Union Minister Bhupender Yadav Unveils NITI Aayog's Report on Green and Sustainable Growth

Shri Bhupender Yadav, Hon’ble Minister, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change and Ministry of Labour & Employment launched a G20 report, ‘A Green and Sustainable Growth Agenda for the Global Economy’ today in New Delhi in the presence of Shri Amitabh Kant, Sherpa, G20 India, Shri Suman Bery, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, Shri B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, CEO, NITI Aayog, Shri Ajay Seth, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs and Shri Kapil Kapoor, Regional Director for Asia, International Development Research Centre. His Excellency Kenneth Félix Haczynski da Nóbrega, Ambassador of Brazil to India participated in the panel discussion after the launch. The event also witnessed the presence of Prof. Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog, and Dr. V. K. Paul, Member, NITI Aayog who made important interventions related to agriculture and One Health, respectively.

In a significant collaborative effort, NITI Aayog, in partnership with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Global Development Network (GDN), published a report, 'A Green and Sustainable Growth Agenda for the Global Economy' based on the proceedings of the G20 international conference held in New Delhi on 28-29 July 2023, featuring 40 leading experts from 14 countries across the world.

Addressing the gathering, Bhupender Yadav, Hon’ble Minister, Environment, Forest & Climate Change and Labour & Employment, extended his congratulations to NITI Aayog for putting together the publication and releasing it at a crucial time when Brazil has just taken over the G20 presidency from India. He further stated, “India has put forth the resolve to make climate action a collaborative process based on common but differentiated responsibilities. A swift, just and equitable transition to renewable energy sources must be underpinned by deep emission cuts and scaled-up finance. India has maintained that climate finance and technology are essential for enabling the Global South to achieve the twin objectives of sustainable and green growth. The countries of the Global South have had little to no contribution to the climate crisis. It is therefore imperative for the developed countries to help them combat climate change. The G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration stated that implementing the climate agenda requires several trillion dollars by 2030. At COP28, Hon’ble PM emphasized that the developed world must ensure a steady flow of climate finance that is accessible and affordable.”

Addressing the gathering at the event, Amitabh Kant, India’s G20 Sherpa, stated, “Let me complement NITI Aayog for organizing the international G20 conference in July and now releasing its this publication. Since I actively participated in the July conference, several inputs shared by the experts were incorporated into the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration. The Declaration highlighted the urgency and importance of accelerating the pace of global growth, for which free trade is critical as it has lifted vast segments of the population above the poverty line. The World Trade Organisation needs to be revitalized for this purpose.”

Commenting on the significance of the launch of the G20 report, Suman Bery, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, said, “I would say that today was both a closure, but also a fresh start with respect to what this means for NITI Aayog and India. This report is being released to enable the transfer of knowledge that came out of the G20 international conference organized by NITI in July to Brazil so that they can benefit from the ideas in the volume.”

The report launch was followed by a video message from Global Development Network, a brief introduction to the report, and an interactive panel discussion with experts on the issues covered in the volume, moderated by Suman Bery, Hon’ble Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog.

The discussions at the event underscored the theme of a just transition as a critical pathway to mitigating climate change, emphasizing its potential positive economic impact for developed and emerging economies. The event was a testament to the commitment of the participating stakeholders to collectively shaping a more sustainable and equitable world.