INTRODUCTION
Climate change refers to long-term changes in temperature and weather conditions. These changes can become natural from changes in solar activity or major eruptions of volcanoes. However, since the 1800s, human activity has been a major factor in climate change, primarily the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. The combustion of fossil fuels produces greenhouse gas emissions, which act as a roof enclosed by the earth, increasing solar heat and temperature. The main greenhouse gases that cause climate change include carbon dioxide and metatanal. This comes from the use of gasoline to drive cars and coal, for example. For example, heat a building. The purification of the earth and forest reduction can also be released from carbon dioxide. Agriculture, oil and gas operations are the main sources of methane emissions. Energy, industry, transportation, buildings, agriculture and land use are among the key sectors that cause greenhouse gas.1
Climate scientists have shown that people are responsible for almost all global heating over the past 200 years. Similar to the above, human activity causes greenhouse gases that warm the world faster than at least the past two years. The average surface temperature of the Earth is now about 1.2°C since the end of the 1800s (until the Industrial Revolution), warmer than any point in the last 100,000 years. The past decade (2011-2020) has been the hottest in history, with each of the last 40 years warmer than any other decade since 1850. Many people believe that climate change essentially means warmer temperatures. However, rising temperatures are only the beginning of history. Since Earth is an all-connected system, changes in the field can affect all other changes. Climate change results now include severe droughts, water shortages, severe fires, increased sea level, floods, melting polar ice, catastrophic storms and reduced biodiversity, among other things.2
Numerous climate change solutions have the potential to improve our lives, protect the environment, and boost our economy. To guide progress, we also have global frameworks and agreements like the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the Paris Agreement. Action can be broadly divided into three categories: cutting emissions, adapting to climate impacts, and financing required adjustments. Energy systems should be switched from fossil fuels to renewables like solar or wind in order to reduce the emissions driving climate change. However, we must act now. Globally, a growing number of countries are committing to net zero emissions by 20503. however, by 2030, emissions must be cut in half to keep warming below 1.5°C. The use of coal, oil, and gas will drastically decline as a result of achieving this: production and consumption of all fossil fuels will need to be cut by at least 30 per cent by 2030 in order to prevent catastrophic levels of climate change4. India and the EU have taken the lead in combating climate change and have been working together more and more in this area, both in the public and private sectors. On sectoral issues like clean energy, water, and urban development, they have established partnerships. The European Union is funding a number of clean energy, sustainability, and climate action projects in India.5 This paper thus contrasts the European Green Deal with India’s climate strategies and placing them within the broader conversation of global justice. Moreover, this research aims to extract lessons from varying approaches, responsibilities, and equity issues to help create a more just and sustainable global climate framework.
A. Research Methodology
The research combines both doctrinal and comparative methods. It is primarily a qualitative work which focuses on the analytical review of laws, public policies, and academic writings rather than collecting empirical data. Given that the topic concerns climate law and policy, the doctrinal approach is suitable for analysing the features, aims, and consequences of current frameworks like the European Green Deal and India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change, along with India’s commitments under the Paris Agreement. The comparative aspect of the research is crucial to the study and the comparison of the European Union and India represents the differing approaches a developed and a developing nation take towards climate change, shedding light on what these differences indicate about global justice. This article analyses the commonalities, distinctions, and conflicts in their methods concerning responsibility, fairness and aspirations. The approach is analytical as well as descriptive. It outlines the essential characteristics of both the European and Indian methods. It assesses them analytically from the perspective of climate justice, extracting insights for more equitable global climate governance
B. Literature Review
The literature on climate policy reveals significant differences between the European Union and India also reflecting their different historical responsibilities also levels of development, and strategic priorities. On the European Green Deal, many scholars have described it as one of the most ambitious regional climate frameworks in the world. the European Green Deal represents not only a climate plan but also a broader socio-economic transformation, aiming to integrate sustainability into every sector of the European economy argued by Andrew Jordan 6. While certain researchers have emphasized the significance of climate governance, others have pointed out the challenges involved in establishing effective policy monitoring systems, indicating that these systems are neither automatic in their execution nor free from political influences. This article enhances our understanding of climate policy monitoring within the EU by introducing a new analytical framework aimed at gaining better insights into previous, current, and potential future policy monitoring initiatives, particularly in relation to the European Green Deal (EGD)7.
