Hillary Clinton Champions Global South Climate Leadership at Mumbai Forum
Mumbai: Former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered a powerful address at Mumbai Climate Week on Wednesday, asserting that India and other nations of the Global South are at the forefront of climate change impacts and must spearhead the development of global solutions. In her speech, she sharply criticized former US President Donald Trump for his denial of climate science and his administration's environmental rollbacks.
Critique of US Climate Policy Under Trump
Clinton highlighted that the Trump administration withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement on climate change and dismantled dozens of environmental regulations, including crucial limits on power plant emissions. "We have a [US] president who denies climate change... denies facts," she stated emphatically. She stressed that the world cannot afford to wait for political shifts in the US, which she believes are years away, urging immediate innovation and model-building in regions like India.
India as an Innovation Hub for Climate Solutions
Expressing strong confidence in India's capabilities, Clinton told a packed audience of business leaders, government officials, and NGOs at the Jio Convention Centre, "I have confidence in India as an innovator. I want to be a cheerleader for India's efforts." She proposed that the three-day Mumbai Climate Week forum could play a pivotal role in shifting the focus of climate solutions from the Global North to the South. "Power, information, and innovation has to move from the north to the south," she declared, calling for collaboration among government, businesses, and NGOs to address the climate crisis as both an ethical imperative and a smart economic opportunity.
Support for Grassroots Initiatives and Climate Activists
Clinton encouraged young climate activists to persist in their efforts despite challenges and to seek innovative ways to connect with funding sources. She acknowledged a significant gap in global climate finance reaching grassroots innovators. "Now is the time to get creative, focused and determined," she urged. As an example, she cited a new insurance program launched by the Clinton Global Initiative in partnership with women's empowerment group SEWA and Humanity Insured. This initiative aims to compensate women workers in India who lose income due to extreme heat, with plans to cover over 500,000 women. "If they can only work half a day because of extreme heat, they don't have enough money to feed their children," Clinton explained, underscoring the human impact of climate change.
Call for Regulation of Artificial Intelligence
When questioned about the risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI), Clinton advocated for increased regulation. While recognizing AI's potential benefits, particularly in healthcare, she warned, "it would be naive not to recognise the threats," pointing to potential disruptions in jobs, water, and energy systems. She emphasized that if tech developers are unaware of AI's societal impacts, there is a collective obligation to "slow down and manage this." Drawing a parallel with social media, Clinton noted that society learned "too late" about its negative effects, especially on youth, citing improved attention spans in New York schools after phone bans. "It took a decade to learn that lesson," she remarked, urging proactive shaping of AI rather than reactive responses.
Clinton's conversation was moderated by Shloka Nath, CEO of the India Climate Collaborative, highlighting the forum's role in fostering dialogue on critical global issues.
