Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav urged developed countries to commit expertise and money and demonstrate how pollution from industrial sectors, beyond cement and steel, could be brought under control.
Developed countries should share technology and collaborate with developing countries and a fresh look must be taken at the global intellectual property rights regime, said Mr. Yadav who was chairing a session at the Stockholm Conference in Sweden on Wednesday.
India and Sweden were jointly hosting the ‘Industry Transition Dialogue’ in Stockholm as a part of an initiative, the Leadership for Industry Transition (LeadIT). The LeadIT initiative lays specific focus on hard-to-abate sectors that are key stakeholders in the global climate action and require specific interventions.
Differentiated responsibilities
“It is important to always keep in mind the principles and values of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capacities of the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change for climate action while we move ahead with the implementation of the Nationally Determined Contributions and Paris Agreement goals. The national circumstances play an important role in devising the pertinent strategies and development stories for the nations,” said Mr. Yadav.
The conference in Stockholm marks 50 years since the first United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm 50 years ago on June 5-16, 1972. It was then the first global effort to view environment challenges as a worldwide policy issue and define the core principles for its management.
The Stockholm conference led to the creation of the UN Environment Programme that is now an influential global voice on the state of the environment. “The developing world needs not just an industrial ‘transition’, but an industrial renaissance — a flowering of industries that will create jobs and prosperity along with a clean environment. The developed nations, with their historical experiences, must take lead in the global transition towards net-zero and low carbon industry,” the Minister added.
