INTRODUCTION‌

I

mproving living standards for mankind has been the single minded goal of all nations and world bodies. After defining development in numerous ways for over two decades, there seems to be a consensus on ‘Human

Development’. While a large population on the earth is still to get the ‘bare minimum’ for development, humanity is at the crossroads where it is faced with the first of its kind challenge—the challenge of ‘climate change’. The dilemma is that whatever we can do for our development, there has to be a repercussion on nature. An even bigger dilemma is in achieving a global consensus on how to check or restrict and finally reverse the process of climate change.

We may consider the year 2012, arguably, a high water mark in the field of environment and sustainable development initiatives. The global community met at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development that took place in Rio in June 2012, also marking the 20th anniversary of the first Earth Summit held in 1992. The conference reviewed the progress made, identified implementation gaps, and assessed new and emerging challenges, which resulted in a political outcome called the ‘The Future We Want’. In India, the Twelfth Five Year Plan was launched with a focus on sustainable growth. This along with sustainable development policies and programmes, which are being followed signalled to citizens at home and the world at large that India is committed to sustainable development with equal emphasis on its three dimensions—social, economic and environmental.

A survey of the global comparative opinion shows that people in India and indeed all countries, have a marked and rising concern about sustainable development and climate change (cited by the Economic Survey 2014–15). However, the challenges are also formidable, especially in the context of finding the matching resources of the required magnitude given the economic conditions. Climate science has rightly taken up an important position in the public debate. Even as the science of climate change grapples with uncertainties, the world is witnessing more extreme events. With rising extreme events, and rising citizen demand, the world has little option but to listen to the voice of evolving science and respond adequately with strategies and policies rooted in the principles of multilateralism with equitable and fair burden sharing.1

Since 2010 onwards, the world has witnessed increasing numbers of natural disasters and extreme weather conditions—frequently getting news headlines across the world. Policy-makers have been facing enormous

pressure on availability of clean air, water and energy together with the problems of poverty and hunger, especially in the developing world. Though, the concerns of climate and environment have been there in India’s policies, we see it increasing in the past half a decade. It was in Economic Survey 2011–12 that a chapter ‘Climate Change and Sustainable Development’ appeared—the chapter has been retained by the upcoming volumes. This shows the inclusion of environmental concerns in India’s policy-making.

The year 2015 witnessed two landmark international events—the historic climate change agreement under the UNFCCC in Paris in December 2015 and the adoption of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) in September 2015. The Paris Agreement aims at keeping the rise in global temperatures well below 2°C,which will set the world towards a low carbon, resilient and sustainable future, while the Sustainable Development Goals, which replace the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals), set the development agenda for the next fifteen years. On the domestic front too some important climate- related initiatives were taken, including the launching of the historic International Solar Alliance (an initiative taken by India) and the submission of the ambitious INDC (Intended Nationally Determined Contribution).