BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 19. India reaffirms its commitment to ambitious climate action, said Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh as he addressed the COP29 summit with his national statement, Trend reports.
"The high carbon emission development pathways of the Global North in the past have left very little carbon space for the Global South," Singh said. "Our growth trajectories, aimed at fulfilling the primary needs of sustainable development and poverty eradication, cannot be compromised".
Despite the significant financial burdens borne by developing nations, Singh highlighted India's resolve to continue taking ambitious climate actions. He pointed out that while the Global South, including India, has not contributed significantly to the problem, it is still shouldering the financial costs of climate mitigation efforts and losses caused by climate change. This, he noted, severely limits India’s capacity to meet its developmental needs.
India has demonstrated leadership in climate action, having already achieved its 2015 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) on emission intensity reduction and non-fossil-based electricity generation capacity well ahead of its 2030 targets. "India’s renewable energy capacity has nearly tripled from 2014 levels, and we are on course to achieve our 500 GW renewable energy target by 2030," Singh stated.
In addition, Singh highlighted several international partnerships that India has launched, including the International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilience Infrastructure, Global Biofuel Alliance, and the Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy Industry Coalition, among others. These initiatives, he explained, are part of India’s broader efforts to contribute to global climate solutions.