Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yadav outlined India's priorities for the upcoming UNFCCC COP31 conference in Antalya, Türkiye, scheduled from 9th to 20th November 2026. India will approach COP31 with a solution-oriented vision focused on practical solutions for the Global South, emphasizing capacity building, knowledge sharing, and geography-specific solutions. The country will work closely with G-77 and China, LMDC, and BASIC groups during the negotiations.
Climate finance represents a key priority, with India seeking a COP31 decision to commence the Climate Finance Work Programme. Minister Yadav emphasized that finance is an obligation of developed countries under Article 9.1 and must be predictable, largely public and concessional, and should not add to the debt burden. India will advocate for mitigation and the Global Stocktake to remain Party-driven, facilitative and non-punitive, respecting the nationally determined nature of NDCs and ruling out new top-down targets.
Adaptation remains another priority area, with India insisting that Global Goal on Adaptation indicators should be voluntary and not condition access to finance, alongside scaled-up adaptation finance. India will support continuation of the Just Transition Work Programme through a Party-driven mechanism, viewing just transition through the lens of climate justice, the right to development and affordable energy access. On technology transfer, India will emphasize that this is an obligation of developed countries and that barriers related to cost, IPR and trade must be addressed. Participation in carbon markets should remain voluntary, and voluntary initiatives under the Presidency Action Agenda should remain separate from negotiations.
India will highlight the linkage between adaptation in agriculture, food security and the livelihoods of small and marginal farmers. Its engagements at COP31 will include LeadIT 3.0 with Sweden, in addition to high-level side events on coastal resilience and panels on IBCA and forests. India will play a constructive, bridge-building role seeking outcomes that move from commitments to implementation and support.
Regarding CBD COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia, India reaffirmed its commitment to the effective and equitable implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), emphasizing national priorities, circumstances and legislative frameworks, community participation, fair and equitable benefit-sharing, and adequate financial resources. India strongly advocated for the fulfilment of developed countries' obligations under Article 20(2) of the Convention and opposed any mandatory expansion of the contributor base or shifting of financial responsibilities onto developing countries. On Digital Sequence Information (DSI), India emphasized the need for fair and equitable benefit-sharing through the multilateral mechanism, including the Cali Fund, while respecting national access and benefit-sharing frameworks and sovereign rights.
At UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, India highlighted land restoration as central to food and water security, biodiversity, livelihoods and rural economies. After being elected Chair of the Asia-Pacific Regional Group, India reiterated its commitment to restore over 26 million hectares by 2030 and called for diversified, adequate, predictable and sustained international finance for restoration and drought resilience. India advocated a shift from drought response to drought resilience, supported science-based and community-led restoration of rangelands, and highlighted pastoralists as custodians and partners. India also launched its first Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems of India, underscoring its science-based, landscape-specific approach to restoration.
India's engagement across all three processes reflects its commitment to equity, national circumstances, science-based solutions and adequate means of implementation, particularly for developing countries. Other officials present at the briefing included Secretary (MoEFCC) Shri Narendra Bhooshan, Additional Secretaries Dr. Amandeep Garg and Shri Ashutosh Agnihotri, Joint Secretaries Shri Rajat Agarwal and Shri Uday Chaudhari, and IG (Forest) Dr. Clement Ben, along with other senior ministry officers.