India has adopted a holistic approach towards conservation for which it has not just focused on reducing emissions to tackle temperature rise, but are also working towards arresting land degradation, accelerating ecosystem restoration and enriching biodiversity, Environment minister Bhupender Yadav said on Saturday during global climate talks COP28.

Delivering a statement at the Mangrove Alliance for Climate Ministerial Meeting during COP28 in Dubai, he talked about the Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes (MISHTI), unveiled in the 2023-24 budget, focuses on mangrove plantations along coastlines and salt pans.

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Highlighting India’s rich mangrove ecosystems, he cited the Sunderbans, the world’s largest contiguous mangrove forest, as a prime example of coexistence with nature.

“India has adopted a holistic approach towards conservation. We are not just focused on reducing emissions to tackle temperature rise, but are also working towards arresting land degradation, accelerating ecosystem restoration and enriching biodiversity,” he said.

At another event, he said transparent climate finance, equitable market and facilitative global technology transfer must for deployment of low-carbon climate technologies at scale.