New Delhi, Sep 24 (IANS): India is an indispensable voice in shaping the future of global climate and energy policy, and its clean-energy expansion demonstrates that the transition to cleaner sources can support economic prosperity, Australian Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said.
Addressing a Pre-COP Dialogue titled Partners in Green Transition: Advancing Ambition, Action and Partnerships for COP31 in New Delhi on Wednesday, Bowen said India’s experience would be important to the global climate conversation as countries work to accelerate implementation of their climate commitments.
The dialogue was convened by the Chintan Research Foundation (CRF), in partnership with the Australian High Commission in India in the national capital.
It brought together policymakers, diplomats, researchers and climate practitioners to discuss priorities ahead of COP31, which will be held in Turkiye in November 2026.
“India is showing the world that clean energy is not a brake on prosperity, but a pathway to it,” Bowen stated during his keynote address.
He said India was an “indispensable voice” in the future of climate and energy policy and highlighted its expansion of clean energy.
“COP31 would be inclusive and transparent, with electrification and investment certainty among the key priorities,” Bowen also said.
The Australian minister stressed the importance of elevating the voices of Pacific Island countries, including through Pre-COP events in Fiji and Tuvalu.
Shishir Priyadarshi, President of CRF, opened the session by calling for greater private capital mobilisation toward countries facing strict financing constraints.
He highlighted the persistent gap between international climate commitments and actual delivery, urging stakeholders to bridge funding shortfalls.
Turkiye’s Ambassador to India Ali Murat Ersoy said climate finance should be viewed as a strategic investment in global stability rather than simply as a cost.
He said Turkiye’s priorities as host of COP31 were aligned with India’s philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, or “the world is one family”, and called for climate action to remain closely linked with sustainable development.
The inaugural panel featured Australian High Commissioner Philip Green, Brazilian Ambassador Kenneth Felix Haczynski da Nobrega, Fijian Ambassador Jagnnath Sami, Jamaican Ambassador Jason Hall, Ethiopian Ambassador Nebiyu Tedla and Rajasree Ray, Senior Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
The discussion was moderated by NDTV Executive Editor Gaurie Dwivedi.
The panel focused on moving from climate consensus to credible implementation, with climate finance, resilience, equity, technology access and international cooperation emerging as key concerns.
Australian envoy Green said countries were united around the objective of keeping the 1.5°C goal within reach through faster implementation and the energy transition.
As COP31 President of Negotiations, Australia would focus on listening, building consensus and delivering practical outcomes, he said.
He also highlighted the planned engagement with Pacific countries, where climate change poses severe risks, and said implementation and credible delivery would remain central to COP31.
Brazil’s Ambassador Kenneth Felix Haczynski da Nobrega said the emphasis must now shift towards implementation as critical climate commitments were already on the table.
Ethiopian Ambassador Nebiyu Tedla highlighted equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
He also pointed to barriers such as high costs of capital and limited access to climate finance.
Rajasree Ray said India was contributing to early-warning systems, disaster resilience and meteorological services across the Global South.
She stressed the importance of finance and highlighted critical minerals and clean-technology supply chains as important elements of the energy transition.
Fiji’s envoy Jagnnath Sami called for partnerships that translate into practical cooperation, stronger national capacity, technology access and finance for countries on the front lines of climate change.
Jamaica’s Ambassador Jason Hall highlighted the disproportionate impact of climate change on vulnerable countries and called for greater and more direct access to climate finance.
The symposium also featured sessions on climate-resilient infrastructure, financing green transitions, and cooperation on critical minerals and clean technologies for energy security and decarbonisation.
A fireside chat examined India’s role in advancing the priorities of the Global South ahead of COP31.
The discussions are expected to feed into the wider COP31 process in Turkiye, with participants focusing on climate ambition, implementation, finance and partnerships needed for a resilient and equitable global green transition.
