G20 can offer the world direction on climate action

livemint.com:

climate change and environmental degradation, the G20 serves as a key platform to mainstream climate and environment across the development agenda. It is a balancing act for India – taking into consideration the needs of the Global South on climate finance, technology transfer and capacity building, while pushing the Global North to fulfill its commitments. The world needs direction and G20 needs to deliver it.

The climate crisis is not new, but the world faces new challenges as we continue to push the planet’s boundaries. Despite ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) set by countries, we are headed for a 2.4 degree Celsius global temperature rise above pre-industrial levels. Invariably, this will have a cascading effect, causing sea levels to rise and other catastrophic and potentially irreversible impacts.

Globally we just witnessed the hottest August ever. In 2022, 6.6 million hectares of forest cover was lost to fires and 2023 has already seen worse. Around 80% of all waste that ends up in oceans comprises plastics, harming ecosystems and livelihoods.

We all know the perils of air pollution, especially in developing countries. Some estimates project that welfare costs will increase to $3.2 trillion by 2060 because of poor air quality. At this juncture, it is imperative that the leaders of G20 countries, which account for more than 80% of global greenhouse gas emissions and include some of the most climate-vulnerable nations, take a more holistic view on the intertwined issues of environment and climate.