Context: At the COP30 in Belem, Brazil, India delivered its opening statement, asserting that the 10th anniversary of the 2015 Paris Agreement must not be leveraged to “change the architecture” of the climate consensus.
The statement’s primary objective was to defend the foundational principle of “Common But Differentiated Responsibilities” (CBDR).
Why is CBDR Non-Negotiable?
CBDR, a cornerstone of the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) , mandates that developed nations bear greater historical responsibility for emissions. India’s stance is that climate action must not impede national development. This defense is prompted by developed nations failing to meet climate finance commitments.
What is the Finance and Adaptation mechanism?
The mechanism is twofold:
1. Climate Finance: A significant gap exists between the developing world’s demand ($1.35 trillion annually) and developed nations’ pledges ($300 billion annually), failing to fund adaptation and mitigation.
2. Adaptation: India, for the LMDC, stressed that advancing adaptation is a priority and urged the submission of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).
National Adaptation and Emission Plans:
India and LMDC partners urged all nations to expedite submission of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs)in line with domestic priorities. India, however, is yet tosubmit its own NAP and updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for 2035 to the UNFCCC.
BASIC Bloc and Net-Zero Responsibility
Representing the BASIC group (Brazil, India, China, South Africa), India stressed that developed nations must achieve net zero ahead of schedule and invest in negative-emission technologies. It called for greater accountability from advanced economies to uphold climate justice and support global mitigation efforts.
