Climate Summit

World off track on climate action amid fossil fuel crisis: Expert

The climate crisis will hit the poorest and the most marginalised the hardest, including those in India and other developing nations, said a top representative of a global campaign advocating for a new international treaty to manage the phasing out of fossil fuels. In terms of the formal agreements reached at COP30, "we are still drastically off track" in confronting the climate crisis, Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty director Alex Rafalowicz said, while focussing attention on people who have contributed the least to the problem and have the least resilience to rising temperatures. "To stop the acceleration of these disasters, we need a genuine plan to phase out fossil fuels and to end deforestation. COP30 did neither. So at the highest level, we must be honest, we are off track," Rafalowicz said. The United Nations climate talks in Brazil reached a subdued agreement recently that pledged more funding for countries to adapt to the wrath of extreme weather. But the catch-all ..

Indigenous people reflect on meaning of their participation in COP30 talks

Indigenous people filled the streets, paddled the waterways and protested at the heart of the venue to make their voices heard during the United Nations climate talks that were supposed to give them a voice like never before at the annual conference. As the talks, called COP30, concluded Saturday in Belem, Brazil, Indigenous people reflected on what the conference meant to them and whether they were heard. Brazilian leaders had high hopes that the summit, taking place in the Amazon, would empower the people who inhabit the land and protect the biodiversity of the world's largest rainforest, which helps stave off climate change as its trees absorb carbon pollution that heats the planet. Many Indigenous people who attended the talks felt strengthened by the solidarity with tribes from other countries and some appreciated small wins in the final outcome. But for many, the talks fell short on representation, ambition and true action on climate issues affecting Indigenous people. This w

COP30 summit: 21 injured after fire disrupts talks in Brazil

A major fire at the COP30 UN Climate Summit venue in Belem, Brazil, forced thousands to evacuate and temporarily halted critical climate negotiations.

Fire at main venue of COP30 in Brazil injures 21, triggers mass evacuation

At least 13 people were injured in a fire which broke out at the main venue of the ongoing UN COP30 Climate Summit in Brazil's Belem, forcing thousands of people to run for safety. The fire broke out at around 2 pm on Thursday at the 'Blue Zone', where all meetings, negotiations, country pavilions, media centre and offices of all high-profile dignitaries are housed, including the main plenary hall. As soon as news of the fire spread, people ran out of all exit gates for safety. "Thirteen individuals were treated on site for smoke inhalation. Their condition is being monitored, and appropriate medical support has been provided," the UN COP30 Organising Committee said in a statement. It is learnt that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was present at the venue and promptly evacuated by the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) protection detail. India's Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav was also present with the Indian delegation inside the Blue Zone when th

India calls Joint Crediting Mechanism key for equitable action at COP30

Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Wednesday said cooperative frameworks such as the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) strengthen global mitigation efforts while also aligning with the development

Turkey wins bid to host COP31 in Antalya following agreement with Australia

Although a formal sign-off is still needed, Flasberth said there was no opposition within a group of countries needed to back the decision

Rich nations must hit net-zero emissions, pay up on climate: India at COP30

More than 115 countries have now lodged updated climate plans with the United Nations, required under the terms of the 2015 Paris Agreement

India unfolds priorities in Belem but yet to show its climate cards

2025 was among the 3 hottest years on record, accompanied by a record-breaking glacier loss, lowest Arctic sea ice on record and record increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide from 2023-24

India urges developed nations to meet climate finance obligations at COP30

India on Tuesday reaffirmed its firm commitment to multilateralism and equity in global climate action, and said that developed nations must fulfil their legal obligations on finance, technology transfer and capacity building to developing countries. Delivering statements on behalf of the BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) and the Like-Minded Developing Countries (LMDC) groups at the opening plenary of the 30th UN climate conference (COP30) in Belem, Brazil, India said climate finance remains the biggest barrier to enhanced ambition, and called for a clear definition of what constitutes climate finance, along with strengthened and scaled-up public finance for adaptation. India emphasised that Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement places a binding responsibility on the developed countries to provide financial resources to the developing nations. It said adaptation finance must increase fifteen-fold to meet the needs of billions of vulnerable people who have contributed the ..

COP30 chief hails India, China for leading global clean energy transition

COP30 President Andre Corra do Lago has praised India and China for playing a transformative role in the global energy transition, saying both countries have embraced climate action "in a very clear way" and are driving down the cost of clean technologies worldwide. Addressing a press conference at the opening of COP30 in Belem, Brazil, do Lago said China has "embraced this agenda in an extraordinary way" by combining scale, technology and affordability, three crucial ingredients that have accelerated the world's progress towards cleaner energy systems. He said both China and India are shaping the future of the global energy transition. China has very advanced technology and has a scale that can only be compared to India. And India is somehow doing the same, because they also have brilliant companies and engineers and incredible people. They are going in the same direction, he said in response to a question on China's contribution to the fight against climate change Do Lago emphasi

COP30 hears from countries suffering from harms linked to global warming

Officials from countries most vulnerable to global warming offered searing dispatches of life on the front line of a warming planet Friday, as world leaders gathered on the edge of the Amazon rainforest for the annual United Nations climate talks. Ahead of Monday's official kickoff, officials have sought to build support for initiatives to protect forests and to streamline carbon markets, which seek to reduce the emissions that drive warming. But the meetings also took time to hear impassioned testimony about the harms climate change is dealing around the world. Haitian diplomat Smith Augustin, whose country was pummelled by Hurricane Melissa, appealed to wealthier countries that produce the greatest share of the world's emissions to support Haiti in preparing for bigger storms. Developed countries pledged USD 300 billion to help poor nations cope with climate shocks at last year's summit, but the money has yet to be distributed. The hurricanes and the heavy rain devastated my ...