Navroz K. Dubash and Shibani Ghosh8 said that India has consistently framed climate action within the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, linking international commitments to equity and domestic development priorities9. and also, the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) has been praised for universalizing climate concerns into policy. On the one hand, numerous research works highlight the lack of both financing and implementation. As for the promises made by India at COP26. This discussion directly frames the comparison between the EU and India, illustrating how ambition and fairness must be reconciled to build a just global climate regime.
EUROPEAN GREEN DEAL
The European Green Deal is transforming the EU into a contemporary, resource-efficient, and competitive economy. EGD was Inaugurated by President von der Leyen on 11 December 2019, it addresses an urgent appeal from citizens particularly the youth for climate measures. It outlines a strategy to reshape Europe’s economy, energy, transportation, and industries for a more sustainable future. Its goal is to reduce emissions by a minimum of 50% by 2030, increasing towards 55%, while legally committing to the 2050 neutrality target via the European Climate Law. It advances a sustainable transition that safeguards both individuals and the environment, is financially viable, and equitable for society.10
At its core, the European Green Deal stands as a powerful and necessary reaction to the climate crisis that is getting worse rapidly. Scientific proof is very clear that the temperature on our planet is going up, extreme weather events are occurring more often, and the natural systems that support life on Earth are becoming more and more endangered. Some of these regulations are actually the ones that clean energy becomes the main source of energy, the energy efficiency of buildings improves, and the transition to a circular economy becomes faster. In this economy, the amount of waste is minimized, and the materials are utilized and recycled as much as possible.11
Additionally, it concentrates on supporting innovation, clean technologies, and sustainable infrastructure while ensuring a just transition for the communities that are most affected. As a result of the European Green Deal, citizens of Europe enjoy not only cleaner air but also energy-efficient products and houses, which have become their standard. They are turning to renewables more and more to power their lives.12 One of its main points is the necessity for every policy area to be involved in the climate fight. The plan supports projects in almost all economic sectors, including the energy sector, transportation, manufacturing, agriculture, finance for sustainability, and others. With the Green Deal, the Council and the European Parliament as co-legislators, have put in place laws that have changed the plan and vision from ideas into legal acts and regulations that are binding for all EU member countries..
Its main objectives include:
• Achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
• decoupling economic growth from resource use.
• Ensuring a just transition for all.
• Conversion of agriculture and rural regions.
• To protect human life, animals and plants by reducing pollution.
• Rehabilitate ecosystems, safeguard biodiversity, and reduce air and water pollution
This ambitious plan serves as a roadmap to a more sustainable EU economy, promising a cleaner environment, cheaper energy, smarter transport, new jobs, and an improved quality of life.13
POLICY AREAS OF EUROPEAN GREEN DEAL
• One focus of the EU Green Deal is the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP). This scheme aims to raise the international competitiveness of the EU, stimulate environmentally friendly economic development, and generate new employment opportunities, which is based on the Circular Economy Package. It shifts the focus from waste to resource-intensive sectors with significant circularity potential. Alongside that, the target is to extend the life of materials in economic cycles, with the emphasis on those product value chains that have the highest potential impact such as electronics, ICT, batteries, vehicles, packaging, plastics, textiles, and food.14
• The proposed Eco-design for Sustainable Products Regulation Product design issues are the main factor that can influence up to 80% of the product’s the environmental footprint during its whole life cycle. The company introduces new standards to make products more long-lasting, trustworthy, reusable, and simpler to upgrade, repair, and service. This regulation also includes the efficiency of energy and resources, as well as the simpler refurbishment and recycling of the product. Besides, it will provide detailed product information to consumers to help them know the environmental impact of their purchases. Digital Product Passports will be implemented for all regulated products to facilitate repairs, recycling, and the tracing of supply chains for potentially harmful substances. The new legislation deepens the eco-design framework in two main aspects: firstly, by covering a more extensive range of products, and secondly, by increasing the requirements that products have to meet.15
• The new 2030 Biodiversity Strategy is a comprehensive, systemic and ambitious long-term plan for protecting nature and reversing the degradation of ecosystems. It is a key pillar of the European Green Deal and of EU leadership on international action for global public goods and sustainable development goals. With an objective to put European biodiversity to recovery by 2030, the Strategy sets out new ways to implement existing legislation more effectively, new commitments, measures, targets and governance mechanisms.16
• The Farm to Fork Strategy lays down a new approach to ensure that agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, and the food value chain contribute appropriately to the objective for a climate neutral Union in 2050. Food systems remain one of the key drivers of climate change and environmental degradation. The manufacturing, processing, retailing, packaging and transportation of food make a major contribution to GHG emissions, air, soil and water pollution, and have a profound impact on biodiversity. On the other side, consumers also need to be empowered to choose sustainable food. The creation of a favourable environment that makes it easier to choose healthy and sustainable diets will benefit consumer’s health and quality of life, and reduce health-related costs for society.
