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India, which announced its intention to be the voice of the Global South on climate issues at the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held at Dubai and also proposed to hold the COP in India in 2028, has a low-key presence at the Baku climate summit, several climate activists told Down To Earth (DTE).
A few claimed that the political priorities attached to the ensuing Maharashtra election, scheduled to be held on November 20, has pushed the global climate summit to the backburner for the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was present in a number of climate summits since the 2015 Paris COP, is not scheduled to visit Baku. Neither is Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, who was appointed as the Maharashtra election in-charge in June.
Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh, as well as the environment secretary, are supposed to come in the second week of the summit and participate in the high-level dialogue and negotiations.
India also does not have a pavilion this year while it used to have one of the most sprawling pavilions in earlier years. Moreover, it has also not participated in the first week high level dialogue.
A senior member of the Indian delegation contested the claim and pointed out that Baku is more of a technical COP. Senior political leaders are not required here. “This (allegation) does not have any credibility. Our team strength this year is almost the same as last year, actually slightly larger,” said the official.
He also pointed out that India has released its official statement on the expectation over COP29.
‘Missed opportunity’
“The absence of high-level leaders from India and other nations at COP29 is indeed a missed opportunity to amplify political pressure on wealthy countries to fulfil their climate finance commitments,” pointed out Harjeet Singh, climate activist and Global Engagement Director for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative.
The expert, however, reminded that “the real accountability lies with developed nations, who have continually fallen short on their pledges.” He added that wealthy countries need to restore trust in the multilateral system both through their active presence and decisive actions.
“While the earth faces an imminent climate collapse, as study after study shows, it’s really sad that the Indian government chose to downplay its participation in the climate change conference COP29,” observed Soumya Dutta, a climate activist from the Friends of the Earth-India; a long time COP veteran.
“South Asia, including India, is getting increasingly battered by ever increasing numbers of extreme weather events. India’s near absence only undermines its own potential leadership position in the global South and hurts its own climate actions,” Dutta further added.
“I do not remember the last time even the environment minister from India could not make it to the global climate summit,” said another activist.
“You have to understand that climate priorities lag far behind political ones. And this is true for all political parties. Maharashtra election results are extremely important for the Bharatiya Janata Party. Hence, they have no time to invest elsewhere,” said an activist in Baku on November 13.
Former senior environment department official and negotiator R R Rashmi, presently a distinguished fellow in TERI, however chose to offer a different narrative. “The Heads of Govts attending climate COPs in the very first few days is a recent trend. It is not mandatory. It started from 2021 when the commencement of the Paris Agreement had just started and was needed to put it on a high pedestal,” said Rashmi. He reminded that “this year’s agenda of the COP is more technical than political as it focuses on a financial goal where the shoe is on the other foot.”
Balance in climate finance
As the high-level dialogue got underway on November 12 in Baku, India spelt out its expectations from the summit. It said COP29 should ensure that climate finance remains adequate, grant-based, low interest and long-term, choosing to reflect upon the quality of finance alongside its earlier demand of at least $1 trillion annually for the developing and less developed vulnerable countries.
“The NCQG (new, collective, quantifiable goal of finance) is a key element in the discussions. India… will continue to be vocal about the need for adequate finance for global south,” read the official Indian statement.
“Currently much of the … climate discussions are focused on investments in mitigation actions,” the statement noted, echoing the concern of several climate activists expressed earlier. It opined that COP 29 should maintain balance and highlight the urgency of addressing adaptation needs, particularly for vulnerable communities in developing countries.
A major part of India — including the Sundarbans in West Bengal, Northeastern states like Assam and Tripura and Bihar — needs adaptation finance to counter the burgeoning impacts of climate change that affects millions frequently.
“COP29 should ensure that the climate finance is adequate, predictable, accessible, grant-based, low interest, and long-term,” read the statement. “At COP29, there are additional commitments for mechanisms to finance loss and damage,” it added. The latter is a financial instrument linked several vulnerable communities in the country.
India, which was in conflict with developed countries at the Madrid COP in 2019 on an earlier mechanism of carbon marketing, pointed out that “COP29 should be able to agree to a mechanism which uses market-based instruments (such as carbon credits) to incentivise low-carbon development”.
“COP29 must be about accountability. It must accelerate the move towards net zero. The largest historical emitters have to move faster than others and reduce emissions now,” said Arunabha Ghosh, CEO of CEEW, to this correspondent at Baku. On November 12, CEEW came out with an accountability matrix in climate finance that shows that most G20 countries are not doing enough in the sector.
“COP29 should raise both the quantum and quality of climate finance. As we debate the NCQG, the question is not just how much is needed, but how reliably it will be delivered,” added Ghosh.