'Actions, Not Mere Promises': What India Told Developed Nations At COP27

In the ongoing UN climate change conference in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh, India has said that no sector, fuel source, or gas should be singled out for action in the fight against climate change. India's environment minister Bhupender Yadav said the goals to control emissions for the next three decades have been the "dominant narrative that developed countries have sought to establish."

"Unfortunately, promises, either for 2030 or 2050, have been the dominant narrative that developed countries have sought to establish," Yadav said adding that at this year's COP, issues of relevance to vulnerable populations were discussed. "Adaptation and loss and damage have been of particular importance to us in this regard."

Here is all you need to know about this year's COP27 and India's position on the climate change mitigation plan:

What is COP27?

COP27 is the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The climate change conference started on November 6 and will conclude on November 18 where the participating members are discussing plans to control emissions in view of the growing energy crisis, record greenhouse gas concentrations, and increasing extreme weather events.

The year 2022 was marked by extreme weather events like heatwaves, floods and cyclones causing widespread devastation.

What has India said at COP27?

India at COP27 reiterated to the developed countries that action and not "mere promises" are enough to tackle climate change. "One pledge after another, with several such pledges per COP, are not necessarily fruitful," India's environment minister said. He said that developed countries need to demonstrate to the world how progress is made by "actions that lead to emissions reduction."

"India is having to pay for a crisis that it didn't cause with money that it doesn't have," Reuters quoted Dipa Singh Bagai, country head for Natural Resources Defense Council in India, as saying.

India also submitted Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LTLEDS) to UNFCCC under which India is set to achieve the goal of zero emissions by 2070 by shifting to cleaner fuels in a phased manner and reducing household consumption.

The LTLEDS is India's strategy document that it had to submit to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change to spell out India's plan to combat global warming.

Yadav said India has taken initiatives like a continued expansion of renewables and the strengthening of the grid, rational utilisation of fossil fuel resources, promoting e-vehicles, steady increase of bio-fuel blending in petrol and diesel.

What India said at last year's climate conference?

At last year's climate conference held in Glasgow, India spelled out goals for combatting climate change which included a reduction of total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes from now to 2030, shifting to renewable energy sources for 50% of energy consumption by 2030, and achieving the goal of zero emissions by 2070. India had then said that the ambitions on climate finance by developed countries cannot remain the same as they were at the time of the Paris Agreement in 2015.

India urged the developed countries to focus on climate justice, and undertake rapid reductions in emissions to reach net zero much earlier than the given deadlines since they have used more than their fair share of the depleting global carbon budget.