For the first time, India’s Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change used Sanskrit language at in United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Debate on climate change.
Starting his UNSC debate, Javadekar addressed other dignitaries with the Sanskrit hymn from Sukla Yajurveda: “Om Dyouh shantih, antariksham shantih, prithvi shantih, aapah shantih, oshadhayah shantih, vanaspatayah shantih, vishve devaah shantih, brahma shantih, sarvam shantih, shantireva shantih, saamaa shantiredhi. Om shantih, shantih, shantih.”
Translating it for the attendees, Javedkar said, “Let there be balance in the space, the sky, the earth! Let there be growth in the plants, in the trees! Let there be grace in God and bliss in the soul. Let there be balance in everything and let such peace be with every one of us! From this vedic message it is clear that environment belongs to all living beings, so it needs protection by all, and for the welfare of all.”
He said that there is no common, widely accepted methodology for assessing the connection between climate change, conflict and fragility. “Fragility and climate impact are highly context-specific. In addition, both peace and conflict assessments, as well as vulnerability assessments, face significant challenges when it comes to data availability and impact measurement. The idea of climate action should not be to move the climate ambition goal post to 2050. It is important for countries to fulfil their pre-2020 commitments. Climate Action needs to go hand-in-hand with the framework for financial, technical and capacity-building support to countries that need it,” he said.
The Union Minister stated that India is the only country on track among the G20 nations to meet its climate change mitigation commitments. The Minister further said that India is not only meeting our Paris Agreement targets but will also exceed them. India currently has the fastest-growing solar energy programme in the world.
