India urges equal focus on adaptation and mitigation before COP31
At Pre-COP31, India called for equal attention to adaptation, mitigation and implementation support, while offering coastal and space-based expertise to Pacific partners.
AI-generated symbolic illustration for the Pre-COP31 climate-policy story; not a photograph of an actual conference or location. Illustration: OpenAI / MYNILGIRIS.
India has called for climate adaptation, emissions mitigation and the means to implement both to receive equal attention as countries prepare for COP31.
Speaking at the Pre-COP31 Leaders’ Plenary in Fiji, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said climate policy cannot follow a single pathway for every country. He argued that equity and the UN climate principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities should remain central to sustained action.
India said local studies and risk assessments should guide the choice of adaptation and mitigation measures and the resources required to carry them out. The Indian delegation is participating in meetings co-hosted by Australia, Fiji and Tuvalu.
The minister offered to share India’s coastal and space-based expertise with Pacific partners. The areas cited include coastal vulnerability assessment, shoreline-change mapping, marine spatial planning, cyclone and extreme-weather early warning, inundation assessment and climate-risk analysis. Indian institutions mentioned in the official release include ISRO, the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management and the National Centre for Coastal Research.
Pre-COP is the preparatory meeting held shortly before the annual UN climate conference. COP31 is scheduled for Antalya, Türkiye, in November 2026. PIB published the release at 4:22 PM IST on 6 October.
