India must take leadership position in climate action: Amitabh Kant

Mumbai: India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant on Monday said that India must take a leadership position in climate action to provide a better life for its citizens.

Launching the two-day conference “Connect Karo 2023″ organized by WRI India in New Delhi, Mr Kant said that to provide a better life for our citizens in the future India must become the champion of climate action, energy transition, green hydrogen, and sustainable public transportation”.

“India as a country occupies just 1.3 percent of the total carbon space available (in the world) today…adding that the way we will urbanize and indurstrialize in the future, we will become the third-largest carbon emitter in the world in due course,” Kant said.

“It is important that India as a country, both from the perspective of climate action and technology, leapfrogs and makes a substantial difference as for as action on climate front is concerned” Amitabh Kant further added.

The “Connect Karo 2023” is WRI India’s flagship event that offers a platform for multiple stakeholders from India and
abroad to share their perspectives and experiences as well as to ease collaborations toward finding meaningful responses to critical environmental and sustainability challenges.

Speaking at the event, Madhav Pai, CEO of WRI India, said, “We launched Connect Karo in 2013 with the aim to build a network of thinktanks, private sector players, researchers, civil society, and the government to work together and find viable solutions that enable sustainable development in India”.

“A decade on, it is heartening to find more than 450 participants join our discussions, seeking an evidence-based response to complex, sectoral issues and exploring nuanced, contextualized solutions to urgent challenges of our times,” he said.

Mr. Pai also highlighted that Connect Karo’s endeavor is to offer a platform for a high-level dialogue that would foster the building of sustainable, livable cities of the future that place people at their center.

“To shape connected, low-carbon, and resilient cities, we must focus simultaneously on data-led urban planning and climate action, incorporating nature-based solutions and reimagining our food systems,” he explained.

In its 10th year, Connect Karo 2023 brought together a distinguished gathering of over 450 participants including experts, policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers to deliberate on sustainability solutions for India.

Under its theme ‘For People, Nature, and Climate’, day one of the conference saw the release of new research and 18 thought-provoking sessions on issues related to urban planning, water and resilience, integrated and electric mobility, climate and clean air, energy, and food.