India firmly believes in fulfilling its climate commitments made under UN framework: Smriti Irani

United Nations, March 22

India firmly believes in fulfilling all its commitments made under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani has said, underlining that women are and will continue to be an indispensable part of the country’s sustainable growth journey.

“On the one hand, there is a growing recognition of the disproportionate impact that climate change will have on women, while on the other, there is rising awareness of the tremendous social, economic and climate resilient benefits that gender equality and women’s empowerment can bring to this segment,” she said on Monday.

Irani was addressing the 66th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) side event: ‘A world we women and girls want: Lifestyle for the environment’.

The minister told the virtual event that “India firmly believes in fulfilling all our commitments made under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change” and is proud that the country’s per capita carbon footprint is 60 per cent lower than the global average.

Noting that India has raised its ambition during COP26 at Glasgow, Irani said environmental sustainability can only be achieved through climate justice, and “we would all agree that successful climate action also needs adequate financing”.

She stressed the need to work towards the aim of “one Sun one World one Grid” to ensure availability of clean energy from a worldwide grid everywhere at all times. “This is the whole of the world holistic approach that India values and stands for.”