At the ongoing COP30 UN Climate Conference in Belém, Brazil, India and other developing nations have strongly advocated for the establishment of a ‘just transition mechanism’. India’s Environment Minister, Bhupender Yadav, stressed that financing for climate adaptation is an “essential investment,” not an optional add-on, and is currently inadequately funded.
India emphasized that this mechanism must prioritize strengthening resilience, creating employment, protecting livelihoods, and eradicating poverty in developing countries. It called for the future Global Goal on Adaptation to be country-driven and nationally determined, giving nations the flexibility to define and measure progress based on their unique national circumstances.
This push underscores a core division at the summit: developing nations demand low-cost, mandated finance from developed countries to bridge development gaps and address climate vulnerabilities, while developed countries resist language that implies a legal mandate to provide such funding.