As the world prepares for the COP30 Climate Change Conference in Belém, Brazil, from November 10 to 21, climate experts are highlighting the critical themes and expectations from the upcoming summit. Dr. Vishwas Chitale, Fellow for Climate Resilience at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), shared his insights in a recent interview with ANI, outlining the priorities and challenges ahead.
Chitale said COP30 is expected to focus on “synergies,” particularly those associated with the Rio Conventions, which aim to integrate climate action, community resilience, and improved land-use and land-cover practices.
“One of the key agendas for COP30 will be how it delivers on the climate finance target of $1.3 trillion per year by 2035,” he said, referring to the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) established at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. “It’s going to be very important to see real action on that front.”
Chitale also pointed to the Loss and Damage Fund, first introduced at COP27, which made incremental progress during COP28 in Dubai. However, he stressed the need for COP30 to ensure the fund translates into concrete benefits, especially as the 2030 deadline looms.
“While we saw some movement in Dubai, the challenge now is to take it forward meaningfully. COP30 has a lot to deliver on this,” he said.
India’s Role as Voice of the Global South
As a key voice of the Global South, India is expected to play a central role in negotiations, particularly on issues such as adaptation finance and support for vulnerable nations.
“India is well-positioned to lead discussions from the perspective of developing and least developed countries,” said Chitale. “We have a responsibility to ensure that concerns around loss and damage and adaptation finance—which is still lagging—are effectively addressed.”
Resilience in Focus Amid Extreme Weather Events
Highlighting the need for climate-resilient infrastructure, Nitin Bassi, Fellow with the Sustainable Water team at CEEW, pointed to the severe rainfall and landslides experienced across India in August.
“This time, the focus is also going to be on climate resilience,” Bassi told ANI. “The destruction caused by heavy rains and landslides, including village collapses, underscores the urgency. COP30 offers a platform to promote resilient interventions that better prepare our cities for future climate events.”
Brazil-India Cooperation and the Push for Multilateralism
Brazil’s Ambassador to India, Kenneth Felix Haczynski da Nóbrega, echoed these sentiments, noting the shared responsibility of Brazil and India in tackling global climate challenges.
Andre Aranha Corrêa do Lago, President of COP30, also emphasized the importance of restoring faith in multilateralism.
“For most developing countries, especially economies like Brazil and India, multilateralism is essential,” said Lago. “One of our primary goals at COP30 is to rebuild trust in collective, global solutions instead of unilateral approaches.”
Financing the Climate Transition
Achieving the annual $1.3 trillion climate finance goal by 2035 will require a coordinated global effort. Experts stress that mobilizing this amount will involve contributions from both public and private sectors, along with the creation of innovative financial tools and mechanisms.
India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has already launched the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), which is making significant strides in building resilience to climate-induced disasters.
