India calls for climate funds to mitigate and adaptation efforts at COP30
By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – India on Monday reiterated its demand for climate funding from developed countries, echoed the commitments made in 2015 during a UN finance negotiation meeting held on Saturday night.
India has voiced its concerns regarding the developed nations’ commitments to the Paris Agreement (signed at COP21), specifically criticizing their failure to provide reliable funding for climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts ahead of the critical climate negotiations kick off.
The discussions focused primarily on Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement, which concerns climate finance. India, represented a coalition of like-minded developing nations, emphasized that financial support must be dependable, supplemental and free of green washing.
Article 9.1 outlined that developed countries are obligated to provide financial resources to support developing nations in both mitigation and adaptation measures.
And the Article 9.3 underscores the responsibility of developed countries to lead in mobilize climate finance for these efforts.
The critical shift of developed countries’ stand was stressed by India during the talks and flagged the issue of the New Collective Quantified Goal of the nations, COP30 stated.
NCQG to raise at least USD 300 billion annually for developing countries by 2035, superseding the target of USD 100 billion.
It sets an ambitious goal to mobilize USD 1.3 trillion annually from various sources by 2035.
The goal is a crucial aspect of the Paris Agreement and was a significant topic at COP29 in Baku in 2024, where discussions ran overtime due to its complexity. India expressed its dissatisfaction with the NCQG, described it as a suboptimal solution that lacks clear commitments from developed nations.
They pointed out that while it references Article 9.3, it fails to address the issues outlined in Article 9.1.
Indian delegation criticized the decision as inadequate, lacking a specific plan to manage quantitative elements, and noted it shifts the onus of responsibility away from developed countries regarding the balance between mitigation and adaptation financing.
UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell addressed the media, emphasized the need for clarity as ministers arrive for the negotiations.
He stated, “It’s essential to make their job as straightforward as possible by continuing vital technical work and making progress in each session.”
Simon Stiel urged that to achieve successful outcomes at COP30, it’s crucial to seek alignment and common ground on issues significant to all parties involved.
He noted the importance of collaboration, urged participants to connect and engage in discussions to secure a balanced and concrete outcome for COP30, as the key issues are becoming increasingly evident.
