India must advocate for sustainable development and climate justice: UN Chief

Mumbai: United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said India has an unprecedented opportunity to speak up for the Global South and to lead by example, as a model of resilience and an advocate for sustainable development & climate justice.

Addressing an event at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, Guterres said, he said there was a need for a historical pact between developed and developing countries to fight climate change and keep the temperature under control.

“G20 countries are responsible for 80 per cent of global emissions and they must take the lead in cutting greenhouse gases, adding climate crisis could be the greatest barrier to collective development aspirations, and India is no exception” he added.

“It is already a grave threat to India’s economy, agriculture and food sector, and to the health, lives and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people,” Guterres said.

He said critical renewable technologies, such as battery storage, should be treated as global public goods.
‘India’s recent development journey is characterized by high impact programmes delivered at scale. This includes the world’s largest food-based social protection scheme and the massive expansion of access to clean water and sanitation services” he said.
Guterres added that India’s voice on the global stage can only gain in authority and credibility from a strong commitment to inclusivity and respect for human rights at home.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres is in India, and he began his official visit on Wednesday by attending a tribute to the victims of the 2008 terrorist attacks that took place at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai.