As planet heats up, India pushes for climate justice

India has called for climate justice, equity and fair global climate action at COP31, the United Nations-led climate change conference underway in Turkey.

With Narendra Bhooshan, secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, emphasising the importance of multilateralism, rooted in equity and the principles of Equity and CBDR-RC (Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities).

India has also noted that dialogue builds trust, consensus ensures collective ownership of outcomes, and action translates commitments into progress on the ground.

A WMO (World Meterological Organisation) State of the Climate Update 2026 shows that the past 12 years (2015–2026) are set to be the warmest on record. The global average surface temperature from January to September was about 1.47°C above the 1850–1900 pre-industrial average.

The WMO update is released as a “scientific reference to anchor COP negotiations in authoritative evidence”. The report notes that rise in global temperature has been accompanied with disruptions that include higher sea level and sea surface temperature, heatwaves in Europe, and a glacier collapse and flood in neighbouring Nepal and China.

India has reiterated its commitment to contributing its fair share to global climate action while pursuing development and well-being of its people. It has also underscored that “just transition and meeting adaptation needs remain significant challenges, particularly for the Global South, where these are closely intertwined with the challenge of development itself”.

On climate finance, India has underscored Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement, which establishes the obligation of developed countries to provide financial resources to developing countries.