As the world grapples with the urgent need to tackle climate change, India has emerged as a leader among the G20 nations in taking measures to mitigate climate change. A study published by think tank Observer Research Foundation has shared a report on climate change mitigation among the Group of 20 countries, wherein it was shown that India and Italy lead the race, followed by Indonesia and the United Kingdom.

India has implemented more policies to tackle climate change than any other G20 country, leaving the United States and Canada far behind. As per the report, India has a score of 0.76 out of a possible 1 on the Climate Action Performance Index, followed closely by Italy at 0.75. US and Canada stand in the bottom three with scores of 0.37 and 0.34 respectively.

The report has analysed the efforts of G20 countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy efficiency and increase the share of renewable energy in their energy mix. India was found to have implemented the most policies in all three areas. The report has recommended that India should use its G20 presidency to get G20 countries to acknowledge that a fair allocation of the global carbon budget is a must to take climate action forward.

On average, the emerging economies within the G20 perform slightly better than the advanced economies. Among the advanced economies, the overall climate performance of the European countries including Italy, France, United Kingdom, Germany and the members of the EU is considerably better than that of the North American countries.

At a recent speech to inaugurate India Energy Week (IEW) 2023 in Bengaluru, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted that India's energy demand has significantly expanded and will soon account for 11 per cent of the world's demand, up from its current 5 per cent. India's efforts are particularly significant given its status as one of the world's largest emitters of greenhouse gases. The country is heavily reliant on coal for its energy needs but has set an ambitious target of achieving 450 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. The government has also launched a number of initiatives to promote electric vehicles and increase energy efficiency.

While the report highlights India's progress, it also highlights the lack of action by developed countries like the US and Canada. The US, in particular, has rolled back several key climate change policies under the Trump administration and has withdrawn from the Paris climate agreement. As the world continues to grapple with the threat of climate change, India's leadership in this area is an important example for other countries to follow.