Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Indian counterpart Narendra Modi Share Selfie at COP28
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni recently took to social media to share a delightful selfie with her Indian counterpart, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two leaders crossed paths on the sidelines of the COP28 climate summit held in Dubai. Ms. Meloni, who had previously visited Delhi for the G20 summit in September, expressed her happiness at the reunion by captioning the post, "Good friends at COP28. #Melodi."
PM Modi's Meeting with Global Leaders
During the COP28 summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had the opportunity to meet and engage with several world leaders. Alongside his Indian counterpart, he interacted with esteemed personalities such as Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Turkey President RT Erdogan, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, and Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, among others.
Prime Minister Modi's Packed Agenda at the UN Climate Change Conference
PM Modi's schedule during the UN climate change conference was filled with important sessions and engagements. He addressed four sessions, where he emphasized the urgent need for promoting clean and green growth. These sessions provided him with a platform to discuss bilateral and regional interests with various global leaders present at the summit.
Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra highlighted that the Prime Minister's meetings not only focused on climate change but also encompassed broader issues of mutual concern. Through diplomatic exchanges, a wide range of topics related to clean and sustainable development were explored.
A Significant Shift in Global Climate Negotiations
Global climate negotiations had traditionally avoided direct mention of fossil fuels for several decades, but that changed at COP26 in Glasgow. During this landmark event, world leaders committed to a "phasedown" of unfiltered coal power and the "phase-out of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies". This breakthrough marked a turning point towards a more sustainable future.
Since COP26, there has been a growing momentum towards transitioning away from all forms of fossil fuels. Christiana Figueres, the UN's former climate chief, expressed optimism about achieving global climate goals due to a remarkable surge in renewable energy and electric vehicles worldwide. These advancements align with the objectives of the 2015 Paris Agreement, where nearly 200 nations pledged to limit global warming to "well below" two degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels, with the safer target of 1.5 degrees Celsius.
also read | Salaar' starring Prabhas and Prithviraj will hit the big screens on 22 December
PM Modi's Call for Collective Emission Reductions
During his speech at COP28, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged nations to work together towards significant reductions in global emissions. Recognizing India's relatively low carbon emissions, PM Modi highlighted the need for shared responsibility among nations. Despite India accounting for only 4% of global carbon emissions, its population represents 17% of the world's total. PM Modi further emphasized that India has been proactively working towards its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) targets, reaching non-fossil fuel targets nine years ahead of schedule.
The Urgent Need for Climate Action
In his address, PM Modi stressed the urgency of taking immediate action to rectify the mistakes of the past century. He called upon all nations to sincerely fulfill their NDC targets and work collectively towards a sustainable future. With the future of our planet at stake, PM Modi's words served as a powerful reminder of the critical importance of mitigating the effects of climate change.
"We do not have much time to correct the mistakes of the last century. Let us work sincerely to meet our NDC targets." - PM Narendra Modi