India at UNSC votes against Climate change resolution; 'Attempt to evade responsibility'

India on Monday voted against the United Nations Security Council's draft resolution on Climate. India's ambassador TS Tirumurti underlined that UNSC was not the forum for discussion on climate, and called the resolution a motivated attempt to evade responsibility from the appropriate forum.  

"It is an attempt to divert the world's attention from an unwillingness to deliver where it counts," TS Tirumurti added, underlining that India is second to none when it comes to climate action and climate justice. 

India committed to the cause of Climate Change 

Tirumurti said that in line with India's traditional living in harmony with nature, PM Modi had announced in Glasgow an ambitious climate action vision in the form of five nectar elements- Panchamrita.

As per the Panchamrita- 

• India will get its non-fossil energy capacity to 500 gigawatts by 2030
• India will meet 50% of its energy requirements until 2030 with renewable energy
• India will reduce its projected carbon emission by one billion tonnes by 2030
• India will reduce the carbon intensity of its economy by 45% by 2030
• India will achieve net-zero by 2070

In order to support India's commitment to climate change, Tirumurti listed down facts. "India now ranks fourth in the world to install renewable energy capacity. India's non-fossil fuel energy has increased by over 25 per cent in the last 7 years and has reached 40% of our energy method."

Moreover, Tirumuti also underlined how India has also given strategic solutions to cooperation at the international level by initiating the International Solar Alliance and also Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. "These are no-quirky initiatives that will make a real difference," India's ambassador to United Nations said. 

He added that the world is also developing awareness that lifestyle change plays a critical role, and added, "To that effect, PM Modi has called for LIFE- Lifestyle for Environment as a mass movement." 

India questions developed nations

Tirumuti also took the UNSC floor to point out how the international community, particularly the developing and the least developed countries have striven, for the last two decades under the UNFCCC process, to make common but differentiated policies the basic principles of global climate action. 

"To move forward decisively, developed nations providing climate finance and technology has become critical. It is necessary that climate finance be treated with the same diligence as climate mitigation. but the reality is that the developed countries are falling well short of their promises," Tirumuti said. 

India's ambassador to United Nations added, "It is particularly necessary to recognize because today's attempt to link climate change with security really obfuscates the lack of progress on critical issues under the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) principles."

Image: Twitter/@ambtstirumurti