Climate adaptation, finance & actions—the post-COP30 battles in which India’s voice can matter

Belém (Brazil): The frustration expressed by several smaller countries at COP30 has a historic parallel in India, which has consistently maintained its opposition to all pressure on climate actions that do not take into account its social and economic interests.

When nations, such as Mauritius and Sierra Leone, emphatically told the United Nations at COP30 that they have almost nothing to do with the climate crisis and yet are expected to “do their bit”, it was a reminder of how little the needle has moved on climate justice over the past three decades. This anger is India’s, too.

“If you look at it in a historical context, India is one of those countries that did not cause climate change. From [the start of] industrial times to date, India’s share in global greenhouse gas emissions is