India contributes to World Sustainability through G20 Presidency

The Narendra Modi government assumes the Presidency of the Group of Twenty (G20 at a crucial time and India's Presidency has been regarded by experts across the world as an exceptional and unprecedented opportunity with immense scope and potential. India’s presidency of the G-20 grouping is a unique opportunity to strengthen the country’s role in the world economic order when countries across the globe are facing various challenges.

The G20 Summit is held annually, under the leadership of a rotating Presidency. The G20 initially focused largely on broad macroeconomic issues, but it has since expanded its agenda to inter-alia including trade, sustainable development, health, agriculture, energy, environment, climate change, and anti-corruption. 
The G20 is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 countries - Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom and United States and the European Union.

The G20 members represent around 85% of the global GDP, over 75% of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.

India holds the Presidency of the G20 from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023. The 43 Heads of Delegations- the largest ever in G20-will be participating in the final New Delhi Summit in September next year. 

With the motto of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam', India has embarked on the year-long journey of the G20 presidency. Climate finance, energy security, and food security rank high on India’s G20 agenda, and this increased focus will surely provide a multifold impetus to the emerging climate dialogue, innovation, and business models in India and across the globe. It will also strengthen the roots of India as a global climate leader.

Prime Minister Modi, addressing the Bali summit in Indonesia, said “India is taking charge of the G-20 at a time when the world is simultaneously grappling with geopolitical tensions, an economic slowdown, rising food and energy prices, and the long-term ill-effects of the pandemic.”

“At such a time, the world is looking at the G-20 with hope.” “Today, I want to assure you that India’s G-20 presidency will be inclusive, ambitious, decisive, and action-oriented,” he said.

We can assume that India will show its own leadership—in style and in content. India will not shy away from leaving its mark on the G20 with its unique style of global leadership. It will engage with partners, it will adapt its strategy accordingly—but it will always be true to itself. This involves standing true to both its values and its interests.

Over the last couple of years, especially post COVID-19, it is clear that a comprehensive approach of solving complex, interconnected problems of climate, biodiversity, environment and equity especially for the most vulnerable including smallholders, SMEs, women, migrant workers and the youth is needed. Isolated and uncoordinated efforts leave much to be desired.

India will host over 200 meetings in over 50 cities across 32 different workstreams, and would have the opportunity to offer G20 delegates and guests a glimpse of India's rich cultural heritage and provide them with a unique Indian experience. The Presidency is also a chance for the G20 Secretariat to provide the country's citizens with the unique opportunity be a part of India's G20 story.

The Indian G20 presidency has also planned a year-long India Experience' for G20 member countries, special invitees, and others.

Aside from its G20 presidency, India has launched numerous other crucial projects that address global issues to make its G20 presidency more meaningful for the entire world population.

Key environmental issues that concern the world will take centre stage during India’s G20 presidency. As such, land degradation, biodiversity loss, marine pollution, the need for the protection of mangroves and coral reefs, resource overconsumption, and a lack of waste absorption are the key environmental concerns that will be addressed during India’s G20 presidency.

India's G20 Presidency collides with the crucial midpoint of the 2030 Agenda. As such, India acknowledges the detrimental impact of COVID-19, which changed the current decade of action into a decade of recovery. In line with this perspective, India wants to focus on recommitting G20's efforts to achieving the targets laid out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

As G20 Presidency, India can foreground its belief in a human-centric approach to technology, and facilitate greater knowledge-sharing in priority areas like digital public infrastructure, financial inclusion, and tech-enabled development in sectors ranging from agriculture to education

India's G20 priority will be to continue pressing for reformed multilateralism that creates more accountable, inclusive just, equitable and representative multipolar international system that is fit for addressing the challenges in the 21st century.

India hopes to use the G20 forum to highlight inclusive growth and development, with women empowerment and representation being at the core of India's G20 deliberations. This includes a focus on bringing women to the fore, and in leading positions, in order to boost socio-economic development and achievement of SDGs.

Prime Minister Modi addressed the first meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors under India's G20 Presidency on February 24 and urged the members to focus their discussions on the most vulnerable citizens of the world and stressed that global economic leadership can win back the confidence of the world only by creating an inclusive agenda. “The theme of our G20 Presidency promotes this inclusive vision - One Earth, One Family, One Future”, he said.

The Prime Minister observed that progress on Sustainable Development Goals seems to be slowing down even though the world population has crossed 8 billion. He emphasized the need to strengthen Multilateral Development Banks for meeting global challenges like climate change and high debt levels.

Meanwhile, South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said after the first meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors that India's leadership in the G20 is an opportunity for developing countries to set their issues on the world stage.

India's leadership has come at a very crucial period. The world collectively is recovering from the atrocities of the pandemic and witnessing the Russia-Ukraine war.

India is in an excellent position to play a vital role in winding up the Russia-Ukraine war as it hosts the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting attended by the West and Russia. 

The group's foreign ministers - including Russia's Sergei Lavrov, Antony Blinken of the US and China's Qin Gang. It was the first face-to-face meeting of the top US and Russian diplomats since the war began, just over a year ago.

The finance chiefs of the world’s largest economies were unable to agree on a joint statement condemning Russia for its war on Ukraine, with China and Russia itself declining to sign. However, experts say Delhi had the delicate task of balancing its non-aligned policy on the war with pleas to other nations to find ways to work together.

There are still several months left for diplomacy before G20 leaders meet in September and Delhi will hope it its presidency doesn't end on a disappointing note to bring world’s sustainability through its G20 Presidency.