Canada's Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault and India’s Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Stockholm on Thursday to increase bilateral cooperation on climate action, environmental protection and conservation.

The signing took place on the sidelines of the Stockholm+50 meeting and was made possible thanks to an earlier meeting between the two ministers at COP26 last year.

Under the MoU, both countries have agreed to collaborate, exchange information and expertise, and support our respective ambitions in a wide range of areas, including increasing renewable energy capacity, decarbonizing heavy industries, reducing plastic pollution, supporting the sound management of chemicals, and ensuring sustainable consumption, the Canadian High Commission in India said in a media release.

Both countries are intent on supporting each other's climate and environmental goals by finding effective, long-term solutions that will also provide opportunities to advancing economic growth and job creation.

Canada has several proven clean technologies which could be of interest to India, such as water and waste management systems, clean hydrogen, smart grids, and energy storage.

The MoU builds on existing cooperation between both countries, such as our common work as members of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, which is advocating for world leaders to adopt a post-2020 global biodiversity framework to conserve 30 percent of the world's marine and terrestrial areas by 2030.

The environment is also increasingly under threat from plastic waste and pollution. Canada has been tackling this threat by proposing bans on harmful single-use plastics, investing in innovative solutions, and laying the foundation for a circular economy.

Working more closely with India will help the collective interest to move toward a zero-plastic waste future.

"This agreement is a significant milestone for Indo-Canadian relations on some of the most pressing global issues of our time. We are launching a collaborative process between our two governments that will strengthen each of our responses to the challenges we face in dealing with climate action and nature protection," said Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

India is a key partner in addressing climate change and environmental issues.

By 2030, India will become the world's third-largest economy and is currently the world's third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, after China and the US.

India has recently increased its goal of reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP from 35 to 45 percent and is now aiming to have half of its electricity come from renewables by 2030, up from 40 percent.

Image source: AFP