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India withdrew its offer to host the COP33 climate summit in 2028 a few days ago, sources have told Down To Earth (DTE). The offer had been formally announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a global meeting in 2023 and had received the backing of several frontline countries.
“It’s true,” a senior official from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) confirmed to DTE in response to a query on April 8 evening. “The matter was under consideration for some time and only recently was the formal decision about withdrawal conveyed,” confirmed another senior ministry official. A query by this correspondent to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav went unanswered. As of 8.30 am on April 9, the MoEFCC neither confirmed nor denied the news of a ‘withdrawal’.
“I am very surprised. It was high on PM’s Agenda specially since 2029 will be year of Lok Sabha polls. So atmospherics could ve (have) created,” wrote Congress leader and former union environment minister Jairam Ramesh on his X handle on April 8 night.
The information was first shared by Climate Home News, a digital platform reporting on climate issues and geopolitics, on April 8. It was subsequently verified by this correspondent from several independent sources including MoEFCC, though no official wanted to be quoted on the matter.
The withdrawal came as a surprise as India had been using the proposed COP to position itself as the leader of the Global South in climate matters. In July last year, the BRICS group, consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, “welcomed” New Delhi’s candidacy to host COP33 in a joint statement.
According to sources, a communication from the Indian government on April 2 intimated withdrawing its candidacy in a letter addressed to the chair of the Asia-Pacific Group. The offer stands withdrawn “following a review of its commitments for the year 2028”, it stated.
“The decision was taken at the very top, and we do not have much of a clue,” pointed out one official when quizzed on the decision.
India made the offer during the Dubai climate summit in 2023. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his plenary lecture at the summit on December 01, 2023, said, “India is committed to the UN Framework for Climate Change Process … Therefore, today I also propose from this platform to host the COP33 summit in India in 2028.”
Subsequently, the Union Ministry of External Affairs website confirmed the development, “… Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi participated in the High-level segment of the “World Climate Action Summit” of the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference COP-28, on 01 December 2023, being held at Dubai, UAE (where) Prime Minister also proposed to host the COP-33 in India in 2028”.
Soon after the announcement, the Indian government formed an 11-member high power cell to oversee the organisation of the proposed COP. Incidentally, India had organised a climate COP only once in 2002.
“I also heard about the decision. Actually, the government was mulling on the withdrawal for quite some time,” said a former senior official from MoEFCC. Asked about the reason for withdrawing from organising such a major global event, the official said the government apparently has a plan to organise a few other big-ticket events during the time, about a year before the next parliamentary election. It does not want to get embroiled into organising the COP which is a major global event that spreads over two weeks involving nearly 200 countries and close to 75,000 participants from all over the world.
“Maybe the next Commonwealth Games slated in 2030 at Ahmedabad, which will be an extremely big-ticket event, is the reason,” agreed a senior government official.
“Maybe the Centre believes the COP will bring additional pressure on the country to deliver more on the climate front, which it does not want. Already, its latest NDC has been criticised in certain international sectors, and there is a push for India to become more ambitious on climate change,” added a climate expert.
According to Climate Home News, India’s decision “leaves uncertainty over the host of COP33, which will follow COP31 in Türkiye and COP32 in Ethiopia”. The Indian decision means that South Korea is now the only country having expressed interest in hosting the 2028 summit, with a final decision expected later this year. The right to host the annual climate COP negotiations rotates between the UN’s five regional groups, and COP33 is scheduled to be organised by a country from the Asia-Pacific.
Independent experts observed that India’s decision to withdraw would be a setback for climate action in the country as well as globally.
“India’s withdrawal from the COP33 bid is a strategic missed opportunity. Having proven it can green its economy at a record pace, India has now forfeited the home stage to showcase its renewable energy triumphs, electric mobility revolution, and more,” pointed out global climate activist Harjeet Singh, founding director of Satat Sampada Climate Foundation. “… By stepping back, New Delhi also loses a critical platform to champion the Global South,” Singh further added.
“India’s leadership consistently reminded developed nations of their responsibilities on mitigation and finance. Its withdrawal from the nomination is therefore a setback for the global effort toward an ambitious and equitable climate agenda,” pointed out Sanjay Vashist, director of Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA).
“South Asia is a hotbed of climate change. The summit in India would have definitely been able to highlight the concerns and vulnerability of the region. The COP could have brought more support for the region; we missed the opportunity to be seen and heard,” observed another climate expert who has been following global climate negotiations for close to two decades.