India establishes inter-ministerial group for climate negotiations strategy
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New Delhi: India has formed an inter-ministerial group dedicated to crafting a well-considered stance on crucial topics for global climate negotiations.
This group, established in August, is comprised of members from various concerned ministries and departments, including the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, the Ministry of Power, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, and the Department of Economic Affairs.
The primary focus of discussions within this inter-ministerial group involves five critical areas: mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage, climate finance, and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. To facilitate in-depth deliberations on these subjects, five sub-groups, each featuring five to six officials at the joint secretary level, have been constituted.
Mitigation encompasses efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while adaptation involves adjustments to address climate change impacts. Loss and damage refer to the irreversible consequences of climate change that can't be mitigated through adaptation measures. A significant step was taken at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, with the establishment of the Loss and Damage Fund, which provides financial support to countries especially susceptible to severe climate change impacts.
At COP28 in Dubai, scheduled for December, participating countries will strive to reach a consensus regarding contributions to and eligibility for the Loss and Damage Fund.
In a recent submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), India emphasised the need for eligibility criteria to recognise historical responsibility from countries with excessive emissions and to ensure fair compensation for countries within their equitable shares.
In relation to finance, the inter-ministerial group is deliberating over matters connected to the Standing Committee on Finance (SCF), which includes the definition of climate finance and the insistence by developed nations on incorporating private finance in line with Article 2.1(c) of the Paris Agreement.
India has been at the forefront of advocating for a clear definition of climate finance, underlining the necessity for financial support to be new and additional, primarily provided as grants, and balanced between mitigation and adaptation.
Article 2.1(c) of the Paris Agreement addresses the alignment of financial flows with climate action. Article 6 permits countries to voluntarily collaborate to achieve their greenhouse gas emission-reduction targets, which are outlined in their nationally determined contributions or national plans designed to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. This means that under Article 6, countries can transfer carbon credits earned from GHG emission reduction to assist other nations in achieving climate objectives.
