Western nations must shoulder finances to combat climate change

NEW DELHI: On Sunday, Bhupender Yadav, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India said that India’s per capita carbon emissions are among the lowest in the world, and that the western developed nations should shoulder the majority of cost to tackle climate change.

Yadav also underlined the importance of maintaining a balance between development and the environment, while speaking at Chandigarh University’s Conference on “Environmental Diversity and Environmental Jurisprudence: National and International Perspective.” He stated that India’s environmental legislation and policy is about “equity and justice” in addition to “protection and conservation.” According to him, there would be no environmental justice and equity if those who are most afflicted by environmental protection measures weren’t the ones who caused the problem. India’s per capita carbon emissions are among the world’s lowest (two tonnes), and as a result, the western developed nations should bear the brunt of the financial burden for tackling climate change.

Yadav also mentioned that environmental legislation in the past years have been damaging the progress of the country. Environmental actions need not disrupt the developmental processes, he added. “Industrialisation and preservation of the environment are two conflicting interests and their harmonisation is a major challenge before the judicial system and the governance system of the country,” he said.

According to Yadav, the current IPCC Working Group III report validates India’s commitment towards equity. At both the national and international levels, the notion of accountability needs to be developed. Environmental law is still centered on punishing polluters or offenders at the local level, whereas the reality of climate change demands a need to address this issue across national borders.