Climate Change & Trade Restrictions: Om Birla's BRICS Speech

New Delhi, Jul 12 (PTI) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday said that measures to combat climate change should not be used to justify arbitrary trade restrictions.

Addressing a plenary session at the 10th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in Russia, he cautioned that the trend of taking unilateral measures justified as environmental actions were impacting trade, violating World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and undermining international laws.

Noting that sustainable development includes environmental protection Birla, who is leading an Indian parliamentary delegation to the forum, felt that it was crucial to achieve the goal in an equitable manner considering different countries' varied economic development levels.

The Indian parliament remains committed to deepening engagement with parliamentarians from other countries, he said.

The Lok Sabha Speaker underlined that India, despite having resource limitations, has been consistent in taking strong actions toward environmental sustainability.

India has surpassed its targets for reducing emissions intensity, increasing non-fossil fuel power capacity and creating additional carbon sinks, as pledged to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), he said.

Climate-related issues should be addressed within the UNFCCC framework, Birla felt, according to an official statement.

Highlighting the need for reforms in global bodies, he asserted that reforming global bodies to reflect contemporary realities is essential. He also felt that the recent expansion of BRICS presented a unique opportunity.