International Journal of Social Science Research (IJSSR)

North–South Divide in Global Environmental Politics: Examining India’s Position

In contemporary international politics, environmental conflict has emerged as a significant issue. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the international system witnessed a growing division of the world into two blocs over how to address environmental problems such as water scarcity, rising temperatures, and increasing levels of pollution. At one time, discussions in international relations primarily revolved around industrial advancement and the mutual relations among states that had progressed through industrialization and factory-based production. However, in the subsequent period, environmental concerns have emerged as a major issue in global politics. Within the international system, issues such as environmental degradation and ecological imbalance have often been brought to the forefront of global discussions when capitalist-dominated states deemed them significant. Yet today, countries like the United States have expressed reluctance even after signing the Paris Agreement. As a result, as environmental issues increasingly occupy a central place in world politics, a new form of division has become evident. The middle section of the report presents a detailed analysis of various environmentalists from the Indian perspective. It also highlights the significance of the report of the Brandt Commission in exploring the causes of the North–South divide. Finally, the report attempts to identify possible pathways toward consensus by resolving the debate between the Global North and the Global South. Keywords: Environmental, Industrialization, Ecological, Global North, Global South