Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav are likely to skip the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) starting today, November 11 at Baku, Azerbaijan.
Modi received a personal invitation to the conference by Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev earlier this year. He has skipped recent COP summits, but there is still some chance of Modi giving in to Aliyev’s urging.
BJP’s in-charge of Maharashtra Assembly elections, Yadav will also be absent in Baku as he will be occupied with the elections scheduled to be held on November 20.
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The Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh will be leading the 19-member delegation and deliver India's national statement at the high-level segment on November 18-19.
India will not host a pavilion at COP29, marking its first absence since the 2021 UN climate conference in Glasgow.
India's COP29 Agenda
The absence is particularly notable as India is expected to play a major role in pushing for climate finance. India's key priorities for COP29 include securing new climate finance goal that meets the needs of all developing countries. India's strategy is expected to challenge developed nations for not standing true to their climate promises and drive conversations toward more transparent, reliable climate finance.
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Operationalisation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement is also on India’s agenda. Article 6 establishes a framework for countries to trade carbon credits generated from reducing their greenhouse gas emissions, thereby helping other nations in achieving their climate goals.
Both Modi and Yadav attended COP28 held last year at Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Modi represented India at the opening ceremony of the High-Level Segment for the national statements of nations on December 1, 2028.
Also Read: Is COP29 Dead, After the Trump Win?
World Leaders at Baku, Azerbaijan
Among the leaders expected to be present in the conference are Brazil environment minister Marina Silva, UK prime minister Keir Starmer—who expected to promise deep cuts in emissions—and Mia Mottley, prime minister of Barbados. António Guterres, UN secretary general and Simon Stiell, executive secretary of UNFCCC will also be present. Ajay Banga, World Bank president will mark his presence at COP29 as well. More than 100 heads of state and government have confirmed their attendance.
However, Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron are among the top leaders who will not attend the summit, according to Euronews.
Last year, 154 heads of states and government and 22 international leaders gathered for the COP28 World Climate Action Summit.
(With inputs from PTI.)
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