Responsible nation with a global vision
Shrey Awasthi
India has never been a major contributor to the world’s environmental problems. Its per capita carbon emissions remain well below the global average, yet the nation has taken on an outsised role in promoting global climate cooperation.
Even as several industrialised nations delay meaningful action, India consistently speaks for the Global South in international forums such as the Conference of the Parties (COP), emphasising climate justice, equity and collective responsibility.
The planet today is witnessing a rapid escalation of climate disasters — heatwaves, floods, glacial melts and rising sea levels — driven by a consistent increase in global temperature, nearly 0.2°C every decade. The UNFCCC remains the central coordinating platform for climate policy, but its approach has often been guided by Western industrial thought, where nature is treated as a resource to be exploited rather than a system to live in harmony with.
Indigenous philosophy: A model for sustainability
India offers a civilizationally rooted alternative, one that sees nature as sacred and humanity as part of a greater ecological continuum.
Principles like “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (the world is one family) and “Prithvi Mata” (Mother Earth) underline India’s traditional understanding of coexistence. Texts such as the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita reinforce that protecting nature is a moral and collective duty, not merely a policy choice.
This worldview, blending science with spirituality, offers a blueprint for global environmental ethics.
Accelerating green growth, energy transformation
India today stands among the top four nations in renewable energy capacity, ranking third in solar power generation.
Between 2014 and mid-2025, India’s solar capacity expanded over 40 times — from 2.82 GW to 116.25 GW. Simultaneously, the nation reduced emission intensity by 36% (2005-2020) while lifting 170 million citizens out of extreme poverty and creating over one million green jobs by 2023.
Per capita electricity use has risen by 46% over the last decade, signaling improved access and a growing clean energy economy.
Yet, the legacy of the Western industrial revolution continues to weigh heavily on the planet. Developed nations, historically responsible for the crisis, have not fulfilled their financial and technological commitments to developing countries. This imbalance threatens global climate negotiations, as highlighted in the UN Emissions Gap Report, which warns that the world remains far from the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target.
Championing global collaboration
India’s strategy is not limited to domestic reforms but extends to global partnerships that promote sustainability.
Initiatives like the International Solar Alliance (ISA), One Sun One World One Grid and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) have made India a driver of global climate cooperation.
At COP26, India launched the Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) campaign, calling upon nations to adopt environmentally conscious habits aligned with Indian traditions of restraint and balance.
India continues to urge developed countries to honor their promises — providing climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity-building to enable developing nations to transition toward green economies. In this way, India has become the collective voice of the Global South, ensuring climate equity remains at the center of the global agenda.
Adapting to climate risks
India is among the world’s most climate-exposed nations.
According to the Germanwatch Climate Risk Index 2025, more than 80,000 lives have been lost and $180 billion in damages recorded in the past three decades due to extreme weather.
The Down To Earth Report (2024) found that India experienced 322 days of severe climatic events in a single year — floods, droughts, heatwaves, and glacial retreats — all of which affected agriculture, health, water availability, and livelihoods.
Despite these challenges, India remains steadfast. It has pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070, as detailed in its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS). This goal balances growth with environmental integrity, a hallmark of India’s sustainable vision.
India a beacon for planet
The climate crisis is global, but its burden is unequal. While the industrialised world carries historical responsibility, India exemplifies responsible growth, achieving economic advancement without compromising ecological ethics.
By combining ancient wisdom, modern innovation, and bold policy, India demonstrates that development and sustainability can progress hand in hand.
In an era of rising temperatures and fractured global trust, India stands as a symbol of hope and balance, a guiding voice for the planet and the Global South.
(The writer is the state convener of HP Unemployed Youth Federation; views are personal)
