“India has a vital role to play as the world comes together in Glasgow to demonstrate renewed action under the Paris Agreement,” said Sharma.
A British-Indian Cabinet minister in charge of the UK’s presidency of the COP26 climate summit in November will hold discussions with senior Indian ministers and leaders from industry and civil society ahead of the summit in Scotland, during which India is seen as critical to world leaders agreeing climate action targets.
Agra-born Alok Sharma arrived in New Delhi on a three-day visit starting on Monday.
It is expected that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the flagship event, scheduled between November 1 and 12.
“India has a vital role to play as the world comes together in Glasgow to demonstrate renewed action under the Paris Agreement,” said Sharma.
“India’s leadership – including through the International Solar Alliance and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure – is hugely important as we look to build global resilience ahead of COP26 and beyond. All countries – including the UK and India – have a historic opportunity to build back greener from the COVID pandemic,” the 53-year-old minister said.
“Providing climate resilient jobs that also promote economic growth will lead to a green industrial revolution that also makes financial sense,” he added.
This is Sharma’s second visit to India this year, during which he is expected to meet with Bhupender Yadav, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and R K Singh, Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy.
The British government said with fewer than 100 days to go until the landmark summit in Glasgow, the ministerial visit represents the UK’s commitment to raise global ambition on climate action for a balanced and inclusive outcome at COP26.
In his meetings with key climate stakeholders, Sharma is scheduled to point to the role India can play at the summit through profiling its ambitious domestic plans, and by joining the growing number of countries who have updated their 2030 emissions targets under the Paris Agreement.
“The COP26 summit this November is our last best chance to set the world on the path towards a global warming limit of 1.5 degrees,” said Alex Ellis, the British High Commissioner to India.
“India is already taking impressive action, for example on renewables. With most of the infrastructure that India will need by 2040 yet to be built, it can lead the way in new clean technology and infrastructure. As Prime Ministers Johnson and Modi agreed in the 2030 Roadmap, the UK and India are committed to working closely on this journey – in the run up to COP26 and beyond,” he said.
This comes as the UK calls on all G20 countries to sign up to net zero, set out clear plans to cut emissions by 2030, and commit to ending coal power, transitioning to electric vehicles, and restoring nature, with the richest nations providing financial support to the rest of the planet to go green.
The British government pointed to the UK and India already working “closely together”, including research and innovation for a clean energy transition and to improve global resilience – through the India-led International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and the Green Growth Equity Fund.
During the November summit, the UK is set to host the UN climate change conference COP26 in Glasgow in partnership with Italy.
“This will provide an opportunity for the world to come together and commit to urgent action. The UK is already setting a strong example on climate action, with a legally binding target to cut emissions to net zero by 2050,” the British government said.
Sharma recently faced some UK media criticism for his many international visits in his role as COP26 president-designate, but Downing Street has defended the tours as it reiterated that “some travel to key countries for face-to-face talks is essential”.
Source: PTI
