12-Jan-2022: UK secretary of State for International Trade and India’s Environment Minister discuss India-UK collaboration on climate change and the 2030 Roadmap.
Shri Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had a in-person meeting with UK Secretary of State for International Trade & COP26 Presidency Champion on Adaptation and Resilience, the RT Hon Anne-Marie Belinda Trevelyan on 12th January 2022.
In the Meeting, they discussed issues relating to India’s new commitments at COP 26, India-UK collaboration on climate change and the India-UK 2030 Roadmap.
In the Meeting, Shri. Yadav recalled the five nectar elements “Panchamrit” announced by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at the sidelines of COP 26. He also mentioned about the two joint initiatives launched by UK and India, viz. One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG) and Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS).
The Environment Minister also mentioned about the role of the Developed Countries in combatting climate change, especially with regard to climate finance, technology transfer, and other implementation support, as mandated by the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement.
“Historical cumulative emissions, high per capita annual emissions, equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capacities (CBDR-RC) of UNFCCC for climate action are essential while we move ahead with the implementation of the NDCs and Paris Agreement goals.”, stated Shri Yadav during the meet.
Further, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change mentioned about the initiatives taken by India for tackling climate change, and which will also contribute towards India’s New Climate Goals announced by our Prime Minister. The major sectors include Renewable Energy, Green Hydrogen, e-mobility, etc. He also emphasised the crucial role of the private sector in India’s efforts towards a credible pathway of low-carbon development to eventual net zero.
Both sides discussed on how to further strengthen partnership in R&D of cutting-edge technologies and the transfer of proven technologies to drive low carbon pathways. Both sides will also explore continuing to work on the success of COP26 by delivering concrete actions to achieve our commitments, through our bilateral cooperation.
12-Jan-2022: Shri Bhupender Yadav and French ambassador hold discussions to further strengthen activities in 2022 under the Indo-French Year of Environment.
Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav today held a virtual meeting with H.E. Mr. Emmanuel Lenain, French Ambassador to discuss issues relating to One Ocean Summit; Cooperation on Plastic Pollution, Global Treaty on Plastics; High Ambition Coalition on Biodiversity beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ); and COP15.
In the Meeting, Shri Yadav stated that the One Ocean Summit will be an opportunity to gather political leaders and all stakeholders ready to make a decisive contribution with bold, tangible and actionable initiatives and commitments, however, India is fully determined to protect its maritime interests, while it supports the maintenance of rule-based maritime systems, as mandated under UN Convention on the Law of Seas (UNCLOS), 1982, emphasised the Environment Minister.
The Union Minister also underlined the urgent need for action to prevent and reduce marine litter, but stressed voluntary domestic action by countries.
Mr. Yadav also mentioned announcement made by our Prime Minister of India during World Environment Day 2018 for elimination of single-use plastics in India by 2022.
In the meeting, both sides also discussed in detail the issues concerning High Ambition Coalition on Biodiversity beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), and how it should not undermine existing relevant legal instruments, frameworks and relevant global, regional and sectoral bodies.
Both sides further discussed how COP 15 will help in developing a holistic Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) taking into account poverty eradication, means of implementation and resource mobilization, etc.
Both sides agreed to further strengthen activities in 2022 under the Indo-French Year of Environment.
6-Jan-2022: 2-day South Asian Consultation on Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework begins
A two-day meeting of the South Asian Consultation Meeting on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework was held in New Delhi today. The meeting was attended by the representatives from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan in addition to representatives from the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Montreal; the Global Environmental Facility, Washington; French Embassy in New Delhi; UNDP-India; IUCN Offices in Canada and Singapore; National Geographic, USA and Campaign for Nature; Montreal in this virtual cum real meeting.
In his address Hon’ble Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav said that South Asia with its over 1.97 billion human populations and high biological diversity face formidable developmental challenges and impediments, which are amplified by the weak socio-economic status and the presence of high natural resource dependent communities. It is also necessary that tribal and other local communities which are cultivating or doing other activities for their livelihood should be exempted from the Biological Diversity Act to find balance between development of the local community and conservation of biodiversity, he added.
He also said that Biological Diversity Act will be implemented to lay greater emphasis on the local community interest and to encourage research in the area of biodiversity to make necessary changes in policy to ensure more Access & Benefit Sharing (ABS). “We need to encourage investment for sustainable use with necessary regulation to increase ABS fund, which can be used for conservation of biodiversity and betterment of the local community”, the Minister added.
Shri Bhupender Yadav said that the country subscribe to the theory and practice of green infrastructure development and “Development with Design” particularly in the linear infrastructure sector that we build to promote economic development, conservation and connectivity. He said conservation is mainstreamed in all sectors of economic development under the philosophy of “Development without Destruction”.
The Minister said that India has joined over 75 countries that are part of the 30 by 30 High Ambition Coalition (HAC) for Nature and People. In South Asia, already Pakistan and Maldives have joined. He urged other countries to join HAC and also requested GEF, Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) and Campaign for Nature and others to ensure that timely and adequate resources for developing countries. The Minister said that the two-day regional consultation will help in developing strategies that would feed into the global meetings of CBD planned in March, 2022 in Geneva and for the 15th Conference of Parties of the CBD in China in April-May, 2022.
In her speech, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Ms. Leena Nandan said that this Convention is a milestone towards developing South Asia perspective and calls for innovative financing methods from GEF.