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India and Climate Change: Old Traditions, New Strategies

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  • Vyoma Jha

    (Vyoma Jha is a graduate of the doctoral programme (J.S.D.) at Stanford Law School. She holds law degrees from Stanford Law School, New York University School of Law and National Law University, Jodhpur, India. Her work has been published in journals such as Transnational Environmental Law, Journal of World Investment and Trade and Economic & Political Weekly.)

Abstract

Climate change emerged as a serious diplomatic concern for India in the early 1990s. India has since been a staunch champion of the developing world, in multilateral climate negotiations; from playing a key role in establishing the principle of common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities, to forging alliances with countries with shared developmental concerns. Faced with the growing impact of climate change and changing geopolitics, India’s foreign policy on climate change has undergone significant shifts during two decades of multilateral climate talks. First, India’s willingness to undertake domestic climate action as a result of its changing economic status and, second, the role of the political leadership—since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014—in shaping the climate discourse both in the country and abroad. India has, in recent years, shed its defensive, naysayer strategy at climate negotiations and led several multilateral initiatives for climate action. As India celebrates 75 years of its Independence, it is forging a new, confident leadership on issues of climate change. While there is continuity in India’s traditional stance on finance and technology transfer during negotiations, Indian foreign policy has begun to display a marked change in the strategic use of climate change to assert greater power on the global stage.

Suggested Citation

  • Vyoma Jha, 2022. "India and Climate Change: Old Traditions, New Strategies," India Quarterly: A Journal of International Affairs, , vol. 78(2), pages 280-296, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:indqtr:v:78:y:2022:i:2:p:280-296
    DOI: 10.1177/09749284221089553
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jagadish Thaker & Anthony Leiserowitz, 2014. "Shifting discourses of climate change in India," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 123(2), pages 107-119, March.
    2. Navroz K. Dubash, 2013. "The politics of climate change in India: narratives of equity and cobenefits," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 4(3), pages 191-201, May.
    3. Katharina Michaelowa & Axel Michaelowa, 2012. "India as an emerging power in international climate negotiations," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(5), pages 575-590, September.
    4. Aniruddh Mohan & Timon Wehnert, 2019. "Is India pulling its weight? India’s nationally determined contribution and future energy plans in global climate policy," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(3), pages 275-282, March.
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