COP26: PM Modi's bold 2070 zero emission target to combat climate change

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced a bold pledge that India will achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2070. The Prime Minister asserted that India is the only country that is delivering in "letter and spirit" the commitments on tackling climate change under the Paris Agreement.

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Addressing the world leaders at the ‘High-Level Segment for Heads of States and Government' at the UN COP26 underway at Glasgow, Prime Minister Modi said India is working hard in fighting climate change and it will show results.

PM Modi also said that India is putting climate change at centre of its policies and stressed on the need to include climate adaptation policies in school syllabus to make the next generation aware of the issues.

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"Today the entire world acknowledges that India is the only big economy in the world that has delivered both ‘in letter and spirit’ on its Paris commitments. We are making all possible efforts in a resolute manner. We are working hard and we will show results,” the Prime Minister said in a much-anticipated address.

Presenting the country's national statement at the Summit, PM Modi listed out five commitments of India to combat climate change with a bold announcement that it will achieve the target of net zero emissions by the year 2070.

He also raised the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) of achieving 450 giga watt non-fossil energy capacity to 500 giga watt.

"India will increase its non-fossil energy capacity to 500 giga watt by 2030; India will fulfil 50 per cent of its energy requirements from renewable energy sources by 2030. Between now and 2030, India will reduce its total projected carbon emissions by 1 billion tonnes and by 2030; India will reduce the carbon intensity of its economy by 45 per cent and India will achieve the target of net zero by 2070,” the prime minister said.

"These five elixirs will be an unprecedented contribution by India towards climate action," he added.

PM Modi also called for lifestyle changes which can go a long way in tackling climate change and urged to make 'Lifestyle for Environment' a global mission.

"Lifestyle plays a very important role in climate change. I would like to suggest a one-word movement in the context of climate which can become a key basis for one world. This word is LIFE – Lifestyle for Environment.

"It is necessary that all of us come together as a collective partnership and take 'lifestyle for environment' forward as a movement. It can become a mass movement for an environmentally conscious lifestyle. Instead of mindless and destructive consumption, we need mindful and deliberate utilisation. This movement can help us achieve goals that can bring about a revolutionary change in diverse areas like fishing, agriculture, wellness, dietary choices, packaging, tourism, clothing, water management and energy,” he said.

Prime Minister Modi reiterated that developed nations must fulfil the promised USD 1 trillion as climate finance, saying this should be tracked the same way as climate mitigation.

"India expects developed countries to make USD 1 trillion available as climate finance as soon as possible. As we track the progress of climate mitigation, we must also track climate finance. Justice would truly be served if pressure is put on those countries that have not lived up to their climate finance commitments,"PM Modi said.

He said that India is moving forward with great deal of courage and ambition on the subject of climate and it understands the pain of other developing nations.