New Delhi: Glaciers are among the most visible indicators of climate change, and countries that have contributed the most to global historical emissions must lead in immediate and strong emission reductions to protect them, India has said. Addressing the plenary session of the first UN conference on glaciers in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said glaciers are retreating everywhere and India, with its large Himalayan territory, is experiencing these impacts first-hand. "According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, glaciers have been losing mass worldwide since the 1990s, and this rate of loss has accelerated in the 21st century... Their retreat is not just a warning; it is a reality with serious consequences, both short and long term, for water availability, food security, biodiversity and the well-being of billions of people,” he said. He said preserving glaciers needs a strong global response to greenhouse gas emissions and rising temperatures. "Countries that have contributed the most to global historical cumulative greenhouse gas emissions must lead in immediate, drastic and sustained emission reductions," Singh said.
He said South Asia, home to almost a quarter of the world's population, accounted for just 4 per cent of cumulative carbon dioxide emissions until 2020, but it is one of the regions most vulnerable to climate impacts. So, he stressed that climate action should be based on equity and the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC). These principles recognise that all countries share responsibility to fight climate change, but developed countries, which have historically emitted the most carbon, should carry more of the burden because of their higher capacity and greater past emissions. Singh said under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, India has been taking strong action both nationally and globally in response to climate change, despite being a developing country with a small contribution to global historical emissions. He said India now ranks fourth globally in total renewable energy and wind power capacity and fifth in solar power capacity. By March 2025, non-fossil sources will make up over 48 per cent of the country’s installed electricity capacity. He added that India has managed to separate its economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions. “Between 2005 and 2020, the emission intensity of its GDP dropped by 36 per cent.”
India achieved key targets of its first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) years ahead of schedule, including 40 per cent non-fossil fuel-based power capacity in 2021 (nine years early) and a 33 per cent reduction in emission intensity by 2019 (11 years early). From 2005 to 2021, India also created an extra carbon sink of 2.29 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through expanded forest and tree cover. Singh said the world cannot use a one-size-fits-all model. "The balance between adaptation and mitigation will differ across nations, depending on their development needs, historical emissions and remaining carbon space. Developed and developing countries must chart distinct, CBDR-RC-determined and context-specific pathways," he said. He said glacier preservation needs global cooperation, international partnerships, and shared scientific knowledge. The UN’s declaration of 2025 as the International Year of Glacier Preservation and the Decade (2025–2034) of Action for Cryospheric Sciences should help bring together countries and experts to work together, he said. While India welcomes the conference’s focus on linking glacier preservation with water and food security, he said, “We must also ensure that financial and technical resources and the means of implementation are mobilised for the most vulnerable and developing regions.” Singh said adaptation solutions, such as early warning systems, disaster risk reduction and sustainable water management, should be used widely in developing countries. The three-day UN conference on glaciers, which ends on Saturday, aims to highlight the important role of glaciers in maintaining global ecological balance and addressing water-related challenges. The conference is being attended by over 2,500 delegates from 80 UN member states and 70 international organisations.