India Prime Minister Celebrates New Countries Shaping 'Global Narrative'

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi believes that a global shift is occurring as more nations are connecting via unity rather than dissenting by division.

In an op-ed essay published in Newsweek, Modi referenced the one-year mark of India assuming the G20 presidency and the future global outlook predicated by the concept of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" (Sanskrit for "the world is one family").

Modi and India are adhering to that ideology as a steppingstone to a more fruitful future beyond the one currently faced due to the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, looming climate threats, financial instability and debt distress in developing nations, "all amid declining multilateralism."

Yet while development and progress have soured from continual conflicts and competition on the world stage, India has focused on offering an alternative to the status quo—or a shift from GDP-centric to human-centric progress, as Modi describes.

"India aimed to remind the world of what unites us, rather than what divides us," Modi writes. "Finally, the global conversation had to evolve: The interests of the few had to give way to the aspirations of the many. This required a fundamental reform of multilateralism as we knew it."

Such inclusivity has been spurred by countries joining the mix of this new worldview, notably the inclusion of all 55 member states of the African Union into the G20. Those members all represent countries on the African continent, divided by five geographic regions, and increase the G20 presence to encompass approximately 80 percent of the world's population through a singular governing body.

In January, India hosted a Voice of Global South Summit with a similar theme, "Unity of voice, unity of purpose," heralded by Modi as "a new dawn of multilateralism" in a post-COVID era still rife with financial uncertainties, food and energy insecurity, and conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war that predated the now-ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in the Middle East.

"India mainstreamed the Global South's concerns in international discourse and has ushered in an era where developing countries take their rightful place in shaping the global narrative," he wrote.

India's 2030 agenda, as exercised in its 2023 Action Plan presented as part of the G20, "takes a cross-cutting, action-oriented approach to interconnected issues" including health, education, gender equality and environmental sustainability.

Its "One Earth" campaign includes a "Green Development Pact" that doesn't force citizens to choose between hunger and protecting the planet. Modi says this can be accomplished "by outlining a comprehensive roadmap where employment and ecosystems are complimentary, consumption is climate conscious, and production is planet-friendly."

That includes an ambitious G20 declaration to triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030, aided by the establishment of the Global Biofuels Alliance and a concerted push for green hydrogen—accomplished through the chemical process of electrolysis, which uses an electrical current to separate the hydrogen from the oxygen in water and produce energy without releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

India's climate has been changing for at least the past decade, according to the World Bank. Unusual and unprecedented heat waves have become customary since 2013, as have a heavier frequency of rainfalls and droughts.

A research paper published by the International Monetary Fund last month describes India's climate change approach as one that will require societal tradeoffs as it decides how to better living standards for the nation's approximate 1.4 billion residents while not further contributing to global carbon emissions. India is pursuing a net-zero goal by 2070.

"Reducing GHG emissions will almost certainly have a negative impact on growth in the short run and have important distributional consequences for individuals and communities who today rely on coal," reads a summary of the research. "But with the right policies, these costs—which are non-negligible but dwarfed by the cost of climate change over the next decade if no action is taken—can be significantly curtailed."

In July, the Climate Action Tracker, an independent scientific project that tracks government climate action and measures it against the globally agreed Paris Agreement, described India's current overall rating in combating climate change as "highly insufficient."

That is largely due to still embracing domestic coal. However, as of 2022, India ranked fourth worldwide in renewable energy capacity installation.

"I am delighted that during our Presidency India achieved the extraordinary: It revitalized multilateralism, amplified the voice of the Global South, championed development, and fought for the empowerment of women—everywhere," Modi concluded, wishing Brazil luck as it takes over the G20.