What South Asia Wants from COP30

Context

• A decade after the Paris Agreement, the climate crisis has intensified, especially in South Asia, which faces recurring floods, heatwaves, landslides, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and rising sea-level threats.
• The geopolitical environment is increasingly fractured — weakened multilateralism, diluted climate commitments, and trade protectionism.
• As the COP30 Special Envoy for South Asia, consultations were held across Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh to identify common priorities for negotiations at COP30 (Brazil).

Key Highlights

1. Implementation Gap: Achilles Heel of Climate Action

• Large gap persists between promises vs. delivery in climate action and finance.
• Only 65 countries have submitted enhanced NDCs.
• CEEW study: Out of 203 global initiatives (post-2015), only ~5% achieved intended outcomes.
• Need for:
  • Stronger regional forums (G-20, BIMSTEC, BRICS).
  • Inclusive governance: subnational bodies, women, local communities.
  • Cross-border tech-transfer & knowledge-sharing.
  • Expansion of initiatives like CDRI (India) & Sagarmatha Sambaad (Nepal).

2. Adaptation at Par with Mitigation

• South Asia will see 200 days >35°C annually by 2100 (ADB estimate).
• Region-specific risks:
  • Nepal – GLOFs
  • Maldives – coastal submergence
  • India – heatwaves
  • Sri Lanka – water stress, drylands
• Need for:
  • Adequate technical + institutional + financial support.
  • Locally-led adaptation integrated with scientific innovation.
  • Consensus on Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) indicators that are simple, flexible, non-punitive.

3. Trust Deficit with Developed Countries

• Broken climate finance promises, delayed actions, diluted NDCs.
• Developed nations not on track for their 2030 NDC targets.
• Need for:
  • Fulfillment of past pledges.
  • New ambitious NDCs aligned with 1.5°C pathway.
  • Reinforcement of multilateralism.

4. Climate Finance: Predictable, Adequate, Fair

• Climate finance must be:
  • Predictable (long-term)
  • Adequate (balanced between mitigation & adaptation)
  • Accessible (low transaction cost)
  • Non-debt inducing (grants, concessional loans)
• The Baku to Belém Roadmap to $1.3 trillion must specify who delivers, how much, by when.
• Need for:
  • Tripling adaptation finance.
  • Regional allocations from GCF, Adaptation Fund, Loss & Damage Fund.
  • Creation of a South Asian Resilience Finance Facility.

5. Non-State Actors as Engines of Scale

• Need active participation from:
  • Subnational governments
  • Private sector (mobilizing finance)
  • Civil society (independent monitoring)
  • Youth (innovation, urgency)
  • Academia + Businesses (mainstream sustainability)
• A regional knowledge compendium for traditional & modern adaptation practices.

6. Technology Flows & Digital Innovation

• South Asia remains cut off from global climate tech flows.
• Only 1 in 3 initiatives focus exclusively on Global South regions.
• Need for:
  • Blended finance, debt-for-nature swaps.
  • AI, big data, DPI, blockchain, remote sensing for climate cooperation.

Relevant Prelims Points

• Paris Agreement (2015) → Limit warming to well below 2°C, strive for 1.5°C.
• NDCs → National climate commitments updated every 5 years; currently only 65 countries submitted enhanced versions.
• South Asia risks:
  • Heatwaves (India)
  • Glacial lake outburst floods (Nepal)
  • Coastal submergence (Maldives)
  • Water stress (Sri Lanka)
• Key Organisations:
  • CDRI (India) – global coalition for resilient infrastructure.
  • Sagarmatha Sambaad (Nepal) – dialogue on mountain vulnerabilities.
  • GCF, Adaptation Fund, Loss & Damage Fund – major climate finance facilities.
• Baku to Belém Roadmap – pathway to mobilising $1.3 trillion in climate finance.
• Locally-Led Adaptation (LLA) – endorsed globally but underfunded.
• GGA (Global Goal on Adaptation) – currently under negotiation.

Relevant Mains Points

Climate Governance Challenges

• Fragmented global order, weakened multilateralism.
• Lack of trust due to broken climate finance promises.
• Withdrawal of major emitters undermines global processes.

Why South Asia Needs Leadership Role

• Home to ~2 billion people.
• Highest climate vulnerability: from Himalayas to Indian Ocean.
• Experience in disaster management → moral authority to push for decisive action.

Climate Finance Issues

• Need for:
  • Predictable, transparent finance.
  • Grants over loans.
  • Focus on adaptation (currently only ~20% of total flows).
• Importance of a regional facility to pool finance and accelerate resilience projects.

Technology Access

• Global South disproportionately excluded from clean-tech transfer.
• Requires:
  • Open-source climate technologies.
  • Regional innovation hubs.
  • Cross-border green grids & sharing platforms.

Role of Non-State Actors

• Critical for:
  • Scaling climate solutions.
  • Monitoring transparency.
  • Mobilizing youth and local communities.
• Businesses can integrate circular economy & sustainability across supply chains.

Way Forward

• Build mutual clarity, mutual cooperation, mutual implementation.
• Institutionalize regional platforms under BIMSTEC, SAARC revitalization, BRICS+.
• Ensure ambitious but realistic NDCs with clear timelines.
• Push for equitable climate finance distribution.
• Encourage South Asian climate tech innovation using DPI & AI.
• Elevate adaptation to equal priority with mitigation.