Bloomberg reports,”right now, the developed countries that have long been in the vanguard of efforts on climate look to be falling behind. India is taking the initiative, fueled by the growing self-confidence of a country that’s the world’s most populous and seeing the fastest economic growth this year among the Group of 20 major economies. ‘India must become one of the first countries in the world to industrialize without carbonizing the world,’ said Amitabh Kant, who’s coordinating the country’s G20 policy,
The Group of Seven meeting in April 2023 on climate and energy rejected a push to end unabated coal power generation by 2030. The U.S. has a 2035 end-date, while Poland still plans to keep burning coal in 2049. Host nation Japan is pinning its hopes on gasification and ammonia co-firing projects that would prolong the life of existing coal plants at exorbitant cost and slim environmental benefit.
In contrast, India has made green development, climate finance, and sustainable lifestyles its number one priority in its G20 presidency this year, and has reportedly weighed joining the Climate Club proposed by Germany’s G7 presidency last year as a way to reduce industrial pollution. India must become one of the first countries in the world to industrialize without carbonizing the world,” said Amitabh Kant, who’s coordinating the country’s G20 policy,
India’s enthusiasm about joining the G7’s Climate Club may well represent an attempt to sail with the shifting winds of trade policy and geopolitics. One objective of such a clique would be to prevent “carbon leakage” — the move of industrial activities away from countries implementing green policies to take advantage of lower costs in places that don’t price their emissions.
Becoming a key member of this Club, fueled by World Bank finance for decarbonization, will put India in an emerging quasi-trade bloc alongside the rich world. That would help meet its ambitions to rival China as a center for global manufacturing supply chains.”
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
