HYDERABAD: Amid global climate policy rollbacks, the “Accelerating Climate Justice” panel at Bharat Summit 2025 issued a strong call for urgent, equitable action.
Speakers from Japan, New Zealand, Latin America, and Nigeria highlighted the deep inequities in climate impacts, stressing the need for technology transfers, fair funding, and a “just transition” for vulnerable nations and workers.
Masaharu Nakagawa, former Japanese minister, warned that developing countries bear a disproportionate burden from emissions by major economies. He endorsed the Paris Agreement’s goals but urged immediate steps, proposing the global expansion of Japan’s greenhouse gas credit system.
Former New Zealand energy minister Megan Woods championed a “just transition” to protect workers, warning against right-wing narratives stalling climate action. “Climate action means better jobs and living standards,” she said, lamenting policy reversals like renewed fossil fuel exploration.
Bringing an African perspective, Oseloka H Obaze of Nigeria’s Liberal Party condemned the paradox of Africa’s minimal emissions yet catastrophic climate impacts.
“Africa cannot fight climate change while people die of hunger,” he said, criticising the failure of wealthy nations to fulfill funding promises. Obaze called for grant-based support, not loans that deepen debt, and advocated for a collaborative approach rooted in shared innovation and solidarity.