AIR Spotlight: G20: Environment & Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) Meeting

AIR Spotlight is an insightful program featured daily on the All India Radio News on air. In this program, many eminent panellists discuss issues of importance which can be quite helpful in IAS exam preparation.

This article is about the discussion on: G20 Environment & Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) Meeting.

Participants: 

1. Nameeta Prasad – Joint Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)
2. Lalima Aneja Dang – AIR Correspondent

Context – Under the G20 Presidency of India, the 1st Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) Meeting will be held in Bengaluru from February 9-11, 2023. The meeting will be hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Introduction –

India assumed the G20 Presidency on December 1, 2022, from Indonesia and will convene the G20 Leaders’ Summit for the first time in the country in 2023. India’s G20 Presidency is a watershed moment for the country and it seeks to play an important role by finding pragmatic global solutions for the well-being of all, and in doing so, manifest the true spirit of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ or the ‘World is One Family’. 

• It is a very unique responsibility because G20 nations represent 85% of global GDP, 78% of global trade, and almost two-thirds of the population.
• India’s presidency comes at a critical juncture when the world is facing a deepening climate crisis, geopolitical tensions, economic slowdown, rising food and energy prices and long-term ill effects of the pandemic. 
• For its G20 Presidency, India is poised to focus attention on the following areas: women’s empowerment, digital public infrastructure, health, agriculture, education, culture, tourism, climate financing, circular economy, global food security, energy security, green hydrogen, disaster risk reduction and resilience, fight against economic crime and multilateral reforms.
• During its G20 presidency, India will be holding about 200 meetings in 32 different sectors at multiple locations across India. The G20 Summit would be one of the highest-profile international gatherings to be hosted by India.
• The world is looking at India to chart a new course of development and prosperity and India stands ready to lead the world on a path of sustainable and inclusive growth. India’s G-20 presidency will be inclusive, ambitious, decisive, and action-oriented.

G20: Environment & Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) Meeting

India’s G20 presidency aims to bring an integrated, comprehensive and consensus-driven approach to address climate change and pursue sustainable growth. India will promote LiFE – Lifestyle for Environment and resilient development paradigm for G20.

• Through the Sherpa Track, 13 Working Groups and 2 Initiatives will meet under India’s Presidency to discuss priorities and provide recommendations. Environment, Climate & Sustainability is one of the working groups under the Sherpa Track.
• Four Meetings of the Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) are scheduled to be hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). A ministerial meeting of the group will be held on July 28 in Chennai.
• Under ECSWG, three priority issues and deliverables have been identified –

1. Arresting Land Degradation, Accelerating Ecosystem Restoration and Enriching Biodiversity
2. Promoting a Sustainable and Climate Resilient Blue Economy
3. Encouraging Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy

LiFE Mission is an important and cross-cutting theme across all three priorities.

Promoting a Sustainable and Climate Resilient Blue Economy

India has a rich and vast coastline and has a responsibility towards ocean sustainability.

• India has set a goal to develop a Blue Economy worth $100 billion through its Deep Ocean Mission and ocean resources.
• India has also proposed an international legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution by 2024 and has a domestic ban on single-use plastics to address marine pollution. 
• During India’s G20 Presidency, it plans to organise a coordinated beach cleaning activity in G20 countries to raise awareness of the need to combat coastal and marine pollution.
• The Indian G20 presidency also wants to convene the ‘Oceans 20 Dialogue’ to assess best practices for blue asset management for adaptation with mitigation co-benefits, and in mobilising finance for SDG 14.

Under this priority, three sub-themes have been developed –

• Addressing Marine Litter for a Sustainable Blue Economy
• Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning for a Sustainable Blue Economy
• Conservation of Marine Ecosystems

The Puneet Sagar Abhiyan was launched by the National Cadet Corps (NCC), in a bid to clean sea shores or beaches and other water bodies including rivers & lakes, by removing plastic & other waste. The campaign sought to increase awareness amongst the local population about the importance of keeping beaches and riverfronts clean. 

Arresting Land Degradation, Accelerating Ecosystem Restoration and Enriching Biodiversity

India’s priority as G20 president is to address land degradation and work towards restoring ecosystems and increasing biodiversity. There is an urgent need to arrest land degradation, and biodiversity loss and restore ecosystems as 23 percent of the global land area is no longer productive for agricultural use because of resource extraction and waste.

• The agenda includes reducing the amount of degraded land by 50% by 2040 and promoting sustainable use of land and water resources. 
• India will also focus on financing mechanisms and frontier technologies, such as Payment for Ecosystem Services, to achieve these goals. 
• Additionally, India plans to address the impact of land degradation on over 3 billion people and contribute towards the 2030 Agenda and Green Development Pact, aiming to drive sustainable and resilient water management. 

Encouraging Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy

In India, there are sincere efforts to adopt sustainable production and consumption practices through resource efficiency and circular economy strategies, including the use of Extended Producer’s Responsibility (EPR) systems. 

• India’s G20 Presidency focus will also be on advancing these solutions and circular economy principles, such as co-developing technologies and pilot projects in sectors like steel.
• A circular economy (also referred to as “circularity”) is an economic system that tackles global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. A circular economy includes the 3 R’s (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle), Refurbishment, Recover, and Repairing of materials.

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