Punjab has recently joined the Under2 Coalition, becoming the sixth Indian state to be a part of this international network of states and regions committed to aligning their climate action plan with the Paris Agreement.
Punjab, popularly referred to as the ‘food bowl of India,’ provides around 40% of India’s surplus food stocks. However, climate change poses grave threats to the overall agricultural production of Punjab. Experts suggest that a 1°C rise could reduce crop production by around 3% to 7%. These projections will only increase if global temperatures climb by more than 4°C by the end of the century, as some predictions suggest will happen without rapid intervention.
Bhagwant Mann, Chief Minister, Government of Punjab said: “I hope our collaboration with the Under2 Coalition will help harness the strategic knowledge and technical support to undertake inclusive activities for combating climate change.”
Punjab’s action plan on climate change aims at building a robust climate-resilient ecosystem. The state’s strategy is to address its specific climate change concerns through international and national collaborations.
Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, Minister of Environment, Government of Punjab said: “Becoming a member of the Under2 Coalition will pave the way for Punjab to access the global best practices, technical know-how and innovative financial models to enhance state's climate resilience.”
Formed in 2015, the Under2 Coalition is a global community of more than 270 governments committed to ambitious climate action in line with the Paris Agreement. International non-profit Climate Group is Secretariat to the Coalition, working with governments to identify pathways to reduce emissions. Chhattisgarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Maharashtra, Telangana and West Bengal are the other five Indian regions that are part of the Under2 Coalition. Along with Punjab, these Indian subnational regions represent 29.07% of India's population and contribute 24.42% to the country’s GDP.
Tim Ash Vie, Executive Director of the Under2 Coalition, at Climate Group said: “We welcome Punjab to the Under2 Coalition. With this partnership, we will support outcome-oriented collaborations through knowledge transfer and technical support by leveraging our global leadership network. This step signals Punjab's commitment toward meaningful action on both mitigation and adaptation. We invite other subnational governments to follow suit, demonstrating their intent to realise a net zero future.”
Divya Sharma, India Executive Director at Climate Group, said: “Punjab joining the Under2 Coalition is a powerful example of subnational climate leadership in the Global South. We applaud Punjab for taking this significant step to build a climate-resilient world.”