“Who is responsible for this mess?” Piyush Goyal’s Ozone Layer Video Goes Viral From Berlin Discussion | Today’s news
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday criticized the European Union’s contribution to carbon emissions, claiming that India, which accounts for 17% of the world’s population, contributed less than three percent to global carbon emissions.
Speaking at the Berlin Global Dialogue, Goyal said: “Who is even responsible for this mess? Where did the ozone layer get damaged? Who put all that carbon into the atmosphere?… I represent 17% of the world’s population, but my contribution to global carbon emissions is less than 3%. You (Europe) probably account for 3% or 4% of this world’s carbon population or – still, it’s your mess.
Goyal continued: “You created the problem…Even today, as we sit here, my per capita contribution to carbon emissions is probably less than 10% or 15% of yours. Even today, Europe’s per capita contribution to carbon emissions—and its per capita environmental impact—is probably seven or eight times that of India.”
The minister added that India, which accounts for 17% of the world’s population, is becoming more aware of waste and circular economy. He said that while India has to meet the needs of its 1.4 billion people, including their energy and food needs, and ensure national security, it still has one of the fastest growing clean energy programs in the world.
Goyal sheds light on COP21 commitments
The commerce minister further said that India supports global efforts to address climate change. He recalled the 2015 COP summit in Paris where Prime Minister Narendra Modi rallied support from the Global South to collectively address climate change through the Paris Agreement adopted at COP21. He added that during COP21 it was agreed that developed countries, which have enjoyed the fruits of carbon emissions and “climate corruption”, will pay a higher price and support developing and underdeveloped countries with a pledge of $100 billion a year. But he said that 11 years later, developed countries have not released a “nickel or a dime” of the promised amount.
Goyal also criticized the European Union’s carbon tax on steel, warning that the bloc was “inviting disaster” with the measure.
EU ‘inviting disaster’ with steel carbon tax: Goyal
In a separate debate, Goyal criticized the European Union’s carbon tax on steel, warning that the bloc was “inviting disaster” through measures that could raise the cost of living and weaken the industry’s competitiveness.
Speaking at the Berlin Global Dialogue, he said the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), along with other regulatory requirements, could make steel and other industrial materials more expensive, hurting businesses and consumers across Europe.
“You have imposed CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) on yourself. You have imposed a 50 percent import duty on steel imports into your country. You are inviting disaster. Your cost of living will go up,” Goyal said.
