India took a powerful stand at the UN Climate Change Conference (CoP30) Leaders' Summit in Belem, Brazil, asserting that global climate action must be rooted in equity and the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC).
Ambassador Dinesh Bhatia delivered India's message, insisting that developed countries, as historical polluters, must lead the change by accelerating their emission reductions and fulfilling their promise to deliver adequate and predictable financial support to the developing world.
India stressed that for ambitious climate targets to be met, affordable finance, technology access, and capacity-building are not negotiable; they are the essential cornerstones.
India's Progress So Far:
Meanwhile, India showcased its own significant progress: hitting its revised climate targets five years early with non-fossil fuel sources accounting for over 50% of installed power capacity, reducing its GDP emission intensity by 36%, and India has created an additional carbon sink equivalent to 2.29 billion tonnes of CO2 by expanding its forest and tree cover.
Also, India's International Solar Alliance (ISA) now promotes affordable solar energy and South-South collaboration across over 120 countries.
Joining the Tropical Forests Initiative
Demonstrating commitment to global solutions, India welcomed and joined Brazil's new Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF) as an Observer, recognising it as a crucial step for collective forest preservation.
Global Leaders Set COP30 Priorities
World leaders gathered in Belem, a gateway to the Amazon, to set the main agenda for COP30 negotiations: fossil fuels, climate finance, and forest protection.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva set an assertive tone, calling for a "clear roadmap to end its dependence on fossil fuels" and emphasising 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 urged leaders to align their NDCs with the 1.5 degree Celsius goal and launched the Belem commitment to quadruple the use of sustainable fuels by 2035.
The summit saw the launch of the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF), which secured over $5.5 billion in starting capital from key contributors like Norway, France, Brazil, and Indonesia, aiming to make forests financially viable when left alive.
Moreover, Brazil and Azerbaijan released the "Baku to Belem Roadmap," an extensive plan detailing how to mobilise at least $1.3 trillion in climate finance by 2035.
Diverse Views and Call to Action
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasised that "innovation and technology" are the key to tackling climate change, asserting that the German economy is the solution, not the problem.
Marshall Island's Minister Kalani Kaneko stated that the future of his country depends on the largest emitters showing up with "higher-ambition NDCs and more finance."
Experts praised President Lula's "positive political signal" for prioritising the phase-out of fossil fuels, while also stressing the critical need for all nations to move past targets to actual implementation and resilience based on shared, fair responsibility.
Praising TFFF initiative, Lord Zac Goldsmith, former UK Minister for the Environment, said, "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."
