PM Modi only head of government invited to opening plenary of the UN climate conference

DUBAI: The opening plenary of the UN climate conference here on Friday saw PM Narendra Modi as the only head of state/government on the dias underlining India’s growing geopolitical clout in climate diplomacy, reports Vishwa Mohan. Along with the Indian PM, others on the dias were CO president Sultan Al Jaber, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change president Simon Stiell and UN general assembly president Dennis Francis.
Observers believe the importance given to the Indian Prime Minister is not just an indication of strong India-UAE relations but also signals the country’s growing stature as a champion of climate actions cemented by the launch of several new global initiatives in the last few years including International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), Global Biofuel Alliance and Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT).
Carrying forward India’s proactive approach, Modi pitched one more global effort – Green Credit initiative – which would work in sync with the country’s brainchild Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) for environmentally conscious actions.
India’s G20 presidency also witnessed an ambitious climate goal in the New Delhi leaders’ declaration that committed countries to working towards tripling renewable energy capacity, globally, by 2030.