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Don’t leave COP26 without just calls on climate finance: India
COP26 president, UK’s Alok Sharma, all but confirmed that the talks between delegates of all countries will likely stretch beyond the 6:30pm deadline on Friday, as he said that he hoped for a new draft resolution to be out and adopted soon.
India on Friday urged other countries to not leave Glasgow without equitable and just decisions on how the world decides to move forward to adapting to the climate crisis and making finance available for developing countries to reduce emissions and embrace new technologies, as the clock ran out on the time for hectic negotiations, which seemed set to run into overtime.
COP26 president, UK’s Alok Sharma, all but confirmed that the talks between delegates of all countries will likely stretch beyond the 6:30pm deadline on Friday, as he said that he hoped for a new draft resolution to be out and adopted soon.
Earlier, during a stock-taking plenary after a draft cover decision was presented on Friday morning, India’s lead negotiator, Richa Sharma said: “We need to deliver a strong message regarding our collective resolve for accelerated mitigation and adaptation actions to combat climate change in this decade. This message will have credibility only if accompanied by an equally strong resolve of developed country parties to mobilise and provide enhanced climate finance to developing country parties”.
“The outcomes of COP26 must reflect the urgency in scaling up finance and other means of implementation support to developing countries. We express our disappointment at the lack of significant progress in climate finance-related agenda items. We add our voice in support of other parties and groups, like least developed countries that have called for continuation of the long-term finance agenda under the convention,” she added.
India called for a mandate to the standing committee of finance to deliver a multilaterally agreed definition of climate finance and for a structured process that will deliver the new quantified climate finance goal for climate finance well before 2025.
She also flagged that the decision did not acknowledge historical emissions or the issue of depleting carbon budget as well. “The overwhelming role of historical cumulative emissions in bringing the world to 1.1°C rise in temperature must be noted and urgency in ambition must begin with actions of developed country parties. In reaching net zero, developed country must stay within their fair share of the global carbon budget, enabling access to carbon space for developing countries,” she said adding that “developed countries must enhance their NDCs and reach net zero much before 2050. The meagre carbon budget is first and foremost the right and entitlement of developing countries. Hence rapid mitigation actions by developed countries in this decade, is vital to keep 1.5°C within reach.”
“Adaptation is an agenda of critical importance for developing countries. We must not leave Glasgow without strong equitable and just decisions on adaption,” she said.
