India Champions Climate Justice at COP30: Demanding Equity in Global Climate Action and Finance

India presented a compelling case at the UN Climate Change Conference (CoP30) Leaders' Summit in Belem, Brazil, emphasizing that global climate initiatives must be founded on equity and the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC).

Ambassador Dinesh Bhatia conveyed India's position, urging developed nations, as historical contributors to pollution, to take the lead by expediting their emission reductions and fulfilling their commitment to provide adequate and predictable financial assistance to developing countries.

India emphasized that meeting ambitious climate goals requires affordable financing, access to technology, and capacity-building as non-negotiable, fundamental elements.

India's Climate Achievements:

India highlighted its remarkable progress, achieving its revised climate targets five years ahead of schedule with non-fossil fuel sources now representing over 50% of installed power capacity, decreasing its GDP emission intensity by 36%, and establishing an additional carbon sink equivalent to 2.29 billion tonnes of CO2 through expanded forest and tree cover.

Additionally, India's International Solar Alliance (ISA) now advances affordable solar energy and South-South collaboration across more than 120 countries.

Supporting the Tropical Forests Initiative

Demonstrating its commitment to global solutions, India welcomed and joined Brazil's new Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF) as an Observer, acknowledging it as a vital step for collective forest conservation.

World Leaders Establish COP30 Priorities

Global leaders convened in Belem, an entrance to the Amazon, to define the primary agenda for COP30 negotiations: fossil fuels, climate finance, and forest protection.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva set a determined tone, advocating for a "clear roadmap to end its dependence on fossil fuels" and stressing that COP30 must be the "COP of truth."

"More than 250,000 people could die every year. Global GDP could shrink by up to 30%. That is why COP30 will be the COP of truth. It is time to take the warnings of science seriously. It is time to face reality and decide whether we will have the courage and determination needed to transform it."

He encouraged leaders to align their NDCs with the 1.5 degree Celsius target and introduced the Belem commitment to quadruple sustainable fuel use by 2035.

The summit featured the launch of the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF), which garnered over $5.5 billion in initial capital from key contributors including Norway, France, Brazil, and Indonesia, aiming to make forest preservation financially viable.

Furthermore, Brazil and Azerbaijan unveiled the "Baku to Belem Roadmap," a comprehensive plan outlining how to mobilize at least $1.3 trillion in climate finance by 2035.

Varied Perspectives and Call for Action

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized that "innovation and technology" are crucial for addressing climate change, asserting that the German economy is the solution, not the problem.

Marshall Island's Minister Kalani Kaneko declared that his country's future depends on major emitters presenting "higher-ambition NDCs and more finance."

Experts commended President Lula's "positive political signal" for prioritizing fossil fuel phase-out, while also emphasizing the critical necessity for all nations to move beyond targets toward actual implementation and resilience based on shared, fair responsibility.

Praising the TFFF initiative, Lord Zac Goldsmith, former UK Minister for the Environment, stated, "The TFFF gives governments confidence that when they stop deforestation, they'll be rewarded, year in, year out. And because of its design, investors will get their money back. At a time of reduced availability of funds, and increased decimation of the great forest basins, this is as close as you get to win win. The UK's decision to walk away at the last minute is hugely frustrating, not least because we helped design the fund and put forests to the top of the agenda when we hosted COP26. But with or without the UK, history has been made here today, and those countries that are backing the TFFF will be thanked by generations to come."