India makes important intervention at the Second Annual High-Level Ministerial Round Table on ‘Just Transition’, at the CoP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan – EQ

In Short : India made a significant intervention at the Second Annual High-Level Ministerial Round Table on ‘Just Transition’ during COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The country emphasized the need for equitable climate action that supports the most vulnerable communities. India highlighted the importance of developed nations fulfilling financial and technological commitments to ensure a fair and inclusive transition to a low-carbon economy.

In Detail : “Just transitions must be Just; Equity and Climate Justice should be core for discussions of Just Transitions Pathways”: India to Historical Contributors of Climate Change

India today made an important intervention during the ‘Second Annual High-Level Ministerial Round Table on Just Transition’, at the CoP29 of the UN Climate Change Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan. Participating Nations had to deliberate on the expectations on the UAE ‘Just Transition Work’ programme, and how can it serve as an effective tool for assisting Parties in further defining and implementing their climate plans in the context of just transition pathways that promote sustainable development and poverty eradication. The Parties were expected to engage on how can international cooperation and support on the full range of means of implementation assist them to advance their just transition pathways in the context of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).

Leading the intervention,Secretary (MoEFCC) & Dy. Leader of Indian Delegation, Ms. Leena Nandan, thankedall Parties for their recognition of the importance of justice in climate action. She clarified that India’s interpretation of ‘Just Transitions’ is far broader than the narrow framing of the questions. Ms. Nandan said. “Global climate justice is at the core of our work here under the Convention and its Paris Agreement. The principles of equity and Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC) are foundational to all work under the Convention and its Paris Agreement”.

India’s intervention reminded all Parties that it is high time that these principles are actually well understood by all in context of the global climate action. It stated, “The principles have embedded within themselves the historical emissions and consequent responsibilities on parties and the aspirations of development for the developing countries. Development is the over-riding priority for countries of the global South. The fact of stark inequalities in access to energy, infrastructure, amenities, and well-being are not hidden from the world. Developing countries like India have per capita energy consumption at one third of the global average, not to compare with the average of the developed countries, which is much higher”.

Clearly stating India’s stance on ‘Just Transitions’, the intervention said, “Our understanding and operationalisation of just transitions must foreground the fact of these vastly different starting points and national circumstance. At CoP27, it was decided that the issues of just transition are not very narrow, but are linked to wider economic and social aspects of the transition, among others. The denial of international equity narrows our domestic options and poses further challenges to our objectives of achieving immediate, rapid, and sustained access to development opportunities and affects the most vulnerable communities in our countries the most.

Therefore, the statement read, the global dimensions of just transitions must be recognised and reflected in the work being undertaken at COP29. “In the spirit of international cooperation that is embedded in this multilateral process, our discussion here must include discussion of key enablers and disenablers of global just transitions”, it added. India’s intervention called all Parties to discuss the following:

• Unilateral coercive measures that restrict trade flows and restrict countries from accessing equitable development opportunities.
• Intellectual Property Rights on green technologies, which hinders their free and scalable access to developing countries.
• Carbon debt that is owed by Developed countries to Developing countries for their overuse of the global carbon budget. Monetization of this carbon debt would be in trillions.
• Science that guides all climate discourse – whether it is based on considerations of global equity and environmental justice?
• How the inequity continues to be perpetuated in the climate discourse.
• The choices of citizens in Developed countries being sacrosanct vs the costs imposed on the citizens of Developing countries due to transition.
• Promotion of sustainable lifestyles that we all agreed to at the United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi this year.

India reminded all the Parties that a frank discussion of these issues and their inclusion in the decisions taken at CoP29 will be the cornerstone of building trust that would unlock a truly equitable and just global transition.

Therefore, the statement read, “We feel it is premature to discuss just transition pathways in context of NDCs and NAPs. Just transition has to begin with transition in Developed countries.We underscore the need forDeveloped countries to take lead in transitions to achieve net zero emissions by end of this decade not only to provide carbon space for Developing countries, but also to lower the costs of transition unduly put on citizen of Developing countries”.

India asserted that provision of adequate means of implementation is the most critical enabler for just transitions. At the same time, transitions in Developing countries should not be seen as investment opportunities. They undermine the ‘just’ element of just transitions by making the victim pay up for remedies rather than providing him the remedy.

Mincing no words in saying that “Just transitions must be Just”, India’s intervention noted that all Parties must work with the aim to strengthening the work programme implementation. At the same time CBDR-RC, equity and climate justice should be core for discussions of just transitions pathways and should not be seen as another platform to push for prescriptive top-down approaches in disregard to the nationally determined nature of transition pathways.