No fuel source should be singled out, rich nations must act: India at COP27

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 16

No sector or fuel source should be singled out for action in the fight against climate change, India has said at the ongoing UN climate summit COP27 in Egypt, calling for “action, and not mere promises”, by developed nations.

India is leading the push for the COP27 summit to conclude with a decision on “phasing down” of all fossil fuels, a move that may shift focus from coal alone but raise strong concerns from oil and gas-reliant countries. The Glasgow Climate Pact had last year included a pledge by countries to “phase out” the use of unabated coal, before a last-minute push by China, India and the US to change it to “phase down”. Unabated coal refers to the use of coal power that is not mitigated with technologies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

New Delhi opposes restrictions on coal alone

• India has been calling for ‘phase down’ of all fossil fuels rather than coal alone
• Says it must be accepted that all fossil fuels contribute to greenhouse gas emissions
• Developed nations are pushing India to reduce reliance on coal-fired power

Speaking at the BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) ministerial meeting on Tuesday night, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said, “In climate action, no sector, no fuel source and no gas should be singled out for action. In the spirit of the Paris Agreement, countries will do what is suitable as per their national circumstances.”

Reiterating India’s stance, Yadav said developed countries must act as mere promises won’t do. India has been arguing for “phase down” of all fossil fuels, rather than a narrower deal to “phase down” coal, as was agreed last year, to achieve the Paris Agreement goals.

Countries Putting in their best

In climate action, no sector, no fuel source and no gas should be singled out for action… countries will do what is suitable as per their national circumstances. —Bhupender Yadav, Environment Minister

On Saturday, Indian negotiators said that talks should wrap up with a decision to “phase down” all fossil fuels. Citing the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, they told the Egyptian COP27 presidency that meeting the long-term goal of the Paris Agreement “required phase down of all fossil fuels”. They said it should be acknowledged that “all fossil fuels contributed to greenhouse gas emissions”.

Yadav said for India, a mere transition meant transition to a low-carbon development strategy over a time scale that ensured food and energy security, and growth and employment, leaving no one behind in the process. “Any partnership with developed countries must be based on these considerations,” the minister said. India, in its ‘Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy’ submitted to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change has focused on the “rational utilisation of national resources with due regard to energy security and transition from fossil fuels in a smooth manner”. In spite of this, developed countries have been pushing India to reduce reliance on coal-fired power.

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