Nandyal MP Byreddy Shabari at the BRICS Parliamentary Forum held in Brazil on Wednesday.

Nandyal MP Byreddy Shabari asserted that India had been actively protecting the environment even before global discussions on climate change began, citing the Chipko Movement of the 1970s, in which rural women played a key role in saving forests, as an example, at a session on ‘Empowering Women to Face the Climate Crisis’, organised as part of the BRICS Parliamentary Forum held in Brazil on Wednesday.

On the occasion, Ms. Shabari highlighted India’s progress on the climate goal front, which included a 24% reduction in emission intensity and an addition of 159 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity, and mentioned that the country had the largest number of Ramsar sites in entire South Asia.

She also spoke about the need for gender-inclusive climate policies, and the important role women could play in environment protection.

Ms. Shabari said it was enriching to engage and exchange ideas with fellow Parliamentarians from around the world, especially from the BRICS group of nations, and these interactions reinforced the importance of dialogue, solidarity, and shared commitment to progress and equality, while thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for giving her the opportunity to be part of the Indian delegation led by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.