Instead of allowing external powers to dictate their development, China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam have balanced strategic international engagement with domestic capacity-building and decision-making. This model has become newly relevant for Canada, the United Kingdom, and other middle powers.
As national systems rapidly expand in the region, the challenge and opportunity is to align them into an interoperable network that can unlock efficient, trusted, and scalable global climate finance.
The Indian government should take a leaf out of the Mahakumbh playbook, ensuring adequate budget allocation for the establishment of waste treatment and waste-to-energy generation facilities in all Indian metros.