India's G20 Presidency: A quicker route to achieving SDGs in the face of climate change

 January 09, 2023 5:20 PM IST

                        India made significant progress in the current state of the world in December 2022 when it became the first country to hold the G20 presidency. India has participated actively in the troika (a grouping of the current, past, and upcoming presidencies) since 2021 in order to maintain continuity and consistency in the G20 Agenda.

The G20's rising nations, which currently account for 80% of global GDP and two thirds of the world's population, would benefit from India's presidency as a step forward in assuming leadership positions. The themes of sustainable growth and inclusion are a key area as our focus regions and objectives for the presidency take form, particularly in light of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that must be achieved by 2030. Additionally, one of the seven task teams chosen for India's presidency is to accelerate the SDGs.

Growth that is both equitable and sustainable has long been a priority for the Indian government; inclusive growth was a key component of the 11th Five Year Plan (2007–12). The Union Budget 2022 also outlined the development plan for the following 25 years known as "India's Amritkaal" to move towards a futuristic, prosperous, inclusive, and developed society, distinguished by a human-centric approach at its core. This was done as a continuum to various steps taken for sustainability and inclusivity.

In this regard, India's G20 presidency can hasten our adherence to the different SDGs, for which the government has already launched a comprehensive effort. The G20 troika, which will be made up of Indonesia, Brazil, and India during India's presidency, has a great deal of potential to balance competing growth interests while advancing the G20 Agenda. Together, the three may strive to achieve SDGs 1, 2, and 3 by eradicating poverty and promoting health and wellbeing in the area (No poverty, hunger and ensuring good health). However, improvement is not straightforward when there are rising temperatures and changing climatic patterns.

Parts of South Asia have reportedly gotten much drier and more prone to drought occurrences since the 1970s, according to the World Bank. By the 2040s, crop yields in the area are predicted to drop dramatically. This may have a considerable impact on income and food security, with secondary consequences on wellbeing and well health, particularly for a monsoon-fed agricultural economy like India. Technology-driven methods, such as increasing emphasis on research and development (R&D) in climate resilient cropping and organic farming practises, creation of drought-resistant crops, scientific support for farmers, etc., are therefore urgently needed. Such actions will enable the achievement of SDG 9 and restore our focus on the first three SDGs (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure).

Another health concern is the increase of neglected tropical illnesses and the spread of zoonotic infections to people. The World Health Organization (WHO) issues a warning about the possibility of a spike in disease outbreaks as a result of the warming environment that infectious vectors are finding more and more favourable. In light of the Covid-19 epidemic, international cooperation has been made to combat health concerns through a number of initiatives, such as the provision of oxygen concentrators and humanitarian aid through the Vaccine Maitri programme run by India. India can influence the big economies as the club's president to meet the growing need for a pandemic pact. The government might also try to improve institutional structure at WHO, our health watchdog, to make its operations more open and inclusive. Additionally, the troika grouping of Brazil, India, and the G4 Club will strengthen their current UNSC reform efforts. In the long run, multilateral changes like these will support the achievement of SDG16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions).

Additionally, the sea level rise, urban floods, and heatwave events that are predicted to have a disastrous impact on the Indian landscape were warned of in the IPCC's sixth assessment report. The 7,500 km of coastline in India is home to many communities of fishermen who are extremely vulnerable to the yearly whims of climate change in the form of more frequent tropical cyclones, cloud burst events, and decreased fish harvest.

In this regard, it is necessary to use the presidential role to broaden the influence of organisations led by India, such as the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). The notion of "One Sun, One World, One Infrastructure" (OSOWOG) was proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the inaugural summit of the International Solar Alliance in 2018 in order to create a worldwide green energy grid in collaboration with the British Green Grid Initiative (GGI). The forthcoming G20 club chairmanship would allow India to take on leadership positions in achieving the OSOWOG mandate, paving the way for the achievement of SDG 7. ( affordable and clean energy).

In the context of a changing climate, forest and brush fires are widespread. Devastating fire incidents have occurred in Australia, Indonesia, and the Brazilian Amazonian forests. These were brought about by factors including warming temperatures, the impact of El Nino, and human land use changes. Mutual vulnerabilities provide opportunities for group mitigation through improved firefighting methods. Around 20% of India's forests are vulnerable to flames, according to the Forest Survey of India's State of Forests Report 2021, which suggests the scale of international climate cooperation under Indian leadership. Each and every initiative matters for

Climate action SDG13 and life on land SDG15 are like the little droplets that make up the great ocean.

Again, while we work to fulfil SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), the growing danger posed by the climate is also forcing our cities to experience more urban disasters, such as frequent floods and droughts, heatwave events, etc. Parts of Canada and the United States saw an extraordinary surge in temperature in 2021, which was caused by a phenomena known as the heat dome and resulted in several fatalities. With the recent exponential increase in heat events, India is not an exception. The World Bank predicts that by 2035, India would endure heat waves that might last up to 25 times longer and reach temperatures that are too high for humans to survive. The G20 nations who are displaying the finest practises in urban resilience, like Japan, China, and Germany to mention a few, may collaborate with India as a result of its leadership.

If the aforementioned problems are not properly resolved, they could lead to an increase in gender inequality, poverty rates, and climate refugees in urban areas around the world, endangering the achievement of SDGs 5 (gender equality) and 10 (reduced inequalities), as well as delaying India's Amrit Kaal goal.

India's commitment to sustainability was reaffirmed during the Bali G20 conference in 2022 when Prime Minister Modi stressed the need to promote the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam while also emphasising the need of sustainability. So, the quicker attainment of the sustainable development objectives can make the PM's vision of the presidency as an ambitious, inclusive, decisive, and action-oriented term more beneficial.