Developing countries need support to combat climate change: India
New Delhi, June 22: Reminding the developed world of their commitments to developing countries, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday said developing countries need support to combat climate change.
Speaking at a European Union (EU) High Level Event on Climate Change in Brussels, Sushma Swaraj said that the capacity of developing countries to translate their political commitments into tangible initiatives and projects gets constrained by lack of predictable, sustained and adequate finances and technologies.
"The scale of resources required for the ambitious and effective achievement of the Paris Agreement or the 2030 Agenda is enormous," she said.
"The need for global partnerships, in this regard, is recognised in these processes and is at the core of all solutions offered therein."
Under the landmark Paris Climate Agreement, from 2020 onward, a minimum flow of $100 billion annually must be ensured from developed world to support the developing countries to meet their climate commitments or as planned by their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
India would require at least $2.5 trillion to meet its 2030 climate goals. Recently, the government had informed two of its projects had received $134.4 million from the Global Climate Fund (GCF).
Sushma Swaraj said that if these major documents are not implemented to reflect equity and principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibility, or fall short of the targets because the developing countries did not receive the requisite support, it would be a setback to all the effort put in by countries in a spirit of togetherness.
Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC) is a principle within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that acknowledges the different capabilities and differing responsibilities of individual countries in addressing climate change.
"I may add here that the schedule for phasing out of HFCs (hydroflurocarbons) under the Montreal Protocol could be achieved as it was accompanied with a robust financial package to help developing countries make the transition to cleaner
technologies," Sushma Swaraj said to make her point.
"The world needs a similar road map for finance and technology if we have to achieve the goals set out in the Convention and its Paris Agreement," she stated.
"In its absence, developing countries will face serious constraints in achieving their existing NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions). Any expectations of them to enhance their ambitions should be matched with enhanced support."
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CPI(M) demands Centre's intervention to end violence in Manipur
New Delhi (PTI): The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Monday expressed concern over the situation in Manipur and demanded that the Union government intervene to end the violence.
In a statement issued here, the Politburo of the CPI(M) also held Chief Minister Biren Singh responsible for the deteriorating situation.
“A grave situation has developed in Manipur with the intensification of violence due to killings and counter-killings on ethnic lines. 20 people have been killed in various incidents since November 7,” the CPI(M) said.
The party said that the discovery of five bodies of women and children, who were abducted earlier in a horrific incident, has inflamed the situation in the Valley.
The Left party questioned why Singh had been allowed to continue in his post.
“Right from the beginning, it was Chief Minister Biren Singh who was responsible for the deteriorating situation, yet the Central government and the BJP, as the ruling party, refused to remove him and allowed him to continue,” they said.
A situation has now arisen where the writ of the state government and the administration does not run, the Left party said, adding that it is time for the Central government to strongly intervene to immediately put an end to the violence.
“It must also begin serious efforts for a political settlement that restores peace and safeguards the rights of all ethnic communities in the state,” they added.
The situation in Manipur, which has been reeling from ethnic strife since May last year, has become even more volatile following protests and violence after the recovery of the bodies of women and children.
More than 220 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between the Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and the adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups since May last year.
