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Time of India
02-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
At global meet, India, others discuss progressive taxation, carbon levies to deal with hazardous waste
BRS COPs 2025 held in Geneva NEW DELHI: Many countries, including India, at an ongoing global convention in Geneva have discussed the importance of predictable international financing mechanisms and the mobilization of domestic resources through tools such as 'progressive taxation and carbon levies' to deal with the often-unseen threats of hazardous chemicals and waste, particularly in nations with constrained fiscal capacity. The summary of their discussion — ministerial roundtable on 'means of implementation' — was presented by environment minister Bhupender Yadav at the Conference of the Parties (COPs) to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions in Geneva on Thursday. The COPs, being held from April 28 to May 9, is a joint meeting of countries that focus on global efforts to manage hazardous chemicals and waste in an environmentally sound manner. The roundtable also discussed the need for innovative financing solutions, including 'green bonds, debt-for-nature swaps , chemical certificates, and green loans', as critical tools to attract private investment to deal with the issues of hazardous chemicals and waste. Yadav at the roundtable highlighted that the effective execution of the BRS Conventions relies significantly on access to finance, technology transfer, capacity-building and technical assistance, and strengthened international cooperation. He outlined India's integrated approach to implementing the conventions through national legislation such as the Environment (Protection) Act, the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, and the E-Waste Management Rules, 2016, which are supported by sustained investments in institutional and technical infrastructure. 'The necessity of coherent and transparent regulatory frameworks that incentivize private sector engagement through supportive policies such as bans on single-use plastics and tax incentives for green technologies was suggested,' said a statement released by the environment ministry on Friday. It said, 'Ministers also agreed on the importance of regional cooperation, including the strengthening of regional centres to enable technical exchange, shared infrastructure, and capacity development.'
Hindustan Times
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
India highlights plastic phase-out resolution
Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav on Thursday recalled that India introduced a resolution on single-use plastics at the fourth session of the UN Environment Assembly of the UNEP which was held in 2019, in a move that brought the issue of plastic pollution to the centre of global discourse. Speaking at the Conference of the Parties (COPs) to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions, in Geneva, Yadav highlighted that the effective execution of the BRS Conventions relies significantly on access to finance, technology transfer, capacity-building, technical assistance, and strengthened international cooperation. At the ministerial roundtable on 'Means of Implementation', the minister outlined India's integrated approach to implementing the conventions through national legislation such as the Environment (Protection) Act, the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, and the E-Waste Management Rules, 2016, which are supported by sustained investments in institutional and technical infrastructure. On the sidelines of the COPs, Yadav participated in a consultation meeting organized by Norway on the work of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution. He apprised participants of India's domestic initiatives such as the ban on identified single-use plastic items and the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic packaging. 'India remains steadfast in its commitment to multilateral environmental cooperation and will continue to advocate for the interests of developing countries while ensuring equitable, science-based, and sustainable solutions for the planet,' a statement from environment ministry said. During a bilateral meeting with Katrin Schneeberger, director of the federal office for the environment, Switzerland, Yadav discussed matters related to the development of a legally binding international instrument on plastic pollution, and India's support for the establishment of a Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals and Waste, as mandated by UNEA resolutions. HT reported on December 1 last year that the 5th Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to Develop an International Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution in Busan failed to agree on developing a treaty, pushing talks to another INC session in 2025. 'Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. The text still has have made tangible moves and I hope the committee can agree to use the draft text as starting point and basis of negotiation,' said Luis Vayas Valdivieso, chair of INC 5. Some developing nations including India and China opposed curbing primary polymer production, seeking instead to focus on plastic waste management. The High-Level Segment, on the theme of 'Make visible the invisible: Sound management of chemicals and wastes', of the BRS COPs features ministerial roundtables and interactive dialogues focused on collaborative global action.
Arab News
30-04-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan urges simpler climate finance for vulnerable nations at Geneva forum
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Environment Minister Musadik Malik on Wednesday urged the international community to ease access to climate finance for vulnerable nations, saying Pakistan contributes less than one percent to global emissions but remains among the hardest hit by climate change. Speaking in Geneva at a UN Capital Development Fund session on the sidelines of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions, Malik said developing countries like Pakistan face mounting climate threats despite minimal emissions and need more support from global financial institutions. The BRS conventions are multilateral environmental agreements which focus on hazardous chemicals and waste management. 'Pakistan is among the countries most severely affected by climate change,' the Pakistani minister said, according to an official statement, adding this was despite the fact that it 'contributes less than one percent to global carbon emissions.' 'The federal minister emphasized the need to simplify climate finance support,' the statement continued. Malik reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to the Paris Agreement, a legally binding international treaty aimed at limiting global warming to below 2°C. He said Pakistan was actively pursuing its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), with a focus on green growth, renewable energy and sustainable water systems. Pakistan has faced recurring heatwaves, droughts and devastating floods. In 2022, unprecedented monsoon rains left a third of the country submerged, killing about 1,700 people and leading to over $35 billion in infrastructure damage. Pakistan also played a leading role in establishing the global loss and damage fund for climate-hit countries, though the mechanism has yet to become fully functional. 'Global development is not possible without climate justice,' Malik said, as he appealed for effective cooperation from international financial institutions for developing countries.
