COP30: India delays updating its climate plan amid finance debate and coal concerns

At this year's UN climate summit COP30 in Belem, Brazil, all eyes are on India, one of the world's largest carbon emitters.

India has not yet submitted its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), even as international assessments describe its climate action as "worryingly inadequate." Delhi argues that it has already met key commitments.

Under the Paris Agreement, NDCs are the five-year updates through which countries set more ambitious targets to cut emissions as the world works toward the agreement's goals.

To date, about 120 of 196 UNFCCC members have submitted updated plans; India remains among the latecomers.

The Paris Agreement aims to keep warming well below 2C, with a concerted push toward 1.5C. UNEP warns that reaching these targets requires significant cuts by 2035, but the latest submitted plans project roughly a 12% reduction by 2035, assuming full policy implementation.

UNEP cautions that current policies could put the world on track for about 2.8C of warming this century, underscoring the need for bolder action.

The first deadline for updating plans (NDC3) was February, but it was extended to September after more than 90% of member countries failed to meet it.

With the world watching major emitters like China, India, and the European Union, observers also recalled past signals from the United States regarding the Paris Agreement's fate, which added to the suspense at Belem.

Although September passed with many countries still awaiting submissions, some released plans ahead of COP30. India signaled in Belem that its plan would be published by year-end, with Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav telling reporters the document would come in December.

Why the delay? India and many developing nations argue that rich countries bear historical responsibility to cut emissions faster and to provide far greater financial and technological support to developing economies.

Ahead of COP30, Yadav wrote in the Economic Times arguing that climate progress cannot rely on endless talks alone and that action is essential.

During COP30, Yadav expanded this argument, urging developed countries to reach net-zero earlier and to deliver new, additional and concessional climate finance at a scale of trillions, not billions.

Indian negotiators say that more ambitious NDCs are meaningless without financial and technological assistance from developed nations.

The Paris Agreement envisions climate finance from rich to developing countries, but the mechanics and transparency of delivery remain contested.

At the last COP in Baku, criticisms rose when developed nations proposed a $300 billion annual climate finance package for 2035, while poorer nations pressed for more than $1 trillion.

Some developed countries argue that emerging economies like China and India should contribute a fair share to the global finance pool.

European climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said broader participation is needed to sustain climate finance efforts, noting that some large economies have high GDP per capita and could contribute more.

India notes domestic gains in its energy mix, saying it has already achieved around 50% non-fossil-fuel capacity in installed electricity capacity, well before the 2030 target.

Nevertheless, independent assessments remain cautious. Climate Action Tracker rates India's targets as "highly insufficient" and highlights coal's dominance in electricity generation, which stands at roughly 75%—far above the ~19% needed to align with a 1.5C pathway.

Germany-based think-tank GermanWatch's Climate Change Performance Index also ranks India 23rd of 63 countries and the EU, down 13 places from last year due to ongoing coal dependence and no clear coal exit timeline.

UN emissions gaps analysis shows India posting one of the largest rises in greenhouse gas emissions in 2024 among major economies, even as China advanced its own climate plan.

As COP30 unfolds, a broader debate lingers over a potential global roadmap to phase out fossil fuels. India maintains it will submit its updated plan before the year ends, irrespective of the coal challenge.

India says it should not be pressed to advance a more ambitious climate plan without the promised support and funding from wealthier nations.

Key takeaway: Climate finance and technology transfer from developed countries are essential to making India's ambitious targets workable. Source: BBC News

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