India’s environmental leadership can drive regional climate action: Atul Bagai

New Delhi, Dec 24 (PTI) India played a crucial role in helping Bhutan comply with the Montreal Protocol and has the potential to lead South Asia by sharing its knowledge and technology with other countries to combat climate change, former UNEP India head Atul Bagai said on Tuesday.

Bagai received the National Order of Merit from Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck on December 17 for his instrumental contributions to the Himalayan country’s environmental governance, particularly its successful compliance with the Montreal Protocol.

India played a key role as a trading partner by adjusting its policies to support Bhutan’s targets to phase out hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) in the air conditioning sector by 2025, he said.

For example, India agreed not to export equipment or gases that Bhutan is phasing out after 2025, Bagai, a former career diplomat, said.

Beyond Bhutan, Bagai’s insights extend to the broader environmental challenges of South Asia. The region faces a paradox: it is one of the most climate-vulnerable areas in the world while grappling with poverty and development priorities.

He told PTI that balancing development and environmental priorities remains the key challenge for countries in the Global South. However, India is demonstrating that “development and environment can go hand in hand”.

He said South Asia cannot wait for international resolutions and it must act now.

“South Asia, and particularly the Asia-Pacific, can take a leading role in finding and implementing solutions to climate issues. India, for example, has already started taking action despite the lack of progress in international talks. Investments in renewable energy and land restoration continue, and India’s ambitions in these areas remain high,” he said.

“India can play a leadership role by sharing its knowledge and technology with other South Asian countries. For example, India has made significant progress in energy efficiency through programmes like the star-rating system for appliances,” he said.

Bagai said that as a major trading partner, India has a responsibility to provide technical support to neighbouring countries that import equipment from India.

Many of these countries are eager to establish policies and standards to adapt this technology to their needs. By sharing its expertise and building partnerships, India can help lead South Asia in addressing climate change and biodiversity loss, he said.

Bagai’s journey with Bhutan began in 2004 when he was stationed in Bangkok as a senior regional coordinator for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

At the time, only four countries globally had not ratified the Montreal Protocol – two of them were Afghanistan and Bhutan.

“My task was to help the Bhutanese government understand the implications of ratifying the protocol and the benefits it would bring. Bhutan ratified it in 2004, and that marked the start of my close collaboration with the country,” Bagai recalls.

The Montreal Protocol, adopted in 1987 and often hailed as the most successful international environmental agreement, aims to phase out ozone-depleting substances (ODS).

For nearly 12 years, Bagai worked alongside Bhutanese officials to craft and implement a comprehensive strategy for compliance.

“Advocacy was a major focus. Bhutan’s Queen was designated as the country’s ozone ambassador, and she played a key role in spreading awareness,” he said.

One of Bhutan’s most significant achievements under Bagai’s guidance was its early commitment to phase out hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) in the air conditioning sector by 2025. This was well ahead of the 2040 deadline set for developing countries.

This bold move became a global example and inspired other nations to consider accelerated timelines for phasing out ODS, Bagai noted.

As the UNEP India head from 2017 to 2024, Bagai strengthened the bilateral relationship between India and Bhutan on environmental collaboration by developing and leading a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two countries.

This MoU serves as the cornerstone of their environmental partnership, with India providing technical and financial support to Bhutan on various environmental issues, including waste management.

The MoU, along with the waste strategy project he developed under its framework, aligns with the king’s vision of achieving Zero Waste Bhutan by 2030.

Asked about bilateral cooperation between India and Pakistan on shared environmental challenges, the former UNEP India head said environmental issues like air and water pollution don’t respect borders.

“For example, air pollution in Punjab affects both India and Pakistan. While political tensions often hinder bilateral cooperation, multilateral platforms like SACEP have enabled countries to agree on cross-border air pollution mitigation,” he said.

“Multilateral bodies such as UNEP and the World Bank are fostering South Asian collaboration on shared environmental challenges, even if bilateral agreements remain elusive,” he said.

Asked about insufficient support from developed countries for climate-vulnerable countries in the Global South facing rapid biodiversity loss while battling poverty, Bagai agreed that the four UN conferences this year have failed to provide adequate solutions, especially in terms of finance.

Although the UN climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, increased financial support for the Global South to USD 300 billion annually by 2035, this amount is insignificant even for smaller countries like Pakistan, Nepal, or Bangladesh, he said.

The Global South requires trillions of dollars to meet climate targets and developed countries have not been very willing to provide enough financial support.

For example, even Bihar, which isn’t an industrialized state like Maharashtra or Tamil Nadu, would require hundreds of billions for net-zero goals, the former UNEP India head said.

He said while developed countries need to raise their financial commitments, South Asia must also explore innovative financing mechanisms, such as climate and plastic bonds, and involve private industries.

“A mix of different financial resources and strategies will be necessary,” he said.

Citizens also have a role to play by adopting simple, climate-friendly habits in their daily lives. If 1.4 billion people in India take small steps toward sustainability, it can make a big difference and reduce overall costs. The Prime Minister’s LiFE Mission shows how individual actions can have a large impact, Bagai said.