As the world prepares for the landmark COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil, India’s delegation is entering negotiations with a clear focus on fairness, finance, and flexibility. The summit, marking ten years since the Paris Agreement, is set to spotlight both Brazil’s climate contradictions and India’s insistence on equitable climate action.
Brazil, the world’s fifth-largest emitter, recently recorded a 17 percent drop in greenhouse gas emissions the sharpest in 16 years thanks to reduced deforestation in the Amazon and Cerrado. Riding on this success, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is championing a new “Tropical Forest Forever Fund” to finance long-term forest protection. But environmentalists have warned that the country’s simultaneous expansion of oil production undermines its climate progress.
For India, the Amazon summit represents more than diplomacy it’s about justice. Indian officials say they support Brazil’s push for predictable financing for forest-rich developing nations but stress that any funding model must respect national sovereignty, equity, and access to technology. “Indicators and funding mechanisms must not penalise developing countries,” a senior official said ahead of the summit.
Brazil’s proposed fund aims to permanently reward nations for preserving tropical forests, shifting away from short-term carbon offsets. This aligns with Lula’s ambition to make COP30 a “COP of implementation,” where promises turn into measurable action. Yet, civil society groups remain cautious, pointing to Brazil’s record-high oil exports and rising land-use emissions from fires.
India’s negotiators, meanwhile, will focus on adaptation, finance delivery, and technology support rather than new emission reduction obligations. The country is advocating for flexible adaptation indicators under the UAE-led Global Goal on Adaptation, arguing they should reflect each nation’s realities and data sovereignty.
The upcoming New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance meant to replace the unfulfilled $100-billion annual pledge will be another key battleground. India is expected to push for transparent, predictable, and non-debt-creating finance flows.
India and Brazil also share common ground in linking ethics with climate science. Brazil’s idea of a Global Ethical Stocktake resonates with India’s Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) campaign, both emphasizing that sustainable lifestyles are as vital as technology-driven solutions.
A decade after the Paris Agreement, COP30 is being viewed as a moment of reckoning. India has ramped up renewable energy capacity from 81 GW in 2014 to 236 GW today, yet finance support continues to lag. Brazil, despite its progress, remains off track to meet its 2025 climate target.
For India, the message is clear global implementation must begin with fairness and support for the developing world. “Implementation cannot mean shifting burdens,” an official said. “It must mean enabling action.”