On July 22, 2021, the G20 (Group of Twenty) Environment Ministers’ Meeting 2021 was held in hybrid format which was hosted by Italy (2021 G20 Presidency) in Naples.
- In the meeting, India participated virtually and was represented by Union Minister, Bhupender Yadav, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). Minister of State (MoS) Ashwini Kumar Choubey and other senior officers of MoEF&CC also participated in the meeting.
- It was held as part of the G20 (Group of Twenty) Leaders Summit 2021, which will be hosted by Italy in October 2021.
Outcome of Meeting:
The G20 Environment Ministers approved an important joint communique which is based on three macro areas viz. Biodiversity, Efficient use of resources and circular economy, and Sustainable finance.
Key Points:
i.Discussions were held on the sessions ‘Natural Capital to Protect and Manage’ and ‘Joint Efforts for Sustainable and Circular Resource Use’.
ii.India retained its commitment to work with G20 countries for the protection of the planet and people.
iii.India welcomed global initiatives like UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) International Environmental Experts Network, protecting at least 30% of global land area and oceans by 2030, Land Degradation Neutrality by 2030, and Third Report on the G20 Implementation Framework for actions on Marine Plastic Litter.
iv.India also welcomed the G20 Dialogue on Water which was initiated in August 2020.
v.The Indian side also highlighted the need for an effective and implementable post-2020 biodiversity framework.
vi.India called on the G20 Resource Efficiency Dialogue for exchange of ideas, knowledge and best practices on Resource Efficiency (RE) & Circular Economy (CE).
Recent Related News:
Minister of State (I/C) for Labour and Employment, Santosh Gangwar delivered the Ministerial Address on ‘Declaration and Employment Working Group Priorities’ at G20 Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting 2021, which was held in Hybrid mode from Catania, Italy.
About Group of Twenty (G20):
The 2021 G20 is under the Italian Presidency. It is focusing on three broad, interconnected pillars of action: People, Planet, and Prosperity.
Members– 20 (19 countries + European Union)
Establishment– 1999
