Trumpexit on climate cue for india to act

Trumpexit on climate cue for india to act

The Donald Trump administration’s formal application to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change was expected. It throws up huge challenges for the global community’s efforts to restrict the rise in temperature to well below 2° C in order to prevent the worst impact of climate change. India must rise to bear a part of the additional burden of global responsibility this imposes on other countries.

The Trump administration had stopped all contributions to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the main mechanism to provide developing countries with finance for climate action, reneging on the Obama administration’s pledge of $3 billion to the GCF — only a third of the pledged amount was given. US exit from the agreement means the rest of the world has to make up the gap in terms of both finance and technology for developing countries, besides taking domestic actions to reduce emissions. As an advanced developing country that is already experiencing the adverse impacts of a materials intensive linear economic pathway — extremely polluted air, water stress and climate change-induced weather events — India must take a leadership role in the shift to sustainable production and consumption. It must put in place policy that would draw investment into resource efficiency and reduction of waste. In doing so, it will provide a template for other developing countries as well.

India must build on international initiatives it has piloted such as the International Solar Alliance and the International Coalition for Disaster Resilience Infrastructure to further global cooperation and collaboration to address climate change. Working with partners in the developed and developing world, New Delhi must take the lead and be instrumental in shaping global climate efforts.