Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, who led India’s delegation to the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, said the summit marked a significant milestone for global climate governance, particularly for developing nations. Speaking to HT, Yadav highlighted that COP30 not only reaffirmed India’s leadership but also restored faith in multilateral processes, giving developing countries a structured mechanism to hold developed nations accountable for climate finance obligations under the Paris Agreement.

Key Outcomes: Article 9.1 and Climate Finance

A central achievement of COP30 was the establishment of a two-year Work Programme under Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement. This provision obligates developed countries to provide predictable and adequate resources to support climate action in developing nations. Yadav described the work programme as a “decisive victory” for India and other developing countries, emphasizing that it refocuses the climate finance debate on legally binding responsibilities, rather than diluted voluntary contributions.

“For years, developed nations avoided their responsibilities by overemphasizing non-state actor involvement in mobilizing climate finance,” Yadav said. “COP30 now firmly re-anchors the debate on the actual obligations of developed countries.” Countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America broadly welcomed the decision, seeing it as a long-overdue correction of historical imbalances and a step toward equitable climate action without compromising development priorities.

India’s Role in Shaping COP30

India played a pivotal role in driving the Global Mutirão cover decision and the Belém political package, which together form the cornerstone of COP30 outcomes. These agreements reaffirmed the priorities of developing nations in areas including:

• Climate finance, with a particular focus on adaptation funding.
• Technology implementation, ensuring access to climate-friendly innovations.
• Just transition, safeguarding social and economic equity during decarbonization.
• Unilateral trade measures, addressing concerns of the Global South.

Yadav highlighted that India’s leadership ensured that the 29 consensus-based decisions reflected the aspirations of developing nations, safeguarding their interests while strengthening trust in the multilateral process.

Adaptation Finance and Global Goal on Adaptation

India also secured significant progress on the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA). The COP30 outcomes incorporated India’s priorities: flexibility, voluntary indicators, nationally determined metrics, minimal reporting burdens, and ongoing technical refinement.

In line with global consensus, COP30 agreed to triple adaptation finance by 2035, a development Yadav welcomed as a recognition of the need for equity and climate justice. He emphasized that India has long financed adaptation largely through domestic resources and stressed the importance of predictable, grant-based international funding to enable sustainable development and climate resilience.

Global Implementation Accelerator and Belém Mission for 1.5°C

The summit also launched the Global Implementation Accelerator and the Belém Mission for 1.5°C, initiatives aimed at enhancing the ambition and effectiveness of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). Both initiatives are designed to accelerate mitigation and adaptation actions while facilitating international cooperation and investment flows.

India, as a leader of the Like-Minded Developing Countries (LMDC) and BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India, China) groups, played a proactive role in shaping these proposals. According to Yadav, these initiatives are “balanced and constructive outcomes” that particularly serve the interests of the Global South.

Energy Transition and Forest Conservation

India reiterated that global energy transitions must be just, equitable, and cognizant of national circumstances, cautioning against uniform pathways that may compromise energy security, economic growth, and poverty eradication in developing countries.

COP30 also witnessed progress on forest conservation. The Belém Roadmap on Forest and Climate and the launch of the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF)—with over USD 6.7 billion mobilized in its first phase—establish a results-based mechanism to incentivize conservation of tropical forests. Yadav highlighted India’s strong endorsement of TFFF as a contribution to global ecological balance and support for developing forest nations.

India’s NDCs and NAP Updates

India reaffirmed its commitment to timely climate action, with updated NDCs for 2031–2035 and a revised National Adaptation Plan expected to be submitted as scheduled. These submissions will reflect India’s climate priorities, ongoing mitigation efforts, and adaptation strategies consistent with its developmental goals.

Reaffirming Multilateralism

According to Yadav, COP30 restored faith in multilateralism by establishing clear, structured processes that allow developing nations to hold developed countries accountable. The summit demonstrated that international cooperation can deliver tangible outcomes, and India’s active leadership reinforced the country’s role as a champion of equitable climate action and a trusted voice for the Global South.

In Yadav’s words, “COP30 has delivered on India’s core objectives: promoting inclusivity, safeguarding developing countries’ interests, and strengthening trust in the multilateral process.” The summit’s outcomes are expected to shape global climate action for years to come, providing developing nations with the tools, finance, and institutional frameworks necessary to pursue sustainable development in a just and equitable manner.