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The Closing Plenary of the 27^th session of the Conference of Parties (COP 27) of the UNFCCC was held today at Sharm El-Sheikh. The conference which was held with the view to building on the previous successes and paving the way for future ambition concluded with countries coming together to take action towards achieving the world’s collective climate goals. The leader of Indian delegation and the Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yadav made the intervention.

“Mr President,

You are presiding over a historic COP where agreement has been secured for loss and damage funding arrangements including setting up a loss and damage fund. The world has waited far too long for this. We congratulate you on your untiring efforts to evolve consensus.

We also welcome the inclusion of transition to sustainable lifestyles and sustainable patterns of consumption and production in our efforts to address climate change in the cover decision.

We note that we are establishing a 4 year work program on climate action in agriculture and food security.

Agriculture, the mainstay of livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers, will be hard hit from climate change. So, we should not burden them with mitigation responsibilities.

Indeed, India has kept mitigation in agriculture out of its NDCs.

We are also establishing a work program on just transition.

For most developing countries, just transition cannot be equated with decarbonization, but with low-carbon development.

Developing countries need independence in their choice of energy mix, and in achieving the SDGs.

Developed countries taking the lead in climate action is therefore a very important aspect of the global just transition.

Thank You Mr. President.”

Shri Bhupender Yadav speaking at the Closing Plenary of COP 27

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