India has extended its support for the global goal of adaptation by calling it "close to the hearts of the developing countries" as Indian delegations acknowledged their crucial role in steering negotiations at the end of the first week of the 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) hosted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Global Goal of Adaptation is a collective commitment under the 2015 Paris Agreement aimed at "enhancing [the world's] adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability to climate change". India emphasised the importance of reaching negotiated outcomes that strengthen the Global Stocktake (GST) and reaffirm trust in the multilateral climate process, as per sources.
India reiterated the need for negotiated outcomes at COP28 and the opportunity to work towards an end acceptable to all, while ensuring that the same is achieved within the framework of principles and processes of the Convention and its Paris Agreement, sources said. Delegates also cautioned that ambitious outcomes must be grounded in principles of equity and feasibility.
“This concern of ours applies also to other agenda items, especially that of the Global Goal of Adaptation, an item that is close to the hearts of the developing countries, and the billions of people to whom adaptation is the key to their future,” a source said.
India calls for clear definition of climate finance
Meanwhile, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav asserted the need for countries to establish a clear definition of climate finance, adding that a lack of clarity affects the transparency and trust of other nations. "I strongly believe this is the most crucial outcome we should all strive for," he said during a high-level ministerial meeting on climate finance.
Yadav further highlighted that current estimates from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Oxfam reports (a transnational NGO) vary significantly and create uncertainty about the actual amount of climate finance provided. He said that a clear definition should ensure that it is climate-specific, additional, grant-based, and provided under highly concessional terms.
OECD estimated about $83 billion provided by developed countries in 2020, while Oxfam's Climate Finance Shadow Report suggests an amount ranging between $21 to 24.5 billion, he said.
The Union Minister further expressed concern over the "paltry resource flow" from rich countries to developing countries, and called for it to be scaled up "several times over" along with providing access to crucial technologies like offshore wind and battery storage.
Yadav calls for inclusion of youth in 'centre stage'
Yadav also made an interesting proposition by calling on countries to include young people at the "centre stage" of solving the climate crisis by describing them as "agents of change". He made these remarks at the launch of Green Rising, an initiative launched by India with United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)
"They are agents of change as innovators, entrepreneurs, and environmentally conscious individuals with a will to drive positive change.
The young today are making the best use of education, science, and technology to scale up their effort to accelerate climate action,” he said.
He further said that the youth are crucial as well as the "most vulnerable group affected by climate change". Yadav also said that the Green Rising Global Initiative will create pathways for at least 10 million children to contribute to countries’ ambitious National Action Plans on Climate Change.
“It is our responsibility to equip them with the right knowledge and skills to usher in the change. This right knowledge must infuse a blend of technological power and environmental sense. There is a need to recognise that we cannot tell our youth that technology can buy our way out of the current crisis,” he added.
(with inputs from PTI)
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