Today is April 22, World Earth Day. India’s Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has remarked that climate change is a challenge and it should not be seen as business opportunity by the developed world, suggesting the latter not to look for profit from disaster.
The minister made the statement while speaking at the major Economies Forum meeting that took place in Washington on April 19-20. Javadekar asserted that India will not allow “bullying tactics” and “days of bulldozing were over”.
“India is committed to walk along the road to Paris, hand-in-hand with others for a fair and equitable agreement this year. But it would not join bullying tactics and will not allow yet another Copenhagen in Paris. The days of bulldozing have gone and now we have to work like ants to build the Earth together,” he said.
Javadekar added that Paris will succeed only after every country presents its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) and these get implemented.
“For compliance, the developed world must fulfil its financial commitment. It will also have to ensure that at the very least, critical technologies are available at affordable cost. The developed world should not profit from disaster. Climate change is a challenge and not a business opportunity,” the minister said.
“The cycle of INDCs should be 10 years and drivers for updating should be science, as it evolves, and technologies, as they develop. There is a need for large-scale behavioural change programmes to be undertaken. All countries need to ensure that fuel consumption does not increase in the period when petrol prices are lower,” Javadekar added.
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