Suva, Fiji: India has called for COP31 to place greater emphasis on implementing existing climate commitments, closing gaps in climate action and scaling up solutions that are already showing results.
Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav, who is leading the Indian delegation at the UNFCCC Pre-COP31 meeting in Fiji, said the success of the upcoming climate conference should be assessed by progress on implementation rather than by new targets or declarations alone.
India Seeks Focus on Existing Climate Commitments
Addressing the plenary discussion on COP31 priorities, Yadav said the long-term objectives under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement, including the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C, have already been established.
He said the priority now should be to determine how countries can accelerate progress towards these goals while ensuring that the necessary means of implementation are available.
The minister said COP31 should focus on fulfilling existing commitments under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement “in true letter and spirit” and enabling every country to meet its commitments.
COP31 Should Address Gaps in Climate Action
Yadav highlighted several areas where gaps need to be addressed, including the relationship between scientific knowledge and traditional knowledge, community practices and ethics, and available resources and the needs of vulnerable populations.
He said COP31 should work towards developing greater consensus on these gaps and identifying practical ways to address them.
The minister also called for stronger capacity building and urged countries to bring concrete examples and successful approaches to the annual climate negotiations.
Scale Up Mitigation and Adaptation Solutions
According to Yadav, countries should demonstrate solutions that deliver measurable results, particularly in high-impact mitigation, large-scale adaptation and effective delivery of climate-related support.
He said sharing successful examples consistently and scaling them up could contribute to achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
Success at Antalya to Be Measured by Implementation
Yadav said the outcome of COP31 should be assessed on whether climate action has accelerated, support has reached those who need it and existing solutions have been taken to a larger scale.
The annual UN Climate Change Conference, COP31, is scheduled to be held in Antalya, Türkiye, in November 2026. The Pre-COP meeting in Fiji is being co-hosted by Australia, Fiji and Tuvalu as part of preparations for the conference.
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