30 years of climate talks: Progress, pitfalls and a planet in peril

Global greenhouse gas emissions have increased by 34% since 1995

COP30 unveils roadmap to scale climate finance to $1.3 trillion by 2035

The COP30 presidency on Wednesday released the 'Baku to Belem Roadmap to 1.3 Trillion', a global plan to raise and channel at least USD 1.3 trillion every year by 2035 to help developing countries deal with the growing impacts of climate change and shift to cleaner economies. The report says this level of funding is now "a necessity, not an option" and aims to turn finance promises into real action to help poor and climate-vulnerable nations access money for renewable energy, adaptation and rebuilding after climate disasters. The roadmap builds on the agreement reached last year at COP29 in Baku, where countries had called on "all actors", including governments, banks and businesses, to work together to mobilise USD 1.3 trillion annually by 2035 under the new global climate finance goal. The document does not set new rules or create new funds. Instead, it acts as a guide to align existing institutions such as multilateral development banks, climate funds and private investors to ...

Why climate summits fail and 3 urgent ways to make them work better

We urgently need not just to redesign climate policies but also a new method for drafting those polices

India urges focus on adaptation of climate commitments at pre-COP30 meet

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Monday said COP30 should be the "COP of Adaptation" and called for transforming climate commitments into real-world actions that directly improve people's lives. At the Pre-COP30 Ministerial Roundtable in Braslia, Yadav said the 30th UN climate summit in Belm, Brazil, in November must send a strong signal that multilateralism remains the cornerstone of global climate action. "As we mark a decade since the adoption of the Paris Agreement, COP30 must send a resolute political message that multilateralism remains the cornerstone of global climate action," Yadav said. He said the key to achieving tangible outcomes in Belm lies in translating global policy commitments into practical, locally grounded solutions. "The focus must be on transforming climate commitments into real-world actions that accelerate implementation and directly improve people's lives," he said. Calling for a stronger focus on resilience and local adaptation, Yadav stres

India likely to miss Feb 10 deadline for NDC submission under Paris pact

These climate plans detail actions that countries intend to undertake every 5 years

Moment of decision missed in 2024 at UN climate summit but all's not lost

2024 is set to end as the hottest year on record and the first with a global average temperature 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. It will also be remembered as the year developed nations had their last big chance to prevent the world from permanently crossing this critical threshold by funding climate action in the Global South -- and they blew it. Relentless warming fuelled record-breaking heatwaves, deadly storms, and floods that devastated lives and homes by the thousands in 2024. Millions were displaced, and all eyes turned to the UN climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, hoping for a climate finance package capable of ramping up action in the Global South. A study published in 2023 estimated that developed countries owe around USD 170 trillion for their excessive emissions, having consumed 70-90 per cent of the total carbon budget since the industrial era. Instead, developed countries -- mandated under the UN climate regime to finance climate action in develop

Govt official slams COP29 as missed opportunity for climate finance goals

Describing COP29 as one steeped in "semantics and not solutions", a senior Indian official has called the proceedings a missed opportunity to mobilize meaningful climate finance for adaptation and mitigation efforts in developing nations. Leena Nandan, Secretary of the Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Ministry, highlighted India's strong stance during negotiations and its leadership role in articulating concerns of the developing world. Speaking about the outcomes of COP29 at a session, she said the conference, which was anticipated to focus on implementation, fell short of expectations. "This was to be an enabling COP, a COP which was going to be focused on the means of implementation and what is means of implementation other than funds and resources. And here it was that we found semantics and not solutions. We found rhetoric and not results. And that has been the biggest disappointment," she said, adding that the sentiment was echoed across the Global South. Nandan ...

COP29 finance, carbon deals could unlock billions in global investment

Two weeks of acrimonious negotiations in Azerbaijan's capital Baku resulted in a deal for $300 billion in annual climate finance by 2035

COP29 produces streamlined climate finance draft, but key issues remain

After an all-nighter, a draft text on the new climate finance package for the developing world finally dropped Thursday morning -- shrunk from 25 pages to 10, but the major sticking points remain. With less than two days left for the UN climate conference to close, negotiators face a gargantuan task to hammer it out. A quick glance at the text shows developed countries are still dodging a key question: How much climate finance are they ready to give developing countries every year starting in 2025? This has led to significant frustration among developing countries, who have repeatedly said they need at least USD 1.3 trillion to tackle the escalating challenges. "The revised draft text, while more streamlined, presents a spectrum of options -- some good, some bad, and some outright ugly," said Harjeet Singh, a climate activist and Global Engagement Director for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative. He said it acknowledges the need for public funds from developed ...