India has withdrawn its bid to host COP33 in 2028. We do not know why, but in the current context it is a wise decision. First, who cares about the Global South, except the Global South? The Loss and Damage Fund, which was intended to help countries of the South recover from the ravages of climate change, has barely gotten off the ground, as the developed world has not contributed enough money.
Second, the UNFCCC has been significantly weakened after the US withdrawal, even though this body is all we have. Hosting UNFCCC negotiations without major polluters will not help the developing world; It’s a waste.
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Third, the West Asian war is a living laboratory for energy security and its impact on India. Despite the strides India has made in the field of renewable energy sources and the efforts made by the government to alleviate the current pain, the most vulnerable groups continue to suffer. Who will pay India for its losses in a war that has nothing to do with it? Who will pay the price for emissions and environmental impact other than the warring states that war is sure to cause in the coming years?
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Fourth, the war is estimated to have exceeded the combined annual emissions of 84 countries. So why host a semi-functional COP when geopolitics ignores climate?
India must continue to focus on inclusive, green and low-carbon development at home, and participate in the UNFCCC as part of the global community. The last decade of climate negotiations has shown us that it is important to continue good negotiations, but we only have ourselves to fight the problem at home.
(The writer is founder and director of Shintan Environmental Research and Action Groups)
