India's Call for Ambitious Climate Action: A Green Transition at G20

India highlights its proactive role in global green transition during G20 summit discussions. With its New Delhi Declaration, India stresses the need for ambitious renewable energy targets, while balancing employment and ecosystem needs, as part of a holistic approach to climate action.

India's former NITI Aayog CEO, Amitabh Kant, has underscored New Delhi's influential role during the G20 summit in advancing global initiatives on energy transition and climate action. Speaking at a roundtable on 'The Road Ahead: Building on Global South Strengths at COP29 & G20', Kant emphasized the necessity for G20 countries to champion increased ambition on climate change.

The New Delhi G20 Declaration introduces a 'Green Development Pact' aimed at addressing the dual challenge of combating hunger and protecting the planet through an extensive roadmap that advocates climate-conscious consumption and environmentally-friendly production. Notably, the declaration calls for tripling global renewable energy capacity by 2030, highlighting India's potential as a leading exporter of green energy due to its substantial renewable resources.

Economists like Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Kirit Parikh joined the discourse, stressing the importance of internal financial strategies for achieving net zero emissions by 2070 and urging the West to shoulder greater financial responsibility in the climate efforts. Meanwhile, Ahluwalia highlighted the significance of comprehensive planning to meet India's ambitious emission targets, coinciding with global initiatives set forth during the Paris Agreement at COP21.

(With inputs from agencies.)