Statement of Shri Prakash Javadekar, Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change delivered at the Ministerial Dialogue on Durban Platform for Enhanced Action at UNFCCC COP-20 at Lima

Mr. President,

Thank you for giving me this opportunity to share some views on the ongoing negotiations under the Durban Platform.

Mr. President,

The decision on Durban Platform mandated that the new agreement shall be ‘under the Convention’. Therefore, the new agreement has to be in full accordance with all the principles and provisions of the Framework Convention. It cannot be in contravention with and cannot undermine the Convention.

Mr. President,

In Lima we are expected to agree on the information that Parties will provide when putting forth their INDCs. The INDCs are not distinct from the 2015 agreement, but inextricably linked with it. Therefore, the two cannot be seen in isolation from each other.

Mr. President,

As the title itself indicates, the INDCs are to be determined ‘nationally’ by Parties themselves, taking into account their own national circumstances, challenges and capacities.

We believe that the developing country Parties will put forth their best efforts in accordance with their resources and capacity. Fulfillment of commitments and promises to provide enhanced financial and technological support for developing countries is crucial and will enable them to scale up their efforts and help in realizing our global goal.

We in India are taking comprehensive action so that we make an ambitious and equitable contribution to the global fight against climate change.

We support transparency and disclosure, but there is no role for any external review or assessment in this process. However, it is important to ensure that there is no slackening of the mitigation ambition of the developed country parties in the pre- and post-2020 period.

Mr. President,

Addressing climate change under ADP requires a holistic response with actions across a broad spectrum, including mitigation, adaptation, technology, capacity building, transparency and finance. Developing countries are allocating significant portions of their scarce national resources on adaptation, which remains an immediate and urgent global priority. In India for example, we estimate that investments required for adaptation would a significant portion of the national GDP.

We therefore completely share the view of developing countries that the INDCs must not be limited to mitigation alone. The INDCs should be broad enough in scope to include all these elements.

Mr. President,

My negotiators have told me about a new phrase of ‘evolving CBDR’ that seems to have surfaced in their negotiations from certain quarters. There are other ideas floating as well. We also have our own ideas. But this is neither the right time nor the process to discuss these issues.

The UNFCCC architecture has already evolved and this has been accepted universally.

The developing country parties have voluntarily put in contributions in 2010. The 2013 decision on INDCs is another huge step forward. The need at this stage is to ensure that we have an ambitious, comprehensive, equitable and balanced agreement in 2015 that takes into account the huge development needs including access to financial resources and low carbon technological options for developing countries. Moreover, we are here to enhance the implementation of the Convention, certainly not to re-write it.

Mr. President,

Coming back to the negotiations regarding the elements of the 2015 agreement, where the textual negotiations have at last started.

I must mention a ‘design challenge’ for the ADP work concerning the 2015 agreement for its negotiations next year. The work of ADP, including the agreement is to be informed by the 5^th AR of IPCC, 2013-2015 Review and the work of subsidiary bodies. The outcomes of these processes would be available towards the latter part of next year. The ADP should consider and resolve this design problem preferably in Lima itself in order to fulfill the ADP mandate in this regard.

Mr. President,

India has been an active participant in these negotiations over the past two decades. We remain committed to working with all parties to develop a balanced and inclusive outcome in Paris to tackle comprehensively the challenge of climate change.

Mr. President,

We expect and are confident that under your leadership we would be able to evolve and successfully negotiate a text that is party driven and inclusive.

I thank you.

Courtesy: pib.nic.in