NEW DELHI: India slammed developed countries for causing the climate crisis during a landmark hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Thursday, saying they exploited the global carbon budget, failed to honour climate-finance promises and are now demanding that developing countries restrict their resource use.
The court is examining what legal obligations countries have to address climate change and the consequences if they fail.
India also urged the ICJ to avoid creating new obligations that go beyond the existing climate-change framework.
“The court may exercise due caution to avoid devising new or additional obligations beyond what is already agreed under the existing climate-change regime, which take into consideration historic emissions, climate justice and the principal principle of equity and CBDR-RC, as well as the equitable access to the global carbon budget,” the country said.
Making submissions on behalf of India, Luther M Rangreji, joint secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said, “If contribution to degradation is unequal, responsibility must also be unequal.”
He said climate change is a global problem that requires a global solution, but the solutions must respect the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC), which is at the heart of the climate-change regime.
“It is inequitable and unjust to expect countries with negligible historical emissions to bear an equal burden in mitigating climate change…. Developed nations must lead by example by achieving net zero well before 2050 and providing the means of implementation to developing nations,” India said.
Rangreji said developing nations are the hardest hit by climate change, despite contributing the least to it.
“The developed world, which historically contributed the most, is ironically the best equipped with the technological and economic means to address this challenge,” the official said.