to tackle the three challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, he added.

The Union Minister said that developing countries also need the means of implementation, finance and technology. He said we expect developed countries to meet their financial commitments to combat climate change and provide the same to tackle environmental degradation and biodiversity loss, according to the official statement.

Yadav said that achieving carbon neutrality targets and higher ambition will not work unless they are done with the consideration of equity and CBDR-RC in mind, as well as unless developed countries follow through on their commitments to provide means of implementation. .

Yadav said that our actions so far have focused on creating a policy framework to combat climate change. It is time for governments around the world to focus on making this a participatory process at the people level.