Ahead of COP 26, India reaffirms, reasserts stance on key issues

Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, September 21

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Ahead of the upcoming climate talks in Glasgow, India is continuously asserting and reaffirming its stated stance regarding transfer and financing of green technologies by developed countries, viewed as a key to securing an ambitious outcome to the summit.

While reminding them of their emissions in past decades, Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav has been regularly asserting in his meetings with counterparts from other countries and climate platforms the greater responsibility of developed nations towards mitigation, providing financial support to developing countries and the promise of USD 100 billion per year goal they made in 2009.

Representing India at the UN Secretary General’s meeting with select leaders on Climate Change on Monday, Yadav said the COP 26 should focus on climate finance in scope, scale and speed and transfer of green technologies at low cost.

Speaking at the meeting was convened by United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, Prime Minister of United Kingdom and Boris Johnson, Yadav underlined the need to uphold the principles of UNFCCC process for any successful outcome in any climate change negotiations, including the upcoming COP 26.

According to an official statement, crucial climate actions on finance, mitigation and adaptation required for tackling the climate crisis were discussed at the meeting where Yadav also spoke about concrete climate actions taken by India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, including 450 GW of Renewable Energy by 2030.

Referring to recent IPCC findings and the latest UNFCCC Synthesis Report, he said developed countries have collectively emitted more than their estimated emission allowances in 2008-2020 period and they should take greater action on mitigation and provide financial support to developing countries.

Even at the UNFCCC there is a very urgent need for giving due importance to adaptation and discuss whether the scale of resources is commensurate with the scale of the needs of developing countries, he said.

Yadav also underlined that ambitious climate action in developing countries is dependent on ambitious support from developed countries under the Paris Agreement, and called upon the developed countries to fulfil their promise of the USD 100 billion per year goal made in 2009.

Notably, Johnson has been quoted as saying that there is only a 60 per cent chance that the USD 100 billion in climate finance, which is viewed as key to securing an ambitious outcome to the summit, will be in place by the time world leaders meet in Glasgow in November.