India Urges COP31 To Prioritise Climate Finance, Technology Transfer And Equitable Climate Action

India has called for increased climate finance, technology transfer and capacity-building support for developing countries ahead of COP31, stressing that the upcoming climate summit must rebuild trust through the balanced and equitable implementation of global climate commitments.

Speaking at a special event convened by the President of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Soumya Nair, Counsellor at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, said international climate action must take into account countries’ national circumstances, development priorities and differing capacities.

“As India emphasised at Pre-COP in Fiji, our shared ground exceeds our differences. COP31 must restore trust through balanced implementation,” Nair said.

She added that developing countries needed practical support to pursue their nationally determined climate pathways without compromising their development imperatives.

“Implementation must respect national circumstances and development imperatives, with practical support enabling developing countries to pursue nationally determined climate pathways,” she said.

India Puts Climate Finance And Technology Transfer At The Centre

India identified climate finance obligations of developed countries as a key priority for COP31, alongside technology transfer and capacity-building.

Nair said the work programme under Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement should advance developed countries’ financial obligations, with discussions first addressing the scope and modalities of those commitments. She also highlighted the potential of cooperation under Article 6 to mobilise additional resources.

India called for faster implementation of climate technologies and the removal of barriers that prevent developing countries from accessing and deploying them.

On climate adaptation, New Delhi stressed the importance of predictable and accessible financial assistance, technology and capacity-building, particularly for vulnerable communities. It also cautioned against making adaptation processes excessively technical or imposing additional reporting burdens on developing countries.

“India is finalizing its first national adaptation plan,” Nair said.

She highlighted demonstrations of climate-resilient agricultural technologies in 448 villages across 151 vulnerable districts. She also pointed to water conservation and rainwater harvesting initiatives undertaken through the Jal Shakti Abhiyan.

India Calls For Just Transition To Protect Livelihoods

India also urged COP31 to operationalise a just transition mechanism based on equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC).

The principle recognises that countries have different historical responsibilities for climate change and varying capacities to address it.

“COP31 should operationalise the just transition mechanism grounded in equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, safeguarding livelihoods and nationally determined development pathways,” Nair said.

India also raised concerns about unilateral trade measures, including carbon border adjustment mechanisms, warning against approaches that could shift the burden of historical emissions onto developing countries.

The country has consistently argued that climate policies should not undermine development opportunities or impose disproportionate costs on economies that continue to address poverty, infrastructure needs and energy access.

India Highlights Renewable Energy Progress

Highlighting India’s domestic climate efforts, Nair said the country had achieved 50 per cent of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources five years ahead of its 2030 target.

She also cited the PM Surya Ghar rooftop solar programme and the National Green Hydrogen Mission as examples of India’s efforts to expand clean energy deployment.

India is also seeking to strengthen international cooperation through initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance and the Global Biofuels Alliance, which promote collaboration on renewable energy and cleaner fuel technologies.

New Delhi’s position is that domestic climate action must be supported by international finance, technology and cooperation, particularly where developing countries face constraints in implementing their climate commitments.

India Says Global Stocktake Must Not Create New Obligations

India stressed that international climate cooperation should remain inclusive and consensus-based, with the global stocktake focused on strengthening the implementation of existing commitments, especially those relating to finance and other forms of support.

Nair cautioned against using the global stocktake to introduce additional mitigation obligations or sector-specific requirements beyond the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

“It should not become a vehicle for new mitigation obligations or sector-specific prescriptions which are outside the UNFCCC process,” she said.

The global stocktake is a key component of the Paris Agreement, designed to assess collective progress towards achieving its climate goals and inform future action.

India Signals Readiness For COP31 Cooperation

Concluding her remarks, Nair expressed support for the COP31 presidencies and said India was prepared to engage in dialogue, technical cooperation and targeted capacity-building to help secure a balanced outcome.

She emphasised that the needs of vulnerable countries and communities must remain central to international climate negotiations.

India’s message ahead of COP31 is that ambition on climate action must be matched by implementation support. It wants developed countries to meet their financial commitments, improve access to climate technologies and ensure that global climate policies respect equity and the development priorities of poorer nations.

The summit will be an important opportunity for countries to address differences over climate finance, adaptation, technology transfer and the fair distribution of responsibilities as they work towards implementing the Paris Agreement.