Lalit Gargg
The world today is confronting the stark reality of climate change—something that was once regarded merely as a distant threat. Torrential rains, prolonged droughts, floods, cyclones, wildfires, rising sea levels and abnormal heat are no longer exceptional phenomena. The rapid disruption of nature’s delicate balance has raised a grave question about the very survival of human civilisation. The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate Update 2026, released on November 9, 2026, presents the severity of this crisis through compelling scientific data. According to the report, 2026 is on course to rank among the four hottest years ever recorded, with the global average temperature from January to September about 1.47°C above the 1850–1900 pre-industrial average. All twelve years from 2015 through 2026 are set to rank among the hottest years on record.
This is not merely a statistic about rising temperatures; it is a warning about the growing threat to human life. The accumulation of heat in the oceans, melting glaciers, rising sea levels, increasing pollution and changing rainfall patterns are all pointing towards increasingly serious challenges in the years ahead. According to the WMO, the oceans are heading towards their tenth consecutive year of record warmth, while global sea levels have also reached record highs in 2026. The situation is particularly alarming because a strong El Niño is developing. According to the WMO, El Niño has strengthened rapidly since August and could reach exceptional intensity between November 2026 and January 2027. This could increase the risk of extreme heat, drought and episodes of exceptionally heavy rainfall in 2027.
In other words, the danger is not confined to the present. The year ahead may also confront humanity with nature’s increasingly harsh manifestations. That is why treating climate change merely as a subject for environment ministries or international conferences would be a serious mistake. It has now become a question of public health, economic stability, food security, employment, water resources, housing and social resilience. The greatest irony of the climate crisis is that its heaviest burden is falling on countries and communities that have contributed relatively little to historical carbon emissions. Developing and poorer nations face a dual challenge: meeting the legitimate aspirations of development while simultaneously protecting their people from a rapidly intensifying climate crisis. For decades, developed nations relied heavily on fossil fuels in the name of industrial growth. Today, as developing countries pursue economic progress, they are increasingly expected to reduce their emissions. This makes the question of climate justice particularly important.
If the global community is genuinely committed to a solution, developing nations must receive adequate financial and technological support for clean energy, climate adaptation and disaster-resilient infrastructure. In this context, COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, being held from November 9 to 20, 2026, assumes considerable significance. The conference aims to accelerate the implementation of climate solutions and the global transition towards clean energy. But the crucial question remains: Will the world move beyond declarations this time and deliver meaningful action? At previous climate conferences, ambitious targets were announced, yet implementation often remained painfully slow. The world does not need an ever-growing list of new pledges. It needs the commitments already made to be translated into measurable action on the ground.
Developed nations must honour their financial responsibilities. Developing countries must be provided access to technology and resources. Dependence on fossil fuels must be reduced, while solar, wind, hydropower and other clean energy sources must be expanded rapidly. Urban planning, public transportation, construction, agriculture and industry—all sectors must become climate-resilient. The question is no longer whether climate change is happening. The real question is how quickly, how seriously and how honestly humanity is prepared to respond. For India, the situation is even more serious. The country is confronting rising temperatures, erratic monsoons, floods and droughts, while air pollution in its major cities is creating an additional public-health emergency.
The alarming levels of pollution witnessed across Delhi-NCR around Diwali have once again demonstrated that the air we depend upon for life can itself become a major threat to health. People experience burning eyes, sore throats, breathing difficulties, coughing and other respiratory problems, while hospitals and healthcare professionals face increasing pressure. This cannot be dismissed as merely a seasonal inconvenience. Air pollution and climate change are not two unrelated crises. They are deeply interconnected. Excessive dependence on fossil fuels intensifies both problems. The toxic air of Delhi and the rising temperature of the planet are therefore part of the same larger environmental crisis.
India witnessed an unprecedented public-health emergency during the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, governments, healthcare institutions, civil society and ordinary citizens came together to confront the crisis. Air pollution now demands a similar level of seriousness. This does not simply mean making formal emergency declarations. It requires a permanent, public-health-centred emergency response mechanism. During periods of extremely poor air quality, Delhi-NCR needs immediate and coordinated action on schools, construction activity, vehicular emissions, industrial pollution, stubble burning and waste burning. Hospitals must be adequately prepared; vulnerable citizens must receive timely health advisories; public transport must be strengthened; and pollution sources must be tackled at their origin.
The Government of India, working closely with the states, must establish a permanent framework in which air pollution is no longer treated merely as a winter problem. Air quality must be monitored throughout the year, emissions must be scientifically controlled, and the health consequences of pollution must be systematically assessed. India has the capacity not only to offer technological solutions but also to offer the world a philosophy of sustainable living. For centuries, Indian civilisation has regarded nature not as an object of unlimited exploitation but as a companion and co-traveller in life. The Jain principles of Ahimsa (non-violence) and Aparigraha (non-possession and restraint in consumption) acquire profound relevance in an age of climate crisis.
Humanity must reconsider the culture of excessive consumption, reckless exploitation of natural resources and the mindset that seeks domination over nature. We must move beyond the false assumption that development and environmental protection are inherently opposed to each other. What we need is development that creates employment, strengthens the economy and improves living standards without destroying the air, water, soil and forests upon which life depends. That is the true meaning of sustainable development.
Today, COP31 needs to deliver not another grand declaration, but political will, financial commitment and time-bound action. In the midst of a climate emergency, inaction is itself a decision—and future generations will have to pay its price. The Earth is sending unmistakable warnings. Temperatures are rising. Oceans are warming. Ice is melting. Sea levels are climbing. And the air in our cities is becoming increasingly toxic. There is still time to change course. But humanity must rethink its model of development before the cost of delay becomes irreversible. The future does not lie in a battle between humanity and nature. It lies in coexistence with nature. If we fail to act today, future generations may well ask us a deeply uncomfortable question: When the danger was already visible, why did the world wait so long to act? |
