INDIA INC'S SHIELD IN CLIMATE FIGHT

HE blue planet is clearly under distress. The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Global Climate 2025 report reiterated that Earth is edging dangerously closer to breaching critical climate thresholds that, once crossed, could trigger irreversible long-term consequences.

- CHANDRAJIT BANERJEE

Economies, industries and communities need to anticipate the disruption this can unleash.

Initiatives held on the occasion of World Environment Day on June 5—under the theme ‘Inspired by nature. For climate. For our future’—reflected a growing global awareness around the risks. But that’s hardly enough. Estimates point to at least a temporary breach of the all-important 1.5°C threshold over pre-industrial global temperatures.

Every delay and incremental lapse increases the risk of long-term damage. Decisive collective action is needed to minimise the scale and duration of this overshoot. For any country to chart an economic growth path, it has become critical to sketch a growth model that also contributes to climate resilience.

Consider that India is home to over 96,000 animal species and 47,000 plant species, including nearly half of the world’s aquatic plant species. It ranks among the world’s 17 mega-biodiverse countries. Its rich marine ecosystem supports millions of livelihoods. However, with frequent and increasingly intensive extreme weather events, India’s natural wealth and coastal communities face mounting risks.

Addressing climate change has, therefore, become a strategic priority for India. Over the past 12 years, the Union government has undertaken a sustained effort to redesign environmental policies, strengthen regulatory governance, enhance institutional capacity and advance technological capability to build resilience and accelerate adaptation.