With one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and home to more than one billion people, India is incredibly important to the global climate agenda. The country has also displayed tremendous leadership on environmental issues, such as through the International Solar Alliance, and far reaching domestic policies such as energy efficient lighting programmes. I was delighted to be in Delhi, along with Minister of Environment,Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan to announce that India will now lead the charge to beat plastic pollution as global host of World Environment Day 2018.
I was privileged to discuss this and other environmental issues with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi who reminded me of India’s long traditions of environmental protection.
In my five-day mission to Delhi, Nagpur, Bengaluru and Mumbai, several key themes emerged. One, India is looking to replicate its success in solar with e-mobility and is making a big push to get more electric vehicles on its roads across cities. Two, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is keen to work closely with us on technologies and renewables.
Three, in many parts of India, such as Nagpur where I visited the Tadoba Tiger Reserve, many interesting initiatives are underway to increase community involvement in eco-tourism while protecting wildlife. Four, no UN agency can make it alone in India. Partnerships are key, and I signed partnership agreements with several partners including PayTM, India’s largest digital bank, and the Wildlife Trust of India, one of India’s leading nature conservation groups. UN Environment is in the process of widening its partnership base in India, and we will explore further potential partnerships with faith-based organizations for spreading the message of the need for climate and environmental actions.
