ECONOMIES FORUM ON ENERGY AND CLIMATE (MEF)

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Context:

• The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change represented India at the virtual meeting of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate (MEF), hosted by U.S. President Joseph Biden.

More on the news:

• The MEF meeting was aimed at galvanising actions that are to strengthen energy security and tackle the climate crisis thereby building momentum for COP27.
• The meeting was attended by twenty-three major economies across the world and the Secretary General of United Nations.
• The MEF leaders shared the initiatives being taken by them to deliver on their respective climate change commitments.
• Union Minister for Environment spoke about India’s continued commitment to contributing toward global collective action to combat climate change.
• He emphasised that India’s initiatives go beyond its borders, including the International Solar Alliance, and the Coalition for Disaster Resilience Infrastructure.
• He mentioned that India has already installed 159 GW of non-fossil fuel based electricity generation capacity. And during the last 7.5 years, India’s installed solar energy capacity has increased over 18 times.
• He highlighted that India’s annual per capita emissions are only a third of the global average and its cumulative GHG emissions are less than 4 percent, but India’s climate targets are ambitious and reflect its commitment to the global good.  
• He further underscored that without cumulative emissions in check, success with other environmental challenges, even if they are achieved, will not carry lasting value.
• He mentioned how the Panchamrit goals are being fructified through one of the largest clean energy development plans in the world. India is on track to meet its commitments, through adoption of low carbon policies across key sectors of our economy ranging from green hydrogen mission to e-mobility.
• The Union Minister called upon the members of MEF to launch a global movement on LIFEe. Lifestyle for Environment as espoused by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at the COP26 in Glasgow.

About:

• The Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate (MEF) was launched on March 28, 2009.
• The MEF is intended to facilitate a candid dialogue among major developed and developing economies, help generate the political leadership necessary to achieve a successful outcome at the December UN climate change conference in Copenhagen, and advance the exploration of concrete initiatives and joint ventures that increase the supply of clean energy while cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
• The 17 major economies are: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Denmark, in its capacity as the President of the December 2009 Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the United Nations have also participated in this dialogue along with Observers

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1835110