Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday criticised developed nations for their disproportionate contribution to carbon emissions and their failure to provide the promised financial assistance to developing countries to tackle the climate crisis.
“Who is responsible for this mess in the first place? Where was the ozone layer damaged? Who released all that carbon into the atmosphere?” Goyal asked during a roundtable at the Berlin Global Dialogue.
He pointed out that India accounts for 17 per cent of the world's population but contributes less than 3 per cent of global carbon emissions. In contrast, he said, Europe represents only around 3 to 4 per cent of the global population but has contributed substantially more to the climate crisis.
Goyal's comments came amid ongoing disagreements over financial commitments made by developed countries to help developing nations address climate change and reduce their emissions.
Referring to the 2015 Paris climate conference, Goyal said developed nations had agreed to shoulder a larger share of the costs associated with tackling climate change and assist developing countries, including vulnerable island nations.
He recalled that wealthy countries, which had benefited for decades despite damaging the climate, had agreed to pay more and support developing and less-developed nations, as well as island countries in the Pacific and Caribbean. The commitment was to provide $100 billion annually, he said.
However, Goyal expressed disappointment over what he described as the failure to fulfil that promise. “Eleven years later, we haven't seen a nickel or a dime of that. It's all promises,” he said.
He also questioned the European Union's approach to climate finance and its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which levies carbon-related charges on certain imported goods.
According to Goyal, developed countries had not adequately addressed the requirements of less-developed nations or provided sufficient support for their efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
The annual climate finance target of $100 billion was initially agreed upon by developed nations at the United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen in 2009, with the goal of meeting it by 2020. The commitment was later extended until 2025 under the Paris Agreement.
Goyal further compared India's per capita emissions with those of Europe, arguing that wealthier nations should assume greater responsibility for combating climate change.
He said that even today, his per capita contribution to carbon emissions was likely below 10 to 15 per cent of Europe's. He added that Europe's per capita emissions and environmental impact were probably seven to eight times higher than India's.
Goyal stressed that India had to pursue climate action while also meeting the needs of its vast population.
He said the country had to provide energy and food for 1.4 billion people and safeguard national security. Despite these responsibilities, he added, India was running one of the world's fastest-growing clean energy programmes.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has reported that developed countries collectively achieved the $100 billion annual climate finance target in 2022, two years after the original deadline. However, developing nations continue to question whether the funding is sufficient and accessible, as well as how it is provided, particularly given the reliance on loans instead of grants.
