CLIMATE CHANGE IS IMPORTANT FOR INDIA’S FOREIGN POLICY

Climate change, global warming, greenhouse effect, ozone layer depletion, ‘these are now household
terminologies, and the younger generation seem to be all too familiar with these. India is a young nation
with young leaders and it is one of her primary concern to contain the effect of global warming. yes,
climatic changes that have begun to occur globally do affect the foreign policy of a nation as the growth
of the nation is also accounted for by its ability to face global challenges and create global solutions.

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges every developing and developed nation is facing around
the world. Climate change is the change in the pattern of the climate that is so permanent that its
impact lasts a few decades or even centuries. Climate change has an effect on the forestation, wildlife,
water systems, and mainly the polar regions. India is responsible for 6% of the global CO2 emissions, and
would have to shift significantly from coal-based power generation to renewable energy resources. The
Paris agreement was signed in 2015 bringing all nations to a common cause to undertake ambitious
efforts to combat climate change and its effects globally. As part of its initial commitment India plans to
reduce its carbon emission per unit GDP by 33% from the 2005 levels over a period of 15 years,
producing 40% of its installed electricity from non-fossil fuels. India will soon contribute to a future
international framework for tackling climate change. Internationally India’s climate policy is being woven
into broader foreign policy strategy, while domestically it is being shaped to serve at the national level.

The government shall develop friendly and cooperative relations with our neighbors to strengthen
engagement with major powers, the goal being a prosperous neighborhood implying cooperation
among the nations. International climate negotiations now show an increase in adopting only an upward
climb, India too is emerging as a new growing economy with her strengths and is vocal on the aspects of
climate change and the climatic global phenomenon. It is also important to understand the stand and
actions taken by other countries in dealing with tis catastrophic phenomenon in action to respond to the
climatic challenge. India is an influential factor in the global climatic change negotiations, having the
world’s lowest per capita greenhouse emissions (GHG), yet through all her efforts to combat this
remains the 5th largest source of GHG accounted for in total tonnage.

India as a county is most vulnerable to climatic impacts having a diverse geography, hence plays a
meaningful role in helping to achieve a potential outcome. The Indian government also know its
responsibility to weigh these goals against other domestic priorities to achieve high level of social and
domestic development within the nation to reduce the poverty levels within the nation. Recently there
has been a change in India’s approach to the negotiations within the united Nations Framework
Convention on Climate change (UNFCCC), as well as a more advanced and stringent policy at the
national and sun national levels. To understand what actions are politically viable domestically and
internationally, it is necessary to look the political economy in which decision makers are nested.

Indian government has pledged to invest $100 billion in clean energy over the next five years and to
source 40% of its country’s electricity from renewable and low carbon sources by 2030. India has also
helped establish the International Solar Alliance (ISA) a multicounty organization of sun rich countries
focused on solar technology. The Indian government has doubled the government subsidies for solar
power. During the Paris agreement our honorable prime minister pledged to illuminate 18,000 energy
poor villages by 2019 through a mix of fossil fuels and other renewable sources, and he has proved true
to his promise. Indians work on its efforts to move its power grid to renewable resources fast enough to
slow the pace of its natural disasters is now quite literally a matter of life and death for the nation and
its people. ‘

The introduction of CNG vehicles and now internationally the compulsion on electric vehicles to reduce
emissions of pollutants has played an important row in the reduction of greenhouse gas and over a
period of a couple of decades, the ozone hole in the Antarctic is on its way to recovery, a there is an
international sigh of relief for all nations. The emissions of greenhouse gases and the effects on the
atmosphere affect every nation as we have seen there are numerable new diseases that come to the
forefront for which there has to be new cures created. It is like a vicious cycle. This affects all nations
internationally and also the migrating and emigrating populations. There are health sanctions on nations
due to fear of spread of diseases for which cures are not yet developed. The phenomenon of global
warming has one positive for India, as it has brought India to the forefront. Our prime minister had
played an important role in bringing India into the limelight internationally as the phenomenon of
climatic change plays an important role in India as an upcoming super power.

India’s relation with neighboring countries depends on the ability to use all-natural resources available
at their disposal in an amicable manner assisting the non-developed nations in attaining the use of
renewable resources and solar and hydro energy. India has many neighboring countries that are very
pro towards the progress and assistance provided b India regarding the global phenomenon of climatic
change and there is a mutual sharing of natural resource from neighboring countries that that a surplus
of the same. Water resource in the form of hydro energy is also shared by neighboring countries like
Bhutan.

India is an emerging super power and has always remained positive I her abilities to be proactive in the
development within the nation and internationally among other nations. India has friendly relations
with many a country as they too realize the role played by India in saving the planet from the effects of
the green house phenomenon and being proactive in joining hands with nations internationally to sign
agreements and accept the terms set up internationally and follow those for the betterment of the
planet as a whole and not for the betterment of its own domestic powers. India is respected globally for
this proactive mannerism and our honorable prime minister is doing the best with India’s economy to
create a naturally positive environment for the future generations within the country and globally. We
need to create a planet that is healthy for the future generations to come and save the natural flora and
fauna and the wild life in their natural habitats by conservation and prevention of deforestation. Nations
have employed a policy of planting saplings on all important occasions and that in turn helps at a very
grass root level to help the greenhouse effect.

India plays a very important role in the international arena in many multiple matters, but the climatic
change is the primary concern for the nation and globally, and India plays a vital part in creating
solutions and making them applicable along with the global community. This acceptance gives India a
winning edge in the global market and also brings it to the forefront as a nation to contend with on all
levels. This initiative taken by India to show a visible change in its efforts toward controlling the
greenhouse effect also makes her a nation where the world community wishes to have ties with in many
other fields and helps our nation to grown and become a power to be contended with internationally.
Climate change though a natural phenomenon plays a pivotal role in the international recognition of a
nation and India’s proactive attitude has given her that. Now it is just an upward climb for our country
in the international arena as we have stepped out with a very positive attitude and will continue to grow
and achieve a global recognition internationally and this makes it very important for this international
acceptance for the growth of a nation into a super power. It is not just the economic growth, but the
awareness of the wellbeing of the planet that plays a pivotal role in changing a nation from one of the
crowds into a super power and an internationally recognized nation.

India, her people and her governance have understood that it is very important to join hands with the
global community for the well-being of the planet and this plays a role in a healthy populace which
learns to respect the value of nature for developing positive international relations and joining hands
with all nations like all good neighbors do to create a happy and heathy living environment for the global
community for which the seeds are now laid down at the personal level in each individual in the global
community.