New Delhi, Dec 16: India Sunday termed “positive” the outcome of climate talks in Poland as it sets nations on the path for successful implementation of the historic Paris Agreement, and asserted it engaged in the negotiations “constructively” while protecting the country’s key interests.
Negotiators from nearly 200 countries earlier Sunday finalised a set of rules that will make the 2015 Paris deal to curb global warming operational in 2020, after a two-week summit. The outcome of the talks in the mining city of Katowice aims to limit the rise in global temperature to well below 2C.
“India considers the outcome of COP-24 a positive one which addresses concerns of all parties and sets us on the path towards successful implementation of the Paris Agreement,” an official statement said.
The conference was significant as it focused on three key issues — finalization of guidelines, modalities and rules for the implementation of the Paris deal, the conclusion of 2018 Facilitative Talanoa Dialogue and the stocktake of pre-2020 actions implementation and ambition.
However, a leading Indian environment advocacy group termed the rulebook “weak” and “completely insufficient”. It said the COP’s refusal to take the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s report on 1.5C seriously undermines the Paris Agreement.
Chandra Bhushan, the deputy director general of Centre for Science and Environment, said in Katowice the rulebook “is completely insufficient to drive ambitious climate action.”
In New Delhi, India said the country demonstrated commitment and leadership during COP-24 by reaffirming its promise to implement the Paris deal in its spirit and to act collectively to address climate change.
“India engaged positively and constructively in all the negotiations while protecting India’s key interests including recognition of different starting points of developed and developing countries, flexibilities for developing countries and consideration of principles including equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC),” according to the statement.
India said the guidance on Nationally Determined Contributions preserves the nationally determined nature of NDCs and provides for Parties to submit different types of contributions including adaptation.
“The overall guidance reflects the principles of the Paris Agreement and recognises the leadership that developed countries have to display for achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement,” the statement said.
India said the guidance on adaptation recognizes the adaptation needs of developing countries and is built on the overarching principle of CBDR-RC.
India said the guidance on finance provisions operationalises the obligation of developed countries in providing means of implementation to developing countries and recognises the need for climate finance to be new and additional and climate specific.
“Parties have also agreed to initiate the work on setting up the new collective finance goals post-2020 from the floor of USD 100 billion,” it said.
The overarching framework for technology recognises the need for enhanced support towards operationalisation of the framework and “comprehensively” covers all stages of technology development and transfer,” it said.
India said it engaged in a “meaningful” way in the 2018 Facilitative Talanoa Dialogue and stocktake exercise on Pre-2020 implementation and ambition.
The Talanoa Dialogue is a process designed to help countries implement and enhance their NDCs by 2020.
“The outcome on dialogue also recalls the commitment of developed country Parties to a goal of mobilizing jointly USD 100 billion per year by 2020.
“It also notes with concern the current, urgent and emerging needs related to extreme weather events and slow onset events in developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change,” it said.
