India to push developed nations to become 'carbon negative' by 2050

India is taking a bold stance on climate action, urging developed countries to aim for carbon negativity rather than just carbon neutrality by 2050. This approach would afford emerging market economies, like India, more time to use fossil fuels for essential development needs, according to two sources within the Indian government.

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The proposal is set to be presented by India at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai later this year. It challenges the conventional target of net zero emissions by suggesting that developed nations should strive to be net negative emitters before 2050. This means a country would remove more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it emits—a significant step beyond carbon neutrality, where emissions are fully offset.

Several developed nations, including the United States, Britain, Canada, and Japan, have pledged to achieve net zero by 2050. China has committed to this target by 2060, while India has set a target for 2070.