• The new 2030 Biodiversity Strategy is a comprehensive, systemic and ambitious long-term plan for protecting nature and reversing the degradation of ecosystems. It is a key pillar of the European Green Deal and of EU leadership on international action for global public goods and sustainable development goals. With an objective to put European biodiversity to recovery by 2030, the Strategy sets out new ways to implement existing legislation more effectively, new commitments, measures, targets and governance mechanisms.
• The Zero Pollution Action Plan provides a compass to mainstream pollution prevention in all relevant EU policies, to step up implementation of the relevant EU legislation and to identify possible gaps. It includes targets on air, water, soil, and noise pollutions as well as waste generation and biodiversity. The Plan outlines a number of flagship initiatives and actions, targeting air, water and soil but also reviewing EU waste laws and reducing the EU’s external pollution footprint by restricting the export of products and wastes that have harmful, toxic impacts in third countries (among others).17
• The proposed revision of the EU legislation on Packaging and Packaging Waste aims to put an end to wasteful packaging, boosting reuse and recycling. It has as three main objectives. First, to prevent the generation of packaging waste: reduce it in quantity, restrict unnecessary packaging and promote reusable and refillable packaging solutions. Second, to boost high quality recycling: make all packaging on the EU market recyclable in an economically viable way by 2030.
• The Proposal for a new Regulation to curb EU-driven deforestation and forest degradation sets strong mandatory due diligence rules for companies that want to place relevant products on the EU market or export them. Operators and traders will have to prove that the products are both deforestation-free (produced on land that was not subject to deforestation after 31 December 2020) and legal (compliant with all relevant applicable laws in force in the country of production). Companies will also be required to collect precise geographical information on the farmland where the commodities that they source have been grown, so that these commodities can be checked for compliance. The list of commodities that are covered will be regularly reviewed and updated, taking into account new data such as changing deforestation patterns.18
CHALLENGES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EUROPEAN GREEN DEAL
The European Green Deal (EGD) is the European Union’s (EU) roadmap to achieving climate impartiality by 2050. still, turning this vision into reality presents significant challenges, particularly in terms of backing, political collaboration, and the effective perpetration of programs across Member States. The success of the EGD will depend not only on a trillion euros in investment but also on strategically allocating coffers, marshalling private capital, and navigating the complex political geography of the EU.19
Social and Political Backlash
A major issue facing policymakers across the EU is that, following the seminal affirmations of the former decade similar as the Paris Agreement and the EU GREEN DEAL, the time has now come to apply the programs so enacted, which bear an immense share of the backing available. According to a recent bean, only 39 of repliers explosively supported or tended to support a ban on petrol and diesel buses in high- income European economies. also, public outrage is aggravated by the lack of scrutiny on major polluters and the binary communication being conveyed by the massive quantum of finances that are still being conducted to reactionary energy companies as subventions.20
Protests and Opposition
The ambitious goals and swift rate of implementation have resulted in considerable resistance from farmers in various EU nations. Farmers have already talked extensively about how the changes would bring in a lot of profit, influence their lifestyle positively and whether they are actually capable of achieving the goals set. Such enterprises have elicited protests from farmers not only in the neighbouring areas but across the whole European continent. They argue that in the absence of solid support actions like subsidies or the promotion of green practices, their way of working is endangered. The European Green Deal to lower emissions by 55% by 2030 has resulted in clean air standards being set for agriculture, a reduction in the use of inputs, and more rigorous rules have led to a storm of protests among farmers across Europe. Despite government awareness of cultivate ‘ frustrations, the effectiveness of measures remains uncertain. With environmental rules getting tighter, especially seen in Ireland’s big drop in milk products, the future for the dairy industry seems very tough.21
The Financial Foundation
The European Commission estimates that achieving the EGD’s pretensions will bear an investment of around €1 trillion over the coming decade. This figure includes a mix of public and private finances, with the EU using its budget to rally fresh investments from Member States, fiscal institutions, and the private sector. The EU funds are organized by the functional structure to ensure that these resources are allocated in the right manner. Some of them are initiated directly by the European Commission and its supervisory authorities, while the others are managed by the institutions in charge such as the European Investment Bank
