India’s G20 presidency to focus on green growth, digital transition: Amitabh Kant

India’s G20 presidency comes at a time when the world is facing multiple challenges including Russia-Ukraine war, China-Taiwan crisis etc

India’s year-long G20 presidency beginning December will focus on steps to revive global economic growth in a way that ensures green and digital transition and achieve sustainable development goals by 2030, said newly-appointed G20 sherpa Amitabh Kant.

“India will use its political capital and leadership to evolve a consensus to also achieve short-term goals including on climate finance,” said Kant at an event organised by think-tank RIS here.

India’s G20 presidency comes at a time when the world is facing multiple challenges including the Russia-Ukraine war, the China-Taiwan crisis, global supply chain disruptions, trade slowdown, high global debt, inflationary pressures and impending recession.

Referring to the bleak scenario within G20 at present, Kant said the G7 countries are not even willing to have a discussion with Russia on account of the Ukraine conflict. Kant said challenges, especially in the post-Covid era, could throw up opportunities for India to take development to the core of the G20 agenda.

“India will showcase its achievements including in SDG localisation as well as its development of open source platforms including on Covid-19 vaccination registration and unified payment interface,” he said.

Kant said India has created a unique digital public infrastructure on the basis of individual consent, a model that can be replicated across the world. He urged emerging economies including Brazil and South Africa, the next two countries holding G20 presidency, to focus on sunrise sectors such green hydrogen and digitalisation of health and education to penetrate global markets instead of fighting for space in sunset sectors.

Speaking on the occasion, Anil Sooklal, Ambassador-at-Large for Asia and BRICS from South Africa said during India’s G20 presidency Development needs to be brought from the margins to the centre of the G20 agenda.