India emphasizes predictable climate finance and technology transfer at COP31

According to a Hindustan Times report, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Tuesday detailed India's priority issues for the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), scheduled to be held from 9 to 20 November in Antalya, Turkey. He stated that India will participate in this conference with a solution-oriented approach and present practical solutions for the Global South, where capacity building, knowledge sharing, and geography-specific solutions will remain at the center of discussions.

Briefing reporters, the minister stated that predictable climate finance will remain a key priority along with discussions on party-driven mitigation, technology transfer, and a just transition. At COP31, India is demanding a decision to operationalize the Climate Finance Work Program—under which developed countries must fulfill their responsibilities of providing financial resources to developing nations for mitigation and adaptation.

Stating that climate finance under Article 9.1 is the responsibility of developed countries, the minister said on Tuesday that it must be predictable, largely public and concessional, and should not increase the debt burden. India will also emphasize that mitigation and the global stocktake remain party-driven, facilitative, and non-punitive, respect the nationally determined nature of NDCs, and reject new top-down targets. The minister is scheduled to leave for Antalya on 15 November.

Stating that climate adaptation also remains a priority for India, the minister said that the agenda must remain distinct from negotiations and uniform global targets must respect national circumstances. Regarding the prevailing impacts of El Nino at a time when the West Asia crisis was ongoing, the minister stated that the impacts were observed across all countries.

He said that IPCC reports come from time to time, and interventions also come. We say that science is informing us and telling us more and more about these challenges. Technology is helping us, but its reach must be available to everyone in the world. No one in the world can deny the challenges posed by climate change. India's stand was also clear that technology transfer is the responsibility of developed countries and it should be shared with developing nations.

He added that secondly, costs, intellectual property rights (IPR), and trade-related barriers should be removed because as long as we continue to create barriers to technology, smaller countries, especially those that should benefit from such technology, will not get those benefits. For this reason, India continues to oppose the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).

He further added that we also believe that participation in carbon markets should be voluntary. On CBAM, we will remain firm on our position. When it comes to protecting India's interests, that is something we speak about most strongly.

In September, as part of BRICS in the New Delhi Declaration, India opposed unilateral, punitive, discriminatory, and protectionist measures like CBAM, expressing concern that such measures undermine the efforts of countries, especially developing nations.

Minister Yadav further stated that India aims to work closely with G-77 and China, Like-Minded Developing Countries (LMDC), and BASIC countries.

He added that at COP31, we want to make a positive contribution to global efforts with the goal of achieving the objectives of the Climate Convention and the Paris Agreement. The country will also highlight the need for adaptation in agriculture, food security, and the link between the livelihoods of small and marginal farmers.

Concluding, he stated that we want to play a constructive, bridge-building role in Antalya, seeking an outcome that moves from promises to implementation and support.