Speech prepared for delivery at the World Sustainable Development Summit 2021 on 'Redefining our Common Future: Safe and Secure Environment for All’.
Thank you to the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) for the invitation to speak at the 20th edition of the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS), which takes place under the shadow of the tragedy in Uttarakhand. My thoughts are with everyone affected by this disaster.
As we all know, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned us that glacier melt would happen as temperatures rose. We know that human activities across the world, including in Uttarakhand, have degraded our landscapes. And on a larger scale, we know that degradation of nature can drive disasters and contribute to pandemics, such as COVID-19. And we know that the three planetary crises of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste are increasing the frequency and intensity of events that claim lives and destroy livelihoods, communities and economies.
We know we must act.
As today’s plenary session acknowledges, unsustainable consumption and production is at the heart of these crises. Maintaining the world’s living standards with current economic systems would require 1.6 Earths. Two-thirds of all greenhouse gas emissions are linked to private households. As the world moves to ten billion people, and as we work hard to end poverty and raise incomes, we will see more demand on dwindling resources, more emissions and more waste.
To avoid pushing the planet to breaking point, we need global sustainable consumption and production (SCP) and circular economies. Today, I want to suggest three ways in which we can make this transition happen at pace and scale.
First, prioritize SCP and the circular economy in post-pandemic recovery.
A sustainable pandemic recovery offers a huge opportunity to get policies in place that support the Paris Agreement, the biodiversity agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. The UNEP Emissions Gap Report, for example, found that a global green recovery could cut 25 per cent off 2030 emissions.
India’s recovery package of around USD 280 billion provides a ready opportunity to invest in the circular economy. There are opportunities in every sector – from construction to food and agriculture to mining and energy. For example, practices such as remanufacturing, refurbishment, repair, and re-use could cut industrial waste by over 80 per cent in some of these sectors.[1]
Innovation will be crucial. And innovation is something India excels at. Just one recent example is the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) scrap to develop low-cost bedroll mattresses. India is also forward thinking, as reflected in the Task Force on Sustainable Public Procurement, the Draft National Resource Efficiency Policy and the draft Extended Producer Responsibility guidelines. As India seeks to deliver on its circular aspirations, UNEP will continue to extend its support.
Second, build on the recovery momentum through the climate and biodiversity agendas.
A sustainable and green recovery would give us a shove in the right direction. But we must ensure change is guided by, and drives, globally agreed goals. 2021 is a crucial year in this regard. More than 126 countries have now committed to net-zero targets by 2050. And here let me invite and urge the government of India to join the net-zero club. But the fine print matters and matters greatly. The climate COP is an opportunity to submit detailed ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and these must include clear plans on SCP and the circular economy.
When nations meet in Kunming, China, at the COP15 for biodiversity, to create a post-2020 biodiversity framework, we are looking for an ambitious agenda with clear, measurable targets as well as clear means of implementation. As our consumption habits are key drivers of land conversion and biodiversity loss, SCP and circular economies are crucial enablers of the post-2020 biodiversity framework. We need buy-in from every sector, every business and every individual. And I stress here on business because the full backing of the business and finance sectors is a prerequisite for tackling the three planetary crises.
Third, 2021 must be the year that we connect dots and draw lines of action in multilateral governance
2021 must be the year of synergy. It is vital that the three Rio Conventions – on biodiversity, on climate change and on desertification – unite fragmented environmental governance and in so doing, contribute to the sustainable development goals. I look to India’s leadership and environmental stewardship in this regard as the country holds the presidency of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), and the Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and will assume the presidency of the G20 in 2023.
Conclusion
These three points are not exhaustive. There is so much more we can do. What is crucial to remember is that a global move to circular economies is a smart economic decision as well as the key to ending the three planetary crises. In fact, such a global move could generate USD 4.5 trillion in annual economic output by 2030.
India, as one of the biggest economies in the world, will be crucial to a circular and sustainable future. We need the country’s leadership on the global stage so that together we stabilize climate, live in harmony with nature, and move towards a pollution-free planet for people everywhere. We have but one planet, and a limited window of opportunity. But armed with a multitude of solutions, armed with human ingenuity, and armed with our commitment to future generations that will inhabit this planet, I am convinced it is possible – but only if we act together.
Thank you.
Executive Director
[1] https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/re-thinking-production-boost-circular-economies
