Rework the economics

India should not take action to combat climate change. As I said this to a group of climate change envoys from various European countries, I could notice signs of confusion on their faces. I explained to them my reasons. Development is the most significant challenge that a country like India faces. We know today that this growth should also be inclusive and sustainable. And if we achieve this, we hit a sweet spot—our actions to reduce local pollution and to drive green livelihoods will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In this way, our Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which puts together the package of actions to reduce emissions, would be based on co-benefits; development, if done right, will also address the urgent crisis of climate change.