India at COP27 | Here are the Key Points in Indian Agenda

The much-awaited UN Climate Summit, COP27, has finally begun at  Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt on 6 November, 2022. Over 45,000 registered COP27 participants and over 120 heads of states and governments are expected to attend the summit. The Indian delegation is being headed by Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav. These are some of the main points on India’s agenda. 

Definition of ‘Climate Finance’ 

India seeks more clarity on the definition of ‘climate finance’ a much-debated topic among the countries of the world. The interpretation of the term must be in line with the commitments made by the countries on climate finance in the Convention and its Paris Agreement, according to India.

An official press release from the Ministry said, “India looks forward to substantial progress on the discussions related to climate finance and clarity on its definition. As it is a saying that “what gets measured gets done”, more clarity is needed on the definition of climate finance for the developing countries to be able to accurately assess the extent of finance flows for climate action. While the Standing Committee on finance will submit a report on the various definitions, we hope to have good deliberations on this to arrive at a common understanding.”

The promised ‘USD100 billion’

The failure of wealthier nations to uphold their commitment of $100 billion to assist developing countries in coping with the climate problem and raising money for mitigation to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is another issue. India plans to ramp up pressure on rich nations to deliver on this promise. An official statement said, “The goal of USD100 billion per year of climate finance by 2020 and every year thereafter through till 2025 is yet to be achieved. Due to lack of common understanding, several estimates of what has flown as climate finance are available. While the promised amount must be reached as quickly as possible, there is a need now to substantially enhance the ambition to ensure adequate resource flow under the new quantified goal post-2024.”

Strengthening the financial mechanisms of UNFCCC 

India seeks the strengthening of the financial mechanisms of UNFCCC as it is imperative to meet the climate finance delivery goals. ‘There needs to be a greater discussion on this as resources available to them should be utilized well. The SCF could also play an important role in assessing the shortcomings and may suggest appropriate measures to address them,’ the ministry said. 

The New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG)

As the costs of combating and adapting to climate change have increased, developing countries, including India, will pressure developed nations to accept a new global climate finance objective, also known as the new collective quantified goal on climate finance (NCQG). The Ministry said that the discussion on NCQG in the ad-hoc working group must focus on the quantity of the resource flow and its quality and scope. 

A statement said, “The discussion on the new collective quantified goal in the ad-hoc working group must focus on the quantity of the resource flow and also on the quality and scope. Issues relating to access to and suggestions for improvement in the function of the financial mechanisms are also important. Besides this, improvement in transparency to ensure appropriate oversight of the quantum and direction of flows is imperative. The Ad hoc working group must provide advice/ suggestions covering all the above aspects.”

The COP of Implementation

India welcomes the naming of COP27 as the COP of ‘Implementation’. A statement by the Ministry said that it will support the Egyptian Presidency of COP27, which is also a member of the Like Minded Developing Countries, for a plan of action that answers the needs of developing countries. The Ministry said in a statement, “India welcomes this step as over the last twelve months the world has seen the widening gap between the statements by developed countries at COP 26 in Glasgow and the reality of their actions.”

Loss and Damage

India of course regards Loss and Damage as one of the key issues in the agenda list and seeks specific progress on the issue of loss and damage finance. “The existing financial mechanisms, like Global Environment Facility, Green Climate Fund and Adaptation Fund, under the UNFCCC have not been able to mobilise or deliver funds for loss and damage due to climate change,” the ministry said. 

The Ministry also added that these are under-funded, most of the money is for mitigation and accessing it is cumbersome and time-consuming.

“These are the circumstances based on which G77 and China has proposed adoption of an agenda item on loss and damage finance. It is the time that this issue is accorded prominence on the climate agenda that it rightfully deserves,” the Ministry statement said. 

Global Goal on Adaptation

A Global Goal on Adaptation, which intends to offer a system for tracking and analysing nations’ progress on adaptation initiatives and for catalysing adaptation funding, was agreed upon by all parties to the Paris Agreement. India seeks significant progress on actions, indicators and metrics in terms of Global Goal on Adaptation. 

Mitigation Work Program (MWP)

“There must not be any hidden agenda of mitigation, especially in the form of nature-based solutions, in the name of co-benefits,” the Ministry statement said. 

Earlier nations decided to create a Mitigation Work Program (MWP) at COP26 in Glasgow in order to “urgently scale up mitigation ambition and implementation.” Developing nations have expressed fear that wealthy nations will pressure them to change their climate goals through the MWP without increasing the availability of technology and funding. India claims that the Paris Agreement’s “goal posts” cannot be changed by the Work Programme on Enhanced Ambition in Mitigation and Implementation.

“The Work Programme on Enhanced Ambition in Mitigation and Implementation cannot be allowed to change the goal posts set by the Paris Agreement,” the Ministry statement said. “The GST process and the other mechanisms of the Paris Agreement, including enhanced NDCs and submission of the long-term low emissions development strategies, are sufficient. In the Mitigation Work Programme best practices, new technologies and new modes of collaboration for technology transfer and capacity building may be discussed fruitfully.”

Article 2(1) (c)

Rich nations want to talk about Article 2.1(c) of the Paris Agreement, which calls for all financial flows to be “consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development” that is, the funds must be tied to projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. India states that on the issue of finance, a discussion on Article 2.1 (c), a sub-clause of article 2, cannot be opened as a standalone COP27 agenda item at this stage and has to be read in conjunction with the entire article 2 as well as article 9 on climate finance. “Reaching the USD 100 billion per year goal must come first, and the developed countries must be asked to show the roadmap for the same,” the Ministry statement said. 

LiFE Movement

India will emphasize again its invitation to all countries to join the LiFE movement – Lifestyle for Environment,  which it terms ‘a pro-people and pro-planet effort that seeks to shift the world from mindless and wasteful consumption to mindful and deliberate utilization of natural resources’.