Clean Environment & Sustainable Development is Priority for India: Piyush Goyal

17 June 2021: Minister of Railways, Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs and Food & Public Distribution Piyush Goyal said that India’s per-capita CO2 emission is the lowest amongst big economies and despite that, in India, we are still doing our part and our ambitious renewable energy target of 450 Gigawatts by 2030 shows our commitment towards the United Nations 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Speaking at the UN Trade Forum 2021, he said that there is no doubt about all of us being very concerned and we will work with renewed thrust in the post-COVID world to achieve our climate goals., He said that Climate justice should be protected & developed countries should reconsider their pattern of consumption & focus on sustainable lifestyles. The Minister said that India has taken many bold steps on clean energy, energy efficiency, afforestation and bio-diversity, and that is why India is among the few countries whose NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) are 2-degree-Celsius compatible.

Piyush Goyal called for decoupling the Trade policy & our Green goals. He said that trade policy should look for more inclusive growth all over the world. He said that a clean environment & inclusive development which is sustainable, is a priority agenda for India. The Minister said that India’s long-standing position has been that measures related to environment and sustainability should not be linked to trade.

He further said UN & UNFCC should focus on getting the world together to fulfil their commitments around climate change.Issues relating to climate change need to be discussed under the UNFCC Framework and the Paris Agreement, and not as part of trade negotiations. Trade Agreements are not the first best option to achieve these goals.