• The covid-19 crisis led to an economic downturn and increased unemployment as a result of temporary industry closures. The drop in tax money made the government have to spend on programs to help businesses and people during the economic slowdown. Countries such as Poland and the Czech Republic raised worries that the European Green Deal is slowing down the economic recovery following the crisis. Second, the Russia-Ukraine crisis, followed by global trade tensions, has moved security and defence, addressing economic slowdowns and competition in industrial activities to the forefront of priorities, ahead of climate action. The crisis causes greenhouse gases and harmful chemicals to be released into the air because of bombings. Issues such as increased costs for energy, fertilizers, and transportation, along with the import of inexpensive products like meat and grains from Ukraine, have disturbed domestic markets. This caused worries about the EU’s food safety, which led to farmer protests throughout Europe. It also resulted in the cancellation of the pesticide reduction law. The Sustainable Use of Pesticides regulation, which is also part of the Green Deal. Third, shifting voter priorities in the recent EU parliamentary elections resulted in an 18-seat loss for the Greens/EFA party, which supported the Green Deal. This has led to global trade tensions and differing opinions within the EU. Countries such as Spain, France, and Italy advocated for tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. Germany, Finland, and Sweden were the ones who directed the issue, as a result, the voting in question was not carried out on this matter. This has not only slowed down Europe’s capacity to reach its climate goals but has also had a negative impact on the Green Deal, which aims to increase the production of electric vehicles in the country.22
Despite these challenges, the European Green Deal remains a crucial blueprint for addressing climate change at the continental level. It shows a future where the economy grows without increasing pollution, where nature is brought back to life, and where Europe takes the lead in stopping environmental damage around the world. It has already started affecting policy talks in other areas, with places like the U.S., China, and Japan looking at similar ways to reduce carbon emissions. The path forward is long and full of unknowns, but if the Green Deal works, it might show the world how to move towards a more sustainable and strong future.23
INDIA’S CLIMATE POLICIES: – ASPIRATIONS, AND CHALLENGES
As a populous, tropical developing nation, India faces a greater challenge in dealing with the impacts of Climate Change compared to most other countries. Climate change is a global phenomenon but has local consequences. India’s Climate Change policy has both outside and inside aspects, and these have been explained in two main documents: –
• One is the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)24
• The other is India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC)25 .
The NAPCC has an essentially domestic focus. The INDC is a declaration of intent regarding Climate Change action, announced prior to the Paris Climate Change summit held in December of the same year. The NAPCC includes India’s plan for developing in a way that is good for the environment and the actions needed to carry it out. It is based on the awareness that Climate Change action must proceed simultaneously across several closely interrelated domains, such as energy, industry, agriculture, water, forests, urban spaces, and the fragile mountain environment. This was the background for the 8 National Missions outlined in the NAPCC. The need for inter-related policy and coordinated action was recognized only several years later, with the adoption by the UN of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The country has set up several important missions focused on different areas. These include using more solar energy, making energy use more efficient, building sustainable cities, saving water, protecting the delicate Himalayan environment, increasing forest coverage to make India greener, making farming more sustainable, and creating a strong knowledge system to support all these missions. The NAPCC recognized that Climate Change and Energy Security are two sides of the same coin; India needs to make a strategic shift from its current reliance on fossil fuels to an economic activity based progressively on renewable sources such as solar energy and cleaner sources such as nuclear energy. This change would make India’s energy supply safer and help in fighting the problem of Climate Change. Thus, a co-benefit approach underlies India’s Climate Change strategy.
In addition, the Expert Committee on the Impact of Climate Change, created by the Ministry of Environment & Forests in June 2007, studied how climate change affects six areas: water resources, agriculture, natural ecosystems, health, coastal zone management, and climate modelling. Following the Expert Committee’s reports, various policies and programs were launched to tackle the issue of climate change within the framework of sustainable development.
