Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal blamed the European nations for the climate crisis, accusing them of contributing disproportionately to carbon emissions while failing to honour the climate finance commitments they made at COP21 in Paris in 2015. Speaking at a roundtable during the Berlin Global Dialogue, Goyal said that Europe represented probably 3 or 4 per cent of the world’s population, yet the contribution to those carbon emissions is humongous, while, India’s per capita contribution to carbon emissions is probably less than 10 or 15 per cent.
‘India’s contribution to global carbon emissions is less than 3 per cent,’ says Piyush Goyal
“Who’s responsible for this mess in the first place? Where did the ozone layer get damaged? Who sent all that carbon into the atmosphere?… I represent 17 per cent of the world’s population, but my contribution to global carbon emissions is less than 3 per cent. You (Europe) represent probably 3% or 4% of the world’s population, yet your contribution to those carbon emissions—or this mess—is humongous…The problem was caused by you…Even today, as we sit here, my per capita contribution to carbon emissions is probably less than 10 or 15 per cent of yours,” said Goyal.
“Even today, Europe’s per capita contribution to carbon emissions—and its per capita environmental impact—is probably seven or eight times that of India…I’m representing 17 per cent of the world’s population, and I am more conscious of waste and the circular economy. I also have to meet the needs of 1.4 billion people. I have to meet their energy needs, their food needs, and ensure that my nation remains secure. Despite all of that, we have one of the world’s fastest-growing clean energy programmes,” he added.
India’s contribution to per capita carbon emissions is less than half of global average: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said developing countries are often unfairly blamed for carbon emissions, even though developed nations emit six times as much per capita as India. “We all know that the responsibility for carbon emissions has often been wrongly placed on developing countries. While the historical truth is that even today, India’s contribution to per capita carbon emissions is less than half of the global average,” he said at the two-day event being attended by environmental experts, Supreme Court judges, legal experts and senior government officials.
PM Modi said that India has guided the world on matters concerning nature and the environment for centuries and is now offering solutions to modern climate challenges. “Driven by this ideological commitment and drawing upon its cultural experiences, India is now offering solutions to modern climate challenges while simultaneously calling for collective global action. I am pleased that this NGT conference is advancing that very mission…” he said.
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