Rachel Kyteis Dean at The Fletcher School, Tufts University and a member of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Group on Climate Action. She was also advisor to the UK government for the UN climate negotiations. Kyte, who was in India recently as a speaker for the annual meeting of the International Forum on Diplomatic Training organized by the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service (SSIFS), spoke to TOI on how India can be at the forefront of the fight against climate change.
Q. There’s a growing argument that food habits are adding to climate change. Would you agree?
A. The focus of governments across the world has to be on food systems and what is being grown and if that is sustainable. Consumption patterns are adding to climate change and these topics may not be at the top of climate talks but are slowly but surely being discussed. Food issues will be big issues next year.
Q. How much is consumerism adding to the climate crisis?
A. There is a culture that says a person’s wealth and status is known by sugary drinks, fast food and junk food. What is needed is a culture that makes people not aspire for these. If people think their status is wrapped up by what they eat, then you want it to be wrapped up in a healthy diet rather than an unhealthy one.
Q. What is the way forward?
A. Most research in agriculture is done on staples – rice, wheat and maize whereas most people on low income eat legumes, lentils and groundnuts, where very little research is done. These crops are at risk and effort is needed to know how to grow these in extreme heat or low rainfall.
Q. Are people aware of climate change challenges around the world or are these mere academic discussions?
A. The younger generation around the world is far more aware and vocal about climate issues and since they are the demographic advertisers want, they are changing what companies are producing. The younger generation is pushing for change in countries from leaders. Universities are under pressure from students to manage issues better, have greener campuses and teach these issues better. Young people, students coming from all over the world are absolutely clear that their career will be marked, changed and challenged by climate change.
Q. Where do you see India in climate action?
A. India’s progress towards a green economy will be good for the country and the rest of the world. All eyes are on India. India has sent a strong signal that climate change is at the heart of G20, which was not the case earlier. Since India has the land, climate, forests, winds and seas, it can be a renewable energy powerhouse that produces more energy than it needs. It was OPEC in the fossil fuels world; in the green energy world, Congo, Mauritania, Morocco and India are energy leaders.
Q. Developing countries say developed countries contribute most to global emission and they are being forced to reduce dependence on fossils due to them. Your take?
A. Two wrongs don’t make a right. G20 definitely needs to do more. There are countries like Kenya that say we need to get to 100% renewable as that is the future for Africa. To not grow green doesn’t make economic sense anymore. You minimise healthcare costs due to pollution, there are better jobs in green energy sector, the infrastructure is an asset whereas fossil fuel setup is a debt burden that will give you crisis later. Money needs to be invested in greens now and risks needed to be taken with green economy.
The pace of growth of green energy is exponential right now. The war in Ukraine has underlined the importance of energy security, which comes from having more renewable energy in your mix.
Q. With a recession looming large, will countries be able to afford a switch to green energy?
A. Looming recession forces actions such as subsidising fossil fuels even more but it is wars, pandemic, global factors and overprinting of money that cause economic slowdown and being energy and food sufficient through natural means are the only sustainable ways to avoid economic slowdowns. Vicious cycle of climate crisis, biodiversity losses, pandemic and war have global impact. We see how food and fuel prices spike and push countries to the edge of recession or indebtedness. If this year it is about food crisis, if we don’t get fertiliser flowing out of Belarus, next year it will be about crisis of food supply.
Q. There’s a growing argument that food habits are adding to climate change. Would you agree?
A. The focus of governments across the world has to be on food systems and what is being grown and if that is sustainable. Consumption patterns are adding to climate change and these topics may not be at the top of climate talks but are slowly but surely being discussed. Food issues will be big issues next year.
Q. How much is consumerism adding to the climate crisis?
A. There is a culture that says a person’s wealth and status is known by sugary drinks, fast food and junk food. What is needed is a culture that makes people not aspire for these. If people think their status is wrapped up by what they eat, then you want it to be wrapped up in a healthy diet rather than an unhealthy one.
Q. What is the way forward?
A. Most research in agriculture is done on staples – rice, wheat and maize whereas most people on low income eat legumes, lentils and groundnuts, where very little research is done. These crops are at risk and effort is needed to know how to grow these in extreme heat or low rainfall.
Q. Are people aware of climate change challenges around the world or are these mere academic discussions?
A. The younger generation around the world is far more aware and vocal about climate issues and since they are the demographic advertisers want, they are changing what companies are producing. The younger generation is pushing for change in countries from leaders. Universities are under pressure from students to manage issues better, have greener campuses and teach these issues better. Young people, students coming from all over the world are absolutely clear that their career will be marked, changed and challenged by climate change.
Q. Where do you see India in climate action?
A. India’s progress towards a green economy will be good for the country and the rest of the world. All eyes are on India. India has sent a strong signal that climate change is at the heart of G20, which was not the case earlier. Since India has the land, climate, forests, winds and seas, it can be a renewable energy powerhouse that produces more energy than it needs. It was OPEC in the fossil fuels world; in the green energy world, Congo, Mauritania, Morocco and India are energy leaders.
Q. Developing countries say developed countries contribute most to global emission and they are being forced to reduce dependence on fossils due to them. Your take?
A. Two wrongs don’t make a right. G20 definitely needs to do more. There are countries like Kenya that say we need to get to 100% renewable as that is the future for Africa. To not grow green doesn’t make economic sense anymore. You minimise healthcare costs due to pollution, there are better jobs in green energy sector, the infrastructure is an asset whereas fossil fuel setup is a debt burden that will give you crisis later. Money needs to be invested in greens now and risks needed to be taken with green economy.
The pace of growth of green energy is exponential right now. The war in Ukraine has underlined the importance of energy security, which comes from having more renewable energy in your mix.
Q. With a recession looming large, will countries be able to afford a switch to green energy?
A. Looming recession forces actions such as subsidising fossil fuels even more but it is wars, pandemic, global factors and overprinting of money that cause economic slowdown and being energy and food sufficient through natural means are the only sustainable ways to avoid economic slowdowns. Vicious cycle of climate crisis, biodiversity losses, pandemic and war have global impact. We see how food and fuel prices spike and push countries to the edge of recession or indebtedness. If this year it is about food crisis, if we don’t get fertiliser flowing out of Belarus, next year it will be about crisis of food supply.
