A new COP30 roadmap urges countries to develop national plans to reduce fossil fuel consumption, expand cleaner energy and restructure fossil fuel-dependent economies.
India has refused to sign the COP31 Presidency's 35-by-35 Global Electrification Pledge, which aims to raise electricity's share of global final energy consumption to 35% by 2035.
Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav reiterated India's opposition to the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), citing national economic interests.
India called for greater international climate finance, highlighting the gap between existing commitments and the needs of developing countries.
The voluntary roadmap recognises different national capacities but faces questions over financing, implementation timelines and accountability.
Countries must develop national plans to reduce their dependence on coal, oil and gas, expand low-emissions energy and restructure fossil fuel-dependent economies, according to a new roadmap released by Brazil’s 30th Conference of the Parties (COP 30) Presidency under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The roadmap seeks to translate the commitment to transition away from fossil fuels, agreed at COP28 in Dubai, into practical action. Meanwhile, India has said it will not sign a global electrification pledge being promoted by Türkiye's incoming COP31 Presidency.
The Roadmap for Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels (TAFF) in Energy Systems, in a Just, Orderly and Equitable Manner identifies three priorities: reducing fossil fuel consumption, managing the decline of fossil fuel production while expanding cleaner energy, and transforming economies dependent on fossil fuels.
Fossil fuels account for about 73 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, which reached 57.7 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2024, according to the roadmap.
Prepared under COP30 President André Aranha Corrêa do Lago, the document is voluntary and does not establish new commitments or national targets. It draws on 267 submissions, including those from countries or groups representing 115 nations.
India will not sign the 35-by-35 Global Electrification Pledge, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav told reporters on November 3, 2026. “We are not going to sign any pledge. This is their agenda,” he said, adding that India's official position would be communicated at COP31.
Launched by Türkiye's COP31 Presidency in September 2026, the initiative aims to increase electricity's share of global final energy consumption from just over 20 per cent to 35 per cent by 2035.
It calls for faster electrification of transport, buildings and industry, supported by renewable energy, modern electricity grids and storage.
The COP30 roadmap also identifies electrification as a priority but warns that expanding electricity use without adequate investment in generation, transmission and storage could undermine reliability and affordability.
This is particularly relevant to developing economies such as India, where electricity demand is growing alongside industrialisation, urbanisation and efforts to expand energy access.
The roadmap also notes that disruptions to fossil fuel supply routes in 2026 exposed importing countries to shortages and higher prices, strengthening the case for domestically produced low-emissions energy.
Yadav also reaffirmed India's opposition to the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which imposes carbon-related obligations on imports of certain emissions-intensive goods.
Asked whether the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) would lead to a change in India's position, he said: “We have cleared our stand again and again. And we are committed to India's interests and protection.”
The comments follow the September 2026 BRICS New Delhi Declaration, which opposed what it described as unilateral, discriminatory and protectionist measures, including carbon border adjustments.
The EU's CBAM entered its definitive phase on January 1, 2026. It initially covers iron and steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, electricity and hydrogen.
Indian exporters could face additional costs associated with emissions reporting, verification and carbon certificates, particularly smaller manufacturers.
Although India-EU FTA negotiations concluded in January 2026, the agreement does not provide India with a blanket exemption from CBAM.
Yadav called for substantially greater international climate finance, arguing that existing commitments fall far short of developing countries' needs. Responding to a question about Nepal's access to the Loss and Damage Fund following devastating floods, he said India would support greater international assistance for vulnerable countries.
He contrasted the previously discussed $100 billion climate finance target with what he described as a $3 trillion requirement.
The Loss and Damage Fund, established at COP27, had received pledges of approximately $822 million from 27 contributors as of March 15, 2026.
Nepal has sought $20 million following floods in August 2026, equivalent to about 0.7 per cent of its estimated $2.7 billion in physical damage and economic losses, according to Carbon Brief.
The broader Baku-to-Belém Roadmap seeks to mobilise at least $1.3 trillion annually for developing countries by 2035.
A central feature of the COP30 roadmap is its recognition that countries face different challenges in moving away from fossil fuels.
Its proposed Belém Readiness Approach assesses national circumstances across three areas: energy demand, energy supply and economic transition.
It calls for greater energy efficiency and electrification, expansion of renewable energy, economic diversification and social protection for workers and communities dependent on fossil fuels.
Countries are encouraged to incorporate these measures into their national climate commitments, long-term development strategies and energy plans.
The roadmap’s approach reflected the need to account for different national circumstances, said Avantika Goswami, programme manager, Climate Change and Green Economy Programme at the Centre for Science and Environment.
“Brazil’s framework is one put forth by a developing country, via a consultative process that invited submissions from all Parties and civil society. The analytical framework proposed captures the complexity of the fossil fuel transition. Countries must now use it to chart out pathways in line with their historical responsibility and current capacity.”
The roadmap also cautions that expanding renewable energy without reducing fossil fuel consumption could simply increase overall energy supply rather than replace coal, oil and gas.
Researchers and campaigners have called for clearer commitments on financing and implementation.
Fanny Petitbon, Policy Analyst at 350.org, described the roadmap as a “critical handbook for ending the fossil fuel era”, but said its emphasis on equity was not sufficiently reflected in differentiated timelines or financial obligations.
She urged wealthy countries to provide public finance to support developing economies and called on major emitters to publish national transition plans.
“COP31 must be the moment when governments take this work forward, with clear commitments, timelines and the resources to deliver a fair and orderly exit from coal, oil and gas,” she said.
The COP30 Presidency has proposed continuing international discussions on the fossil fuel transition, including a second conference in 2027. The next Global Stocktake under the Paris Agreement, scheduled for 2028, will provide an opportunity to assess progress.