ANTALYA, November 9 (Aalimi Nation) – The 31st UN Climate Change Conference, COP31, opens on Monday in the Turkish Mediterranean city of Antalya, with India arriving determined to make climate finance the centrepiece of the two-week talks. The meeting runs until November 20 and brings together leaders, scientists, civil society members and activists from nearly 200 countries.
Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav outlined India's approach at a media briefing in New Delhi last week. He said India would pursue "solution-oriented and equitable climate action" and reaffirmed the country's commitment to the UN climate convention and the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Climate finance is India's top priority, Yadav said. India wants the conference to decide on launching a Climate Finance Work Programme. The minister argued that developed countries have an obligation under Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement to provide finance, and that it should be predictable, largely public and concessional, so that it does not add to the debt of poorer nations.
On adaptation, India is seeking larger flows of finance and wants the indicators under the Global Goal on Adaptation to remain voluntary rather than become a condition for accessing money. On mitigation, Yadav said discussions and the Global Stocktake, the periodic review of collective progress, should stay "Party-driven, facilitative and non-punitive".
India plans to work closely with the G-77 and China, the Like-Minded Developing Countries group, and the BASIC bloc of Brazil, South Africa, India and China. Yadav described the country's role as constructive and focused on bridge-building, and said India would stress "practical solutions for the Global South", including capacity building, knowledge sharing and approaches suited to specific geographies.
The minister also pointed to land restoration. India has set a target of restoring 26 million hectares of degraded land and has so far restored about 22 million hectares, which he called "a significant achievement for India in the field of land restoration". He cited India's participation in the recent biodiversity and desertification conferences as evidence of progress.
The opening comes as scientific warnings sharpen. A report from the UN Environment Programme released earlier this month says global warming is set to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius. It also finds that adaptation finance falls far short of needs, that institutional barriers slow implementation, and that losses and damages are growing. The World Meteorological Organization is expected to present its State of the Climate update for 2026 during the conference.
Negotiators will aim to turn pledges into concrete implementation, with finance expected to be the most contested subject. India's side events are expected to include an engagement on industry transition with Sweden, sessions on coastal resilience, and panels on the International Big Cat Alliance and forests. Whether developed countries agree to launch the finance work programme will be one of the early signals of how the two weeks may unfold.
