NEW DELHI, July 19: Climate change is a bomb ticking by the second and no bunker would save humanity if collective efforts are not taken to find a solution to this existential problem, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Friday.
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Addressing the valedictory session of the 4th International Climate Summit organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry here, Dhankhar said fighting the climate crisis should be everyone’s foremost priority.
“Climate change is a bomb ticking by the second. We are running out of options. It is no longer a problem waiting to happen,” the vice president said.
He warned that if not tackled, climate change would be non-discriminatory, affecting everyone without exception.
“You cannot have a safe place. You cannot have a bunker to save yourselves,” he said.
Dhankhar said India is among the leading nations working earnestly to contain the climate crisis.
India has embarked on an ambitious journey. It has set a target to achieve 50 per cent of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy sources by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2070, he said.
The vice president, however, added that the issue of climate change cannot be solved by any single nation alone.
“We don’t have another planet. This is the only planet where more than 8 billion people can live. This should make us alive to the situation, the gravity, the extremity of all. This should be our foremost priority,” he said.
Pointing out that climate change disproportionately affects marginalized and vulnerable communities, Dhankhar said, “Climate justice must be our North Star.”
The vice president called for action beyond conferences.
“It should get into big narratives. Everyone must use social platforms and everyone must indicate what contribution he or she is making,” he concluded. (Agencies)
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