BENGALURU: “Ecology and economy are not at odds with each other, but in fact, fundamentally intertwined and India is demonstrating it. Our country is uniquely positioned to champion the aspirations of the global south,” said Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri.
He was addressing participants of the First Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group meeting held in Bengaluru on Friday through video conference as part of the G20 summit which India is spearheading.
Puri said this meeting provides an opportunity for the G20 nations to conceptualise and adopt a concrete roadmap based on the recommendation of the Conference of Parties (COP)-27 and the Biodiversity Conference held in Montreal this year.
Mentioning that the consequences of degrading biodiversity and the environment are leading to increasing costs and complexity in all aspects of life, Puri said, “Tackling the interrelated matters of climate change and biodiversity loss demands a concerted and calibrated global effort. This will require committed and farsighted leadership by the G20 nations which collectively account for 85 per cent of the world’s GDP, 75 per cent of the global trade, and two-thirds of the global population.”
The global south, in particular, looks up to the G-20 dialogue and desires an urgent consensus that prevents both a climate crisis and a debt crisis for developing nations, he said.
He said in the last eight years, the government has taken many transformative steps in advocating for ‘climate justice’ and added that the Working Group will enable a shift in mindset from ownership to stewardship of natural resources. He expressed confidence that the collective experiences and the lessons learnt during the deliberations in the Working Group meeting will help build a bold, visionary roadmap that can be shared with the G20 leaders.
In the beginning, Puri expressed solidarity with the people of Turkiye and said India commiserates the country's loss. India will continue to extend all possible humanitarian and medical support in this time of need, he added.
PETA volunteers urge G20 to battle climate change
With the ongoing G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) meeting currently ongoing in Bengaluru, two volunteers from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India took to the streets to urge the group to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, The volunteers, each painted blue and green to reflect the Earth, spread awareness on climate change issues and urged the participants to seriously address the rise in greenhouse gas emissions.
The volunteers displayed placards with the messages ‘G20: Urge Vegan for the Earth’s Sake’ and ‘Fight climate change with diet change. Go vegan’ and stood at the Sappers War Memorial on Brigade Road, speaking to the public to spread awareness on Friday afternoon.