Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yadav is leading the Indian Delegation at the UNFCCC’s Pre-COP31 meetings being co-hosted by Australia, Fiji and Tuvalu. 

Addressing the Leaders’ Plenary at Fiji, the Union Minister today called for equal attention to adaptation, mitigation and means of implementation as the world moves towards COP31. He emphasized that the principles of Equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC) must be upheld in letter and spirit for meaningful and sustained climate action across countries.

Shri Yadav stressed that there cannot be a “one-size-fits-all” pathway to climate action. He highlighted that local studies and assessments are important for finding solutions to emerging challenges of the area. These solutions, in turn,  indicate the mitigation and adaptation measures required and the commensurate resources required for the same, he added.

The Union Minister said India, with its vast coastline and islands, fully understands the challenges faced by Pacific Island Countries. He informed that India has developed a broad knowledge base and expertise in the area of ocean science through our premier institutions and bodies like Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR). 

Shri Yadav highlighted that India has developed knowledge and expertise in vulnerability assessment of coasts, mapping of shoreline changes, development of marine spatial plans, integrated management plans for coastal areas and unlocking the potential of the Blue Economy. Further, he stated, India is also using its space ecosystem, Earth-observation capabilities and space-based applications for shoreline monitoring, inundation assessment, cyclone and extreme-weather early warning, and climate-risk assessment. He offered to share this knowledge and expertise with its Pacific partners.

The Minister said India has always stood firmly with its Pacific partners and is working closely with them in areas including health and wellness, renewable energy, resilient infrastructure, early warning, IT, agriculture and capacity building. Referring to his visit to Tuvalu, Shri Yadav said the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project was a strong reflection of how international cooperation, particularly the provision of means of implementation, can translate into tangible resilience on the ground. The Minister reiterated that the experience has reinforced the importance of finding local solutions to emerging climate challenges. 

Pre-COP is a preparatory meeting held a few weeks before the annual UN Climate Change Conference, which this year will be held in Antalya, Türkiye, in November.

 

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