New Delhi, Delhi, 1st of May, 2025 : An Inter-Ministerial delegation from India, led by the Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav, is participating in the Conference of the Parties (COPs) to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions, taking place in Geneva from 30th April to 1st May, 2025. The theme of this yearโs high-level segment is โMake visible the invisible: Sound management of chemicals and wastes.โ
During his address in opening ceremony, Shri Bhupender Yadav emphasized that the theme reflects the global imperative of addressing the often-unseen threats of chemical and waste mismanagement. He reiterated Indiaโs commitment to environmentally sound policies, underpinned by a robust legal and institutional framework.
Key Interventions and Bilateral Engagements
At the ministerial roundtable on โMeans of Implementationโ, Shri Yadav highlighted that the effective execution of the BRS Conventions relies significantly on access to finance, technology transfer, capacity-building, technical assistance, and strengthened international cooperation. He outlined Indiaโs integrated approach to implementing the conventions through national legislation such as the Environment (Protection) Act, the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, and the E-Waste Management Rules, 2016, which are supported by sustained investments in institutional and technical infrastructure.
On the sidelines of the COPs, the Union Minister Shri Yadav participated in a consultation meeting organized by Norway on the work of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution. He apprised participants of Indiaโs domestic initiatives such as the ban on identified single-use plastic items and the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic packaging.
Shri Yadav further underlined Indiaโs pioneering role in international environmental governance under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, highlighting that India introduced a resolution on single use plastics at UNEA-4, bringing the issue to the center of global discourse.
During the bilateral meeting with Ms. Katrin Schneeberger, Director of the Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland, Shri Yadav discussed matters related to the development of a legally binding international instrument on plastic pollution, and Indiaโs support for the establishment of a Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals and Waste, as mandated by UNEA resolutions.
Forward-Looking Engagement
The High-Level Segment of the BRS COPs features ministerial roundtables and interactive dialogues focused on collaborative global action.
India remains steadfast in its commitment to multilateral environmental cooperation and will continue to advocate for the interests of developing countries while ensuring equitable, science-based, and sustainable solutions for the planet.
.
About The Author
More Stories
IIM Nagpur Celebrates 9th Annual Convocation, Enters Its 10thyear Of Academic Excellence.
India Tests Brahmos And Pakistan Tastes Brahmos.
Major Pointers from Press Conference Held By DGMOs At NMC.ย