India calls for equal attention to adaptation, mitigation and means of implementation at Pre-COP31
6 October 2026
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav led the Indian delegation at the UNFCCC's Pre-COP31 meetings, co-hosted by Australia, Fiji and Tuvalu.
Addressing the Leaders' Plenary in Fiji, he called for equal attention to adaptation, mitigation and means of implementation as the world moves towards COP31.
He said the principles of Equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities must be upheld in letter and spirit, and that there cannot be a one-size-fits-all pathway to climate action.
India offered to share its coastal resilience and space-based expertise with its Pacific partners, citing the work of the Indian Space Research Organisation, the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management and the National Centre for Coastal Research.
The Minister listed Indian expertise in coastal vulnerability assessment, shoreline change mapping, marine spatial plans, integrated coastal management plans and the Blue Economy, and in shoreline monitoring, inundation assessment, cyclone early warning and climate-risk assessment using Earth-observation capabilities.
Referring to his visit to Tuvalu, he said the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project showed how the provision of means of implementation translates into resilience on the ground.
Pre-COP is a preparatory meeting held a few weeks before the annual UN Climate Change Conference, which this year will be held in Antalya, Türkiye, in November.
In plain words
Pre-COP Pre-Conference of the Parties meeting — A preparatory ministerial meeting held a few weeks before the annual UN Climate Change Conference.
CBDR-RC Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities — The climate negotiation principle that all countries must act but their obligations differ with their historical responsibility and capacity.
UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change — The 1992 treaty under which the annual climate conferences are held.
Means of implementation Means of implementation — In climate talks, the finance, technology transfer and capacity building that developing countries need to deliver climate action.
NCSCM National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management — A centre under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change working on coastal zone management.