Global South Must Lead Climate Governance—Why Experts Say Now Is the Time

At a Pre-COP Dialogue titled “From Baku to Belém: Shaping the Next Phase of Climate Action” at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, hosted by independent think tank Chintan Research Foundation (CRF), leading climate experts, policymakers, and practitioners deliberated on advancing the global climate action agenda, particularly in the lead-up to the Conference of Parties (COP) 30 in Belém, Brazil, in November.

The event focused on evaluating progress since the Paris Agreement, addressing existing gaps in climate governance, and setting expectations to enhance climate action through the UNFCCC framework.

Shishir Priyadarshi, President, CRF, highlighted how the Global South must now reclaim its agency in shaping the next phase of climate governance.

“The time has come when holding the mirror is more important than looking at the compass. It is time to be clear about what we have achieved and what we have not. Moving from goal-setting to goal-enabling is now needed, and we must determine how to achieve those goals. This would only be possible through alignment between the Global North and the Global South,” Priyadarshi said.

The expert set three major expectations from COP 30 -- the operationalisation of the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG), advancing adaptation and loss and damage mechanisms, and reinforcing accountability.

These solutions should be economically viable, technologically inclusive, and socially just, Priyadarshi said.

Dr. Pooja Sehbag, Research Associate, CRF, outlined the urgency of the current climate crisis and the need to evaluate global actions. She also underscored the gaps between the expected and achieved goals of the post-2020 COPs, where collective underperformance was observed globally.

Dr. Prodipto Ghosh, Distinguished Fellow, The Energy Resources Institute (TERI), provided a historical overview of climate negotiations and outlined India’s potential in driving action.

“Developing countries have to set an example. China has treated climate change as both an economic and technological challenge, investing heavily in research and development to bring new technologies to the forefront of the transition. It now leads the world in solar deployment. India can follow China’s example and become the next major deployment hub for this transition,” Ghosh said.

Prof. Arun Sharma, Group Head for Sustainability and Climate Change at Adani Group, focused on the pivotal role of the private sector in accelerating ambitious climate action.

“Mitigation will depend significantly on private sector finance -- it requires viable business models for effective fund deployment and technology diffusion. At Belém, we must recognise the limits of the COP process and focus on enhancing business models for climate action,” Sharma said.

“Addressing financial gaps is critical. India and China still face significant disparities in total electricity generation. India must focus on electrification and last-mile decarbonisation, particularly through green hydrogen,” he added.

Kenneth Felix Haczynski da Nóbrega, Ambassador of Brazil to India, highlighted Brazil’s advocacy for enhanced civil society participation in the climate policy process.

“COP 30 will focus on bringing the climate change challenge closer to civil society worldwide. We need greater B2B involvement at COP 30, similar to that seen in G20 and BRICS,” da Nóbrega said.

The dialogue underscored the importance of collaborative climate action driven by civil society engagement, equitable climate finance, and critical evaluation of policy effectiveness.

- IANS