Modi-Obama's Bulletproof Summit: Was it Climate-Proof?

WASHINGTON: When U.S. President Barack Obama alighted from his bulletproof car on Rajpath on Jan 26, he was received by a steady drizzle before being ushered to a bulletproof enclosure for viewing the Republic Day parade. The colossal and colorful crowd showed climate-proof enthusiasm, climate-proof because the rains were not able to rein in their fervor.

Historical data of New Delhi's meteorology department shows that it rains on an average one or two days in January and not more than two centimeters in the entire month. It was not a really 'extreme' weather event but rain in that morning gave two symbolic messages - first, the inspiring leadership backed by whole-hearted people can adapt and even surmount the rare climate event. Second, it was a gentle reminder to President Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reflect if they needed to do more and faster than what they pledged on earlier day to mitigate climate change - the most formidable challenge of our times.

Bullet-proof enclosures could protect one from the growing violence and terrorism. The world however also urgently needs climate-proof economies. If we have to act on the findings of the 2014 assessment reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), we have to act decisively, out-of-box and not to harp on the principally stubborn and ever unyielding positions on historic responsibility. The world economies - small and big, developed and developing - have to stand together to take climate challenge head on. The IPCC report warns that the world will soon face 'severe, irreversible and pervasive' impacts.

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