India to push for equitable climate finance, practical solutions at COP31

COP31 is the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It brings countries together to negotiate how global climate commitments should be implemented. The meeting is scheduled for Antalya, Türkiye, from 9–20 November 2026. Its decisions can shape financial support, technology access and climate action worldwide.

India expects discussions on starting the Climate Finance Work Programme. It will also push for voluntary indicators under the Global Goal on Adaptation, continued work on a just transition, and stronger technology transfer. India will oppose top-down targets and support party-driven, facilitative and non-punitive processes.

The summit will also address practical cooperation beyond formal negotiations. India plans events on coastal resilience, forests and the International Big Cat Alliance. It will highlight agriculture, food security and small farmers. India says COP31 must move beyond promises toward implementation, adequate finance and equitable outcomes.

India is asking COP31 to address the unequal burden of climate change. It wants developed countries to meet their financial obligations under Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement. New Delhi says climate finance should be predictable, largely public and concessional. It should support action without deepening developing countries’ debt.

India will seek a decision to begin the Climate Finance Work Programme. On adaptation, it supports voluntary indicators under the Global Goal on Adaptation. These indicators should help track progress, but they must not become conditions for receiving climate finance. India also wants increased financial support for adaptation measures.

This position reflects the needs India associates with the Global South. The country will link agricultural adaptation with food security and the livelihoods of small and marginal farmers. Its wider approach combines capacity building, knowledge sharing, technology transfer and geography-specific solutions rather than uniform, top-down targets.

The G-77 and China is a broad coalition of developing countries in United Nations negotiations. The Like-Minded Developing Countries group, or LMDC, brings together countries that share views on equity, development and climate responsibilities. BASIC is a smaller bloc comprising Brazil, South Africa, India and China, as stated in the article.

These groups allow countries to coordinate before and during negotiations. A shared position can give developing nations greater bargaining strength than separate national interventions. India plans to work through all three groups to advance priorities such as climate finance, adaptation support, technology transfer and the right to development.

The groups do not erase national differences. Instead, they provide several channels for cooperation. The G-77 and China offers broad developing-country coordination, LMDC reflects especially similar negotiating views, and BASIC brings together four major emerging economies. India says it will use these partnerships while playing a constructive, bridge-building role at COP31.

Negotiating groups differ sharply in size. The G-77 has 134 developing-country members, while China participates with the group but is not formally one of its members. The LMDC grouping has roughly 46 participating countries, although its composition can vary by issue. BASIC has four members: Brazil, South Africa, India and China.

Their scale matters because developing countries make up most parties in the climate negotiations. They also contain most of the world’s population and include economies with rapidly growing emissions, as well as countries highly exposed to climate impacts. Their collective positions therefore affect both fairness and the feasibility of global action.

The article does not provide membership totals or global shares. It does show India working through these coalitions to press for finance, adaptation, technology and development-sensitive rules. Their influence depends on maintaining unity while representing different national circumstances and priorities.

Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement requires developed country Parties to provide financial resources to assist developing country Parties with mitigation and adaptation. It also says developed countries should continue meeting their existing obligations under the UN climate convention. The provision recognises that countries have different historical responsibilities and capacities.

In practical terms, the obligation covers support for reducing emissions and dealing with climate impacts. Mitigation can include cleaner energy or lower-emission systems. Adaptation can include stronger coastal protection, climate-resilient agriculture or preparation for extreme weather. The article specifically connects India’s position to this obligation.

At COP31, India will argue that developed countries must fulfil Article 9.1. It wants finance that is predictable, largely public and concessional, rather than support that increases debt. India’s demand for a Climate Finance Work Programme is intended to advance clearer and more reliable delivery of that support.

Climate finance works best when countries can rely on it and use it without worsening their financial position. If support arrives unpredictably, governments cannot plan long-term projects such as resilient infrastructure or adaptation in agriculture. If it comes mainly as loans, repayment can add to public debt and reduce money available for health, development and other priorities.

Conditions can create another barrier. For example, requiring countries to meet rigid indicators before receiving adaptation finance may delay support where needs are urgent. India therefore wants adaptation indicators to remain voluntary and separate from finance access. It also prefers finance that is largely public and concessional.

These concerns explain India’s call for a Climate Finance Work Programme and stronger adaptation funding. The article presents predictable support as part of equitable climate action. At COP31, India will argue that finance should help developing countries implement climate solutions, not create new debt or procedural obstacles.

Climate negotiations separate these issues because they solve different problems. Mitigation reduces the causes of climate change. Adaptation limits harm from impacts already occurring or expected. Technology transfer helps countries access tools and knowledge. A just transition addresses how climate action affects workers, communities, development and energy access.

India’s positions show how the subjects connect. It supports adaptation for agriculture and food security, affordable energy during a just transition, and technology transfer without barriers linked to cost, intellectual property or trade. It also wants mitigation and the global stocktake to remain party-driven, facilitative and non-punitive.

National circumstances are central because countries do not have identical histories, resources, vulnerabilities or development needs. India says targets should respect the nationally determined nature of climate commitments and differing circumstances. This approach seeks stronger action while avoiding uniform rules that could increase inequality or restrict development.