Commonwealth SG urges India to lead in sustainable development

India is not historically responsible for the climate crisis but should avoid the polluting practices of the West from the 19th century during its development, says Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland. In an interview with PTI, Scotland emphasized that India has the opportunity to lead a just and equitable energy transition by sharing expertise and technology within the 56-nation Commonwealth, which represents 2.7 billion people.

Scotland highlighted India’s unique position, noting that while the country was not responsible for the climate crisis, it is suffering severe consequences, including extreme heat, floods, and intense monsoons. She praised India’s commitment to climate action and urged it to avoid emulating the West’s failed development model that led to the climate crisis.

At the 2015 UN climate talks in Paris, countries committed to limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. The Earth’s temperature has already increased by around 1.2 degrees Celsius due to greenhouse gases.

Scotland noted that India’s renewable energy accounts for 35 per cent of its energy consumption and praised initiatives like the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.

India aims to increase non-fossil power capacity to 50 per cent by 2030 and reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45 per cent compared to 2005 levels. Currently, India has an installed power capacity of 446 gigawatts, with 195 gigawatts from renewable sources. Scotland believes India can serve as a beacon of hope for the Global South by showcasing sustainable and innovative development practices.