National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)
The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) was launched by the Prime Minister on 30th June 2008. It presents a national strategy aimed at enabling the country to adapt to climate change and improve the ecological sustainability of India’s development path. It emphasizes that keeping a high growth rate is important for improving the living standards of most people in India and making them less affected by the effects of climate change. There are eight National Missions‖ that constitute the core of the National Action Plan. They work to help people understand climate change, how to adapt to it, and how to reduce its effects. They also promote using energy wisely and protecting natural resources.
1. National Solar Mission
2. National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency
3. National Mission on Sustainable Habitat
4. National Water Mission
5. National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Eco-system
6. National Mission for a Green India
7. National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture
8. National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change
Every mission is working towards combining the reduction of emission and adaptation to climate change as part of development planning. On the other hand, the state governments have been given the responsibility of formulating State Action Plans for Climate Change (SAPCCs) which are indicative of the federal system of Climate Governance in India.26
India’s commitment towards future: Our Prime Minister has been a leader around the world who has shown a strong interest in climate change issues. Under his leadership, India chose to take a more active, bold, and forward-thinking stance as it prepared for the Paris Climate summit. This is reflected in the country’s INDC.
It connects India’s dedication to ecologically sustainable economic growth with its traditional civilizational values of respecting nature, embracing inter-generational equity, and fostering a sense of common humanity. India has made promises on its own that are very unusual for a developing country. The energy needed for every extra dollar of India’s GDP will go down by 33 to 35 percent by 2030 compared to the year 2005. This means that as India’s economy grows, it will use much less energy for each additional dollar of growth. There is confidence that based on the achievements of the National Mission on Enhancing Energy Efficiency, this target will be met. India, being one of the world’s largest emerging economies, which already has a significant energy footprint globally, this constitutes a major contribution to addressing global climate change. The INDC has set a goal of 175 GW of renewable energy by 2030, thanks to the great success of the National Solar Mission. It is reported that this capacity may well be achieved 10 years in advance. The government might increase India’s target to 227 GW by 2030. The target of achieving 40%27 of power from renewable sources by 2030 is likely to be achieved several years in advance.
The figure is already 21% as of today. India is actively reducing the share of coal-based thermal power in its energy mix. Many people don’t know that the country has a high tax on coal, about Rs. 400 for every tonne, and the money collected from this tax goes into a Clean Energy Fund. India is also committed to not constructing any new thermal plants that are not of the most efficient ultra-supercritical type.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS: THE EUROPEAN GREEN DEAL AND INDIA’S CLIMATE POLICIES THROUGH THE LENS OF GLOBAL JUSTICE
Since the two regions signed a cooperation agreement in 1994, which went beyond trade and economic cooperation, India and Europe’s relationship have been steadily getting better. The arrangement was elevated to a “Strategic Partnership” within a decade. The joint endorsement of “India-EU Strategic Partnership: A Roadmap to 2025” took place during the 15th India-European Union Summit in 2020. This intended to maintain successful multilateralism and the rules-based world order. Together, the nations pledged to work toward their shared goals of stability, prosperity, and above all sustainable development. One of the main forces behind further solidifying this partnership is thought to be the EU Green Deal. India’s foreign minister has stated that the country’s relationship with the EU is underutilized and has not even reached half of its potential. The ambitious goal of the EU Green Deal is seen as a chance to strengthen India-EU relations in underutilized areas as well as a means of advancing sustainability in the EU region. Bilateral trade in clean energy is one of these more recent fields. innovations, improved collaboration for technology transfer and development, more funding for the sunrise industries, knowledge sharing, talent development, and cleaner financing.
