CLIMATE ACTION: Linking international negotiation, Indian policy, and local community with focus on the Sundarbans

Abstract

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has led the multinational climate negotiation process since the 1990s. The agreements originated through it remain the primary and most crucial platform for facilitating international cooperation to stabilise global atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations within a manageable limit. The negotiation has turned on its head in recent times, with a body of scientific evidence emerging that links the rising probability of climate catastrophe in the not-too-distant future with continuing inaction or less action to counter climate change at global, national, and local levels. Though the level of climate action taken and committed, particularly by the Global North, is considered inadequate so far, some key decisions could still be agreed upon in recent years. Yet the lack of adequate financial support from developed countries and the dominance of market and mitigation-linked funding remain key concerns. With its huge population, high vulnerability, and significant gross GHG emission, India is a key player in global negotiations, particularly in the Global South. Even so, while the country plays a major role in the global push of solar and non-conventional energy and is within the top 10 countries with respect to taking climate action, continuing dependence on coal has put it under the scanner. The country has yet to act holistically and cohesively to address climate change issues at domestic level, particularly within highly vulnerable areas and communities. The Sundarbans is a global heritage site in the Indian state of West Bengal, in the lap of the Bay of Bengal. It has a population of about 5 million people and is considered a global hotbed with both immediate and long-term climatic effects. It is an ideal example to underscore the country’s lack of climate action where it is required.