India on Tuesday called for greater equity in global climate action and emphasised the responsibility of developed countries to provide financial resources to developing nations, warning that adaptation and a just transition remained major challenges for the Global South.
Delivering India's opening statement at the ongoing UN climate conference COP31 in Antalya, Turkiye, Environment Ministry Secretary Narendra Bhooshan said the principle of equity had acquired renewed urgency to ensure that no country or community was left behind in the collective response to climate change.
India stressed that the challenges of transitioning towards low-carbon economies and meeting adaptation requirements were particularly complex for developing nations, where climate action was closely linked to broader development priorities.
๐๐น๐ถ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฐ๐๐
New Delhi underlined that public finance from developed countries remained central to accelerating climate action in developing economies and strengthening their ability to cope with the consequences of global warming.
India emphasised the need to increase adaptation finance flows, particularly for vulnerable developing countries facing growing climate-related risks.
The country also reiterated the fundamental importance of Article 9.1 of the 2015 Paris Agreement, which establishes the obligation of developed countries to provide financial resources to assist developing nations in implementing climate mitigation and adaptation measures.
India's position highlighted the continuing importance of financial support in enabling developing countries to meet their climate commitments while addressing pressing economic and social development needs.
๐๐พ๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
India also reaffirmed its commitment to climate multilateralism and the principles of equity and Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC).
The principle recognises that while all countries share responsibility for addressing climate change, their obligations must reflect differences in historical contributions to emissions and their respective capacities.
New Delhi maintained that a just transition and adequate adaptation support were essential for ensuring that climate action did not undermine the development aspirations of countries in the Global South.
India called for a fair, equitable and ambitious outcome from COP31, with climate finance and development considerations remaining central to the negotiations.
The annual UN climate conference opened in Antalya on Monday and is scheduled to continue until November 20, bringing together countries to negotiate collective responses to climate change.
India's opening intervention placed equity, financial obligations and the development challenges of poorer nations at the centre of its negotiating position.