Five years since Paris, an opportunity to build back better

Context: Recently, the international community gathered at the Climate Ambition Summit 2020 recognized our resolve in working towards a safer, more resilient world with net-zero emissions. India-EU can cooperate in building back better.

Efforts for Greening the global economy

• European Union (EU)’s efforts:
• The European Green Deal — a new growth model and roadmap to achieve climate neutrality in the EU by 2050.
• “Next Generation EU” recovery package and the EU’s long-term budget earmark more than half a trillion euros to address climate change.
• By 2030, has target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% compared to 1990 levels.
• India’s efforts: flagship initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and the Leadership Group for Industry Transition.

Way forward: Areas of Cooperation between India and the EU

• Reducing the costs of low carbon technologies (The cost of solar photovoltaics has declined by 82% between 2010 and 2019).
• Ensuring global cooperation and learning: from each other to counter climate change.
• Indian success in the field of solar and wind energy can be replicated by others.
• Global cooperation needed at Conference of Parties (COP) 26 in Glasgow on climate change and COP 15 in Kunming on biodiversity towards formulating clear strategies for net-zero emissions.
• Build Back Better: Effectively implementing the global, regional, national, local and individual recovery plans.
• Along with good public policies, need to foster small individual actions to attain a big collective impact.

Conclusion: With climate neutrality as our goal, the world should mobilize its best scientists, business people, policymakers, academics, civil society actors and citizens to protect together something we all share beyond borders and species: our planet.