The Conference of Parties (COP)29 has seen a lacklustre attendance with heads of State from major emitters including China, United States (US), South Africa, Germany and Canada not in attendance. Unlike previous years, Prime Minister (PM) Modi has also decided not to attend COP29 and India does not have a pavilion. This shows a lack of confidence in multilateral global climate governance regimes and faltering negotiations given the rise of anti-climate crisis political parties across the western world. This leaves the question of, where should India go from here in international climate discourse?
India should seize the opportunity to boost its own role in diplomacy and global governance as a credible actor in tackling today’s pressing challenges. India must take a nuanced stance advocating for continued resource transfers from the North to bolster India’s domestic capacity to become a crucial partner in achieving global climate goals.
India would benefit from using resources from richer countries to become a provider of low-cost, scalable technology and policy climate solutions to the Global South. Developing countries face the unique trilemma of economic growth, providing higher standards of living and decarbonisation. Climate solutions from richer countries are often not cost-effective or suited for the local cultural and socio-economic contexts of the Global South. Given its own developmental experiences, India is strategically positioned to emerge an innovator of low-carbon developmental solutions which are more appropriate for the local contexts of other developing countries. India must showcase its bilateral experiences with countries such as the United Kingdom (UK), France, the US and Germany in co-creating sustainable solutions as a model to be used for alternative paradigms of climate cooperation. These include sectors such as climate-resilient agriculture, disaster risk reduction and decentralised rural solar applications aimed at improving access to health, education and livelihoods.
Being seen as country willing to work together towards a low-carbon economy also provides an opportunity for Indian industries to strengthen their role in global green supply chains. This requires a two-pronged strategy. First, India should continue to use international partnerships to reduce the carbon intensity of its existing industries. The launch of the Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT) with Sweden at the UN Climate Action Summit in 2019 is a first step. India has ambitious policy incentives encouraging domestic players to produce green steel and cement. Coordinating with international partners to achieve these goals, will expedite such efforts. Second, India needs to leverage global cooperation to be a partner in the supply of critical raw materials and green technologies. Japanese and European diplomats often state that the goodwill, trust and local knowhow of Indian companies in other developing countries can result in joint partnerships, particularly in Africa. In both these strategies India needs to expand the focus to include its micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), as they contribute to 50% of India’s exports and about 30% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
Lastly, India aspires to be a voice for the Global South, working towards horizontal and inclusive regimes of global governance. At various international forums, India has been pushing for reform, a needs-based approach that calls for loss and damage resources for communities that are most vulnerable to the climate crisis. By only being defensive, India can lose its credibility, particularly with large ocean States and least developed countries as the climate crisis is going to have the strongest impacts on them. The country needs to present a well-thought-out strategy, which highlights how India has been proactive in its domestic decarbonisation efforts. In many sectors Indian states are at par with countries that have the aggressive green policies. For instance, Karnataka, a state in India with roughly the same population as France, produces 50-60% of its electricity from renewables, a similar level as Germany.
Given that North America and Europe account for two thirds of the world’s cumulative historical emissions, India is a drop in the ocean at three per cent. It is only fair that India calls on richer countries to continue supporting climate action in developing countries. India has made its expectations clear by being one of the few countries to provide an estimate for the new climate finance ambition at COP29, $ 1 trillion annually. This is ten times more than the previous goal. However, it is apparent that richer countries are not going to take up leadership in championing climate action. Donald Trump as President of the US is likely to pull out of the Paris agreement once again. Strategists predict that with the US dropping out of climate negotiations, China the world’s largest emitter may pick up the mantle. While Europe has always been progressive in terms of its climate targets, it is also seeing a political backlash to green parties with the rise of populist and far-Right agendas.
India should not miss out on the vacuum of climate leadership and be more flexible in its engagement. This strategy not only helps India secure a larger presence in global governance, but also helps it meet its domestic interests of building industrial capacity and creating an improved eco-system for innovation. Taking a nuanced stance on the climate crisis can help India cement its position as a leader of the Global South, a partner to tackle global developmental challenges and provide an economic opportunity to a play larger role in international supply chains.
This article is authored by Pooja Ramamurthi, associate fellow, Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP), New Delhi.