The EU is India’s biggest commercial partner and a major source of foreign direct investment. But both nations also significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, with the EU being the third-largest emitter (in terms of current emission levels), with India coming in at number four, despite the fact that India’s emissions per capita are less than one-third of those of the EU. Specifically, India’s economy has a high carbon intensity due to its heavy reliance on coal as a key energy source. A comparative analysis reveals of both not only differences in ambition and timelines but also deeper questions about fairness, equity, and justice in global climate governance.28
| Dimension | European Green Deal | India’s Climate Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Net zero target | Net-zero emissions by 2050 (legally binding under European Climate Law) | Net-zero emissions by 2070 (announced at COP26, Glasgow) |
| Guiding principal | Ambition-driven, regulatory & market-based mechanisms | CBDR-RC (Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities), equity, development-first |
| Policy maker | European Green Deal (2019): Circular Economy, Farm to Fork, Biodiversity Strategy, Climate Law, CBAM | National Action Plan on Climate Change (2008), State Action Plans, Panchamrit commitments |
| Finance | Over €1 trillion mobilized (public + private finance, EU budget, EIB) | Needs USD 2.5 trillion by 2030; heavy reliance on climate finance & technology transfer International Role |
| International role | Climate leader, exporting standards via CBAM and trade-linked policies | Spokesperson for Global South; leadership in International Solar Alliance (ISA) |
| Equity concern | CBAM criticized as green protectionism, may hurt developing countries | Strong justice framing: demands finance, technology, and recognition of low per-capita emissions |
| Major strengths | Ambitious targets, strong legal framework, institutional capacity | Rapid renewable energy growth, solar leadership, climate justice diplomacy |
| Major challenges | Political fragmentation, social resistance (farmers’ protests, Yellow Vests), risk of competitiveness loss | Coal dependence, finance & technology gaps, climate vulnerability, uneven implementation |
In comparison to the European Green Deal, which on the one hand represents boldness, the power of regulations, and institutional innovation, yet on the other hand is fraught with the danger of separating less developed countries by such tools as CBAM and the scant focus on the matter of fairness, India’s climate policies appear to be far more balanced. They emphasize the rights of the poor, the participation of all sections of society, and the developmental rights of countries facing climate change. However, they are not free from weaknesses that are rooted deeply in their financing, technology, and coal dependence structures.
As a result, the EU and India embody two extremes of global climate governance. The former is a case of how one can achieve massive changes through setting ambitious targets, while the latter keeps reminding the world that fairness and taking into account the different capabilities of the nations are the main conditions for the legitimacy of the regime. The establishment of a just and sustainable global climate regime is possible only through a combination of these policies where developed nations implement justice, and developing countries, through their choices, show that they are committed to the fight against climate change.
CONCLUSION
The headline comparison between the European Green Deal and India’s climate policy serves as a vivid illustration of the dichotomy of climate governance in the age of globalization. The EU represents the world of possibilities, serving as a model for the effectiveness of ambitious, binding frameworks in speeding up decarbonization, and make economies around measures of sustainability. India, on the other hand, signifies the indispensability of climate justice as a necessary pillar of the climate governance architecture, highlighting that environmental issues in the Global South should be handled in a manner that is compatible with the socio-economic realities of the area. Contrasted with the EU as a blueprint for the institutionalization of integrated climate action, its regulations, e.g., the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), are fraught with the danger of the perception of green protectionism if the issue of declining emissions is not seriously tackled in developing countries. Nevertheless, India’s renewable energy leadership and its commitment to justice stand out as a model of inclusivity, albeit still limited by coal dependency and the lack of adaptation finances.
In the journey to establishing a fair global climate regime, the two policies need to be halfway integrated. The EU should focus even more on the aspects of equality and technology sharing with the Global South, while India should set more ambitious targets and develop its institutional framework. They could exploit the resources of mutual learning, co-operative financing, and multilateral partnerships to traverse the ambition–equity gap. The final picture, however, is that climate governance will be effective only if it guarantees environmental sustainability, as well as social justice, by sharing the burden of climate action fairly and ensuring that no country is left behind.
SUGGESTION
If a global climate regime is to be both fair and effective, the European Union as well as India should work together to bolster collaboration in areas such as technology transfer, green finance, and sustainable innovation. The EU needs to integrate its ambitious objectives with support that is based on fairness for the developing countries so that they are not negatively impacted by instruments like the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. It would be beneficial for India to concentrate on curtailing coal reliance, successful execution of climate policies, and facilitating renewable energy through strong institutional coordination. In fact, both the EU and India should assure that a transition from the current state of affairs is just and that no communities, especially the most vulnerable, are left behind and that they have the opportunity to benefit from the growth that ensues. The EU and India can mutually leverage the former’s technological prowess and the latter’s justice-oriented mindset to become the pioneers of a worldwide climate framework that is fair and sustainable.
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Footnotes
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8. They are two leading scholars and policymakers in India specializing in climate change and development policy also co-authored several influential publications, including a chapter in the Oxford University Press book India in a Warming World, where they discuss India’s national climate policies and institutions. Their work analyses the intersection of environmental issues, energy, and socio-economic development in India
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24. adopted on June 30, 2008
25. INDC, that was sent to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in October 2015.
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