Paris, Dec 1 (PTI & AFP): As world leaders sought a decisive turn in fight against global warming, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday stressed that the “lifestyles of a few” must not crowd out opportunities for developing countries and the burden of reducing carbon emissions should not be shifted to countries like India.
In his speech at the UN Climate Summit (COP-21), Modi said the prosperous still have strong carbon footprint but the world’s billions at the bottom of the development ladder are seeking space to grow.
“The principles of equity & common but differentiated responsibilities must remain the bedrock of our collective enterprise,” he added.
The prime minister said the rich countries should not force the developing world to abandon fossil fuels completely. “We need to make it clean, not impose an end to its use,” he said.
The prime minister promised that India will contribute land and $30 million to build the secretariat infrastructure of the International Solar Alliance. Calling upon the advanced nations to assume ambitious targets and pursue them as they have the most room for impacts, Modi said, “We look to the developed countries to mobilise $100 billion annually by 2020 for mitigation and adaptation.”
Asserting that climate change is a major global challenge, Modi said it is the result of global warming which was “not of our making”.
Earlier, inaugurating the “India Pavilion” at the summit venue, Modi said India is facing consequences of progress of the industrialised countries powered by fossil fuel.
The prime minister cited the plight of farmers, changes in weather pattern and intensity of natural disasters to drive home his point.
Noting that the outcome of the summit is very important, the prime minister said, “We want the world to work with urgency. We want....to restore the balance between humanity and nature and between what we have inherited and what we will leave behind.”
Modi also referred to lifestyles in an article in the Opinion section of Monday’s edition of the “Financial Times”.
“I will also call for a change in lifestyles, so that we reduce the burden on our planet.
For, the enduring success of our efforts will depend on the way we live and think,” he told his audience at the pavilion.
In his article, Modi said, “The lifestyles of a few must not crowd out opportunities for the many still on the first steps of the development ladder.”
He also warned developed nations that it would be “morally wrong” if they shift the burden of reducing emissions on developing countries like India, observing that poor nations had a right to burn carbon to grow their economies.
‘Progress is our destiny’
He said India’s progress was “our destiny and right of our people. But we must also lead in combating climate change.”
Modi, accompanied by Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, went to various stalls at the Pavilion and later released a book on environment protection. The pavilion will showcase films on adaptation measures taken up by India. ”