Piyush Goyal hits out at developed nations over climate crisis

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has blamed developed nations for the climate crisis, accusing them of contributing disproportionately to carbon emissions while failing to deliver promised financial support to developing countries. “Who's responsible for this mess in the first place? Where did the ozone layer get damaged? Who sent all that carbon into the atmosphere?” Goyal said at a roundtable at the Berlin Global Dialogue on Friday.“I represent 17% of the world's population, but my contribution to carbon emissions is less than 3%. You (Europe) represent probably 3% or 4% of the world's population, yet your contribution to those carbon emissions — or this mess — is humongous. The problem was caused by you,” he said.Recalling the 2015 Paris climate conference, Goyal said developed countries had agreed to pay a greater share of the costs of tackling climate change and support developing countries, including vulnerable island nations.Criticising what he described as the failure to honour the pledge, Goyal said, “Eleven years later, we haven't seen a nickel or a dime of that. It's all promises.” Goyal's remarks came amid a dispute over climate finance commitments made by developed countries to support developing nations in addressing climate change and reducing their emissions.

India is conscious of and committed to its role in climate action. https://t.co/ONx3nB0ik8

— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) October 22, 2026

Earlier, talking to reporters in Berlin,Goyal on Friday said the government is willing to bear the entire cost of "expensive" certification for micro and small enterprises under the Export Promotion Mission (EPM), urging existing and new exporters to approach the Directorate General of Foreign Trade for support to access global markets. "Under the mission, we are willing to support everybody who wants to export anywhere in the world. We will give them support. For micro and small (enterprises), we are willing to literally take care of the entire cost of certification and others also, if there is some very expensive certification or process," he said. He added that the costs of complying with European Union regulations, including the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), would be covered for micro and small enterprises, while support for other businesses would be provided on a graded basis.