Climate justice and India's choice

As the fourth-largest source of emissions, India will be noticed if a strong climate transition does not commence

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a pollutant, and the bulk of the CO2 in the air was put there by developed countries. For many in India who emphasise “climate justice”, the corollary of this fact is that India need not worry about carbon emissions until we become a developed country. There is an increasing gap between India’s self-interest and the simple insistence upon climate justice. The global financial system has changed in ways that interfere with carbon-heavy growth paths for India. First world electorates have shifted positions, and in democracies, this will reshape international relations.

We have too much CO2 in the