At the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), currently taking place in Belem, Brazil, global attention is strongly focused on India, the world’s third-largest carbon emitter. Despite the crucial role India plays in global climate efforts, it has notably yet to submit its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) — the key climate action plan countries are required to submit every five years under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This delay has raised eyebrows internationally, especially as independent assessments describe India’s current climate efforts as “worryingly inadequate,” a characterization that Indian officials have disputed.
The NDCs are meant to outline each country’s commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change, with the expectation that these targets grow more ambitious over time. This incremental ambition is vital because the world has so far failed to cut emissions at the scale necessary to prevent dangerous global warming. To date, about 120 of the 196 UNFCCC member countries have submitted their updated NDCs, leaving India among the significant holdouts.
The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, established the goal of limiting the average global temperature increase to “well below” 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with an aspirational target of 1.5°C to avoid the worst consequences of climate change. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), achieving these targets requires annual global emissions to be reduced by 35% to 55% by 2035 compared to 2019 levels. However, emissions have continued to rise nearly every year since the Paris Agreement came into effect. Analysis of the updated NDCs submitted by November 10 indicates that if fully implemented, global emissions will only be reduced by about 12% by 2035 — a far cry from what is needed.
UNEP has warned that current policies will likely result in a temperature increase of approximately 2.8°C this century, which would have catastrophic environmental and social consequences. The deadline for submitting the updated NDCs was initially set for February 2024 but was extended to September after more than 90% of countries failed to meet the original date. The spotlight was especially on major emitters such as China, India, and the European Union, particularly in light of the United States’ ongoing absence from the Paris Agreement under former President Donald Trump’s administration.
Despite the extended deadline, many countries, including India, missed the September cutoff. Some nations submitted their plans in the days leading up to COP30, and it was widely expected that the remaining countries would do so during the summit. While several have complied, India has kept the global community waiting. This week, Indian Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, who heads the country’s delegation at COP30, announced that India will submit its updated climate plan only by the end of December.
India’s delay has prompted questions about its motivations, especially since withholding the plan during such a high-profile event could invite negative international scrutiny. Although the Indian government has not provided a detailed explanation, its position appears aligned with a broader argument commonly made by developing countries: that wealthy nations bear historical responsibility for climate change and therefore must take the lead in reducing emissions and providing financial and technological support to poorer countries.
In an opinion piece published just a week before COP30 in the Economic Times, Minister Yadav emphasized that “global climate progress can’t come from endless discussions alone.” He argued that while dialogue remains important, urgent and tangible action is critical given the increasing severity of the climate crisis. At COP30, Yadav expanded on this by stressing that developed nations must achieve net-zero carbon emissions far earlier than current target dates and must deliver “new, additional and concessional climate finance at a scale of trillions, not billions.” This call for vastly increased funding reflects persistent concerns among developing countries that financial commitments from wealthy nations remain insufficient.
The Paris Agreement indeed obliges developed countries to provide financial support to assist developing countries in their climate mitigation and adaptation efforts. However, this remains one of the most contentious issues in international climate negotiations. At the previous COP held in Baku, Azerbaijan, tensions flared when developed countries committed to providing $300 billion annually by 2035, a figure far short of the more than $1 trillion demanded by poorer nations. Developing countries have also criticized the lack of clarity regarding how this funding will be delivered, warning that a heavy reliance on private finance could saddle them