Pre-COP31: India calls for stronger climate action, Paris Agreement implementation
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Suva: India has called for stronger action to meet existing climate commitments, close gaps in implementation and accelerate progress towards the goals of the Paris Agreement at the Pre-COP31 meeting in Fiji.
Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav, who is leading the Indian delegation, made the remarks during a plenary session on priorities for COP31. The preparatory meeting is being co-hosted by Australia, Fiji and Tuvalu ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference, which will be held in Turkey in November.
Yadav said the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement have already established long-term objectives, including the goal of limiting the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius. He stressed that achieving these targets requires adequate means of implementation and a faster transition from commitments to action.
Referring to the COP31 Presidencies’ emphasis on consensus, decision-making and implementation, Yadav said there is broad agreement on the overall direction and long-term goals of international climate action.
He called for greater attention to gaps in understanding, including differences between scientific knowledge and traditional or community practices, between practices and ethical considerations, and between available resources and the needs experienced on the ground.
Yadav said COP31 should work towards addressing these gaps. On decision-making, he urged countries to fulfil their commitments under the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement in full and create conditions that enable all parties to meet their obligations.
He also called for implementation to focus on areas where needs are greatest and climate impacts are most visible, while stressing the importance of capacity building. Countries should present concrete examples and successful models of large-scale adaptation, high-impact mitigation and effective delivery of climate finance and other means of implementation, he said.
On the sidelines, Yadav met UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J Mohammed and UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell to discuss COP31 priorities, including adaptation, climate finance, just transition and implementation support.
He also held talks with European Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth Wopke Hoekstra on clean energy access, science-based policymaking, technology transfer and traditional knowledge. India and the EU agreed to work towards a productive and solution-oriented COP31.
With IANS inputs