India urged to lead in clean development, not follow outdated Western practices: Commonwealth Secretary-General

India, while not historically responsible for the climate crisis, should avoid replicating the West’s polluting practices in its development, according to Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland. In a recent interview with PTI, Scotland stressed that India has a unique opportunity to lead a fair and equitable energy transition, leveraging its experience and technology across the 56-nation Commonwealth that represents 2.7 billion people.

Scotland stressed that India can set an example to the world by adopting a clean and sustainable development model that will act as a beacon for the Global South. Despite its minimal contribution to the climate crisis, India is facing severe impacts such as extreme heat, floods and intense monsoons, underlining the urgent need for action.

Scotland has criticised the outdated Western model of development that it says has led to the current climate crisis. Instead, it advocates a new approach, based on circular economy principles, that can avoid the mistakes of past industrialisation.

The 2015 Paris Agreement set a goal of limiting global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels to mitigate severe climate impacts. With global surface temperatures already rising by about 1.2 degrees Celsius due to rising greenhouse gas concentrations, the need to change development practices is critical.

Scotland has accepted the argument from poorer and middle-income countries that historical emissions from developed countries contribute disproportionately to current global warming.

These countries claim they have the right to use fossil fuels to boost economic growth and alleviate poverty. But Scotland believes India can lead by example, embracing innovative solutions and renewable energy.

Renewable energy in India currently accounts for 35 percent of total energy consumption. Notable initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure demonstrate the potential for collaboration and innovation.

As part of its updated climate plan, India aims to increase non-fossil fuel generation capacity to 50 percent by 2030, subject to international support. The country’s total installed generating capacity is 446 gigawatts, of which 195 gigawatts is from renewable sources.