India Has Become Global Leader For Climate Action, Says UN Resident Coordinator Shombi Sharp

Sharp stated during the ‘Model G20 Meeting’ that India is in a unique position to bring countries together across divides to talk about climate change.

New Delhi: India has become a global leader when it comes to climate action, said UN Resident Coordinator in India, Shombi Sharp. He said that the country is in a unique position to bring countries together across divides and make them refocus on important challenges in development as well as climate change.

Sharp made these comments on Friday during the “Model G20 Meeting” at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi. This event is being held by India’s G20 Secretariat along with the United Nations India Country Office.

“India has become an important leader globally in climate action. India is uniquely positioned to bring countries together across divides & refocus on important challenges in development including climate change”, told news agency ANI.

The meeting, the first official Model G20 event is a simulation exercise of a G20 meeting, where school students will play the roles of delegates of G20 and deliberate on the theme “Youth for LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment)”.

The theme for the Model G20 event - “Youth for LiFE” was identified keeping in mind the critical role that the global youth, being the agents of change, could play in Climate Action through the LiFE initiative.

Commenting on the event, Sharp said that the students will understand each other's positions on this and see if they can come out with an agreement. He said this is what happens during an actual G20 Summit.

“Planet is facing climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Young delegates today will understand each other's positions on this and see if they can come out with an agreement. This is a simulation of what happens in the actual G20 summit”, Sharp told ANI.

In his remarks at the meeting, G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said that the students have taken positions from different countries and will have to reach a consensus at a declaration on lifestyle sustainability.

A total of eight schools, including international schools, private schools and Kendriya Vidyalaya from Delhi/NCR, are participating in this simulation. They will discuss and exchange views on the leading role that the global youth could play in making LiFE a mass movement for Climate Action.

The idea of LiFE was introduced by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow. The idea promotes an environmentally conscious lifestyle that focuses on ‘mindful and deliberate utilisation’ instead of ‘mindless and wasteful consumption’.