Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the need for greater ambition on climate finance and technology on behalf of smaller countries at the Conference of Parties (COP26), Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said at a special briefing in Glasgow. Speaking of PM Modi’s address on behalf of the developing nations, the Foreign Secretary added that the Prime Minister felt that given the sort of commitments on climate change, the financing “to the extent of a trillion dollars” would be required. 

While there is pressure on developing countries to increase and enhance commitments towards climate change, the developed nations must also meet their financial pledges that would ensure the target of 1.5°C is met, PM Modi asserted at the session, as per Shringla. “He also felt that it should also be both commitments in terms of the NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) and commitments to its financing should be measurable and should be definable,” the Foreign Secretary added. 

PM Modi proposes ‘One Word Movement’ 

Delivering India’s National Statement at the COP26 Summit in Glasgow, PM Modi on Monday, proposed “One-Word Movement,” Shringla said. Calling for collective participation towards mitigating climate change, the PM highlighted that “Lifestyle for Environment” should become a mass movement to raise “environmental consciousness” and combat “mindless and destructive consumption.” The PM also called for a “unified approach” to attain multidimensional goals in the fields of fishing, agriculture, wellness, dietary choices, housing, tourism, water management, energy. “It can bring revolutionary changes,” PM Modi said at the summit, as per Shringla. Vesting his belief in the movement to stand the “test of time,” PM Modi said that masses’ “conscious choice”  is required for combating climate change.  

“I am keeping proposal of On-Word Movement. This One-Word is one word in the context of climate…This is a word- LIFE…L,I,F,E, i.e. Lifestyle for Environment,” PM Modi said at the Summit.

India, UK to launch infrastructure resilience project for small island nations

India and UK will together launch the initiative for the Resilient Island States (IRIS) for developing infrastructure of small island nations, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Tuesday while briefing the media about the programs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Conference of Parties (COP26) on the third day. The initiative will be jointly announced by PM Modi and his British counterpart Boris Johnson at the Glasgow Summit on Tuesday. IRIS is a part of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) that would focus on building capacity, having pilot projects especially in small island developing states, Shringla explained.

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