Mint Sustainability Summit: Building climate resilience integral to India’s climate action, says senior forest official

Augmenting climate resilience is critical for India, as most of the country's food production and biodiversity landscapes directly support a large percentage of its population, according to Rajesh Kumar, inspector general of forests at the Ministry of Environment. Speaking at the Mint Sustainability Summit 2024, Kumar emphasized the pressing need for government and societal collaboration on long-term strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Climate resilience is the ability of communities to prepare for and respond to dangerous climate events, with the goal of mitigating environmental, societal, and economic damage, Kumar said on Tuesday.

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Kumar stressed that the effects of climate change are already being felt, underscoring the urgency for a strategic approach that includes low-carbon transportation systems, climate-friendly urban planning, and the decoupling of economic growth from carbon emissions across various sectors as per our Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

“(L)imiting global emissions within a defined carbon budget is obviously the key aspect which is, in fact, the critical thing which all of us across the world striving to achieve, to keep the temperature below one degree or maximum 1.5 degree,” said Kumar.

India, a signatory to the 2015 Paris Agreement, has committed to keeping global average surface warming below the 1.5-degree threshold. Kumar pointed out that developed nations must lead by becoming carbon-neutral, while developing countries should also aim for net-zero emissions by the committed timelines in their NDCs, however, this would require substantial investments in key sectors like clean energy.

The forest official highlighted the importance of low-carbon development pathways, which involve transitioning towards a future with reduced carbon footprints. These pathways include energy efficiency, limiting fossil fuel use, and conserving energy.

“Perhaps the established position is that we will factor in the existing resources based on the national priorities and move towards these zero-emission goals while building climate resilience,” he said.

A seasoned civil servant with two decades of experience, Kumar also emphasized the crucial role of international cooperation in supporting developing economies to meet their climate goals.

He noted that international cooperation is pivotal for helping developing nations achieve their developmental goals in the context of climate change, both in terms of mitigation and adaptation.

Kumar stressed that India’s climate ambitions depend significantly on global support for technology transfer and capacity building under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

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