Well, let’s take a journey back in time.
Picture this: India was once a country that seemed to regard international climate meetings with something bordering on revulsion. Can you believe that?
This goes back to when Indira Gandhi was at the helm, and India had a somewhat rebellious stance on environmental diplomacy. She made her discontent known at the 1972 Stockholm conference, which marked the inception of modern environmental diplomacy. Her argument was that environmental concerns were a luxury that the affluent nations could afford, while those struggling with poverty had bigger fish to fry.
Fast forward to 2009, and the trend seemed to continue. Manmohan Singh, who was Prime Minister at the time, held off till the eleventh hour before confirming his attendance at the Copenhagen UN climate summit. Not surprisingly, his decision invited criticism from the opposing BJP.
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But, dear reader, times are changing, and India is embracing this change. The nations that were once leading the charge in climate initiatives seem to be losing steam. And guess who’s stepping up to the plate? It’s India, flourishing with newfound self-assurance as one of the world’s most populous nations and the fastest-growing economy this year among the G20 major economies.
A look at the recent Group of Seven meeting on climate and energy, the precursor to the G7 summit, offers an interesting perspective. The meeting failed to reach an agreement to phase out unabated coal power generation by 2030. But was this unexpected? Not quite. The US aims to phase out by 2035, while Poland, an influential member of the European Union at the G7, plans to continue burning coal till 2049. Even host nation Japan is banking on carbon capture and storage projects to prolong the life of existing coal plants, a move that comes with a hefty price tag and limited environmental benefit.
So, where does India stand amidst all this? The nation’s enthusiasm about becoming part of the G7’s Climate Club could be seen as an effort to align with the shifting currents of trade policy and geopolitics. This exclusive group aims to counter carbon leakage – the migration of industries from countries with green policies to regions that don’t price their emissions.
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With affordable financing from the World Bank for decarbonisation, India’s position in the Climate Club could place it in a budding trade bloc alongside developed nations. This move would help achieve India’s aspirations to rival China as a hub for global manufacturing supply chains. India could even wield its membership to soften any rules that could prove too onerous for its firms.
However, India’s course of action is far from set in stone. Recent reports suggested that the country was gearing up to stop approving new coal-fired power plants. But this claim seems to have hit a snag, with the electricity regulator planning for a net increase of 14.1 gigawatts beyond what’s currently being built.
Simultaneously, India is collaborating with China to introduce the concept of ‘multiple pathways’ to net zero in G20 discussions. This strategy could act as a defence against demands from wealthy countries for a specified date to phase out coal.
These fluctuating stances only highlight the shifting dynamics of the global climate conversation, with India playing a more prominent role. It’s likely that India’s emissions surpassed those of the European Union last year, placing it second only to China and the US. In about five years, India is projected to boast the third-largest national economy.
Given the growing influence of India on the world stage, it’s no longer an option to maintain a detached attitude towards climate discussions. Instead, the country is strategising how it can shape these conversations to meet its needs and aspirations. It’s safe to say that India’s evolving role in global climate negotiations makes for an intriguing narrative.
