'Dovetail climate finance with sustainable development goals'

MP | 6 Dec 2022 | Udaipur: At the first meeting of the G20 Sherpas, India on Monday proposed dovetailing climate action with sustainable development, making a clear bid to bring issues facing the emerging economies and the global south in sharp focus on the world stage. 

The discussions on Monday focussed on technological transformation in the digital economy, health and education, green development and India's Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) initiative. Initiating the discussions, India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant made a strong pitch for working together through hope, harmony and healing to deal with the global challenges, with a focus on developing countries and the global south whose voice is often unheard. 

At least two officials said the meetings were held in a cordial atmosphere with no direct reference to the ongoing Ukraine conflict. 

"References to Ukraine were mostly in the context of its impact on global supply chains, high energy costs, and food security," a senior official said. On Sunday, Kant flagged rising global debt, inflation and slowdown in growth, sharp differences over the Ukraine conflict as key challenges facing the world. 

"The Sherpas expressed strong support for India's presidency and for the priorities that have been outlined. They felt that these priorities were not just ours but that of everybody. They felt that there was a pressing need to act on some of these important priorities," India's G20 Coordinator Harsh Vardhan Shringla told reporters after the discussions. 

Earlier in the day, Kant stressed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India's Presidency would like to be inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented and decisive. "We will be, but that is not feasible nor possible without all of you. 

Therefore, we would like the support, positive and forward-looking support from all of you to make the G20 a very vibrant, very dynamic and a very positive group to drive global growth and global sustainability and digital transformation," Kant said at the first session on technology transformation. 

The delegates were treated to an immersive Rajasthani experience with each of the Sherpas donning colourful 'saafas' (headgear), jackets and stoles at the Manek Chowk inside the City Palace. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/nation/dovetail-climate-finance-with-sustainable-development-goals-501321