110. Climate Diplomacy: COP, International Solar Alliance and Mission LiFE

CORE Key Points at a Glance

1. 1

   UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change)

   • Signed at Rio Earth Summit 1992, entered into force 1994
   • Foundational international climate treaty with 196 parties
   • Headquarters in Bonn, Germany
   • Annual COP (Conference of Parties) is its supreme decision-making body
2. 2

   Paris Agreement (COP21, December 2015, Paris)

   • Legally binding treaty for all parties
   • Commits to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels
   • Pursues efforts to limit it to 1.5°C
   • Entered into force 4 November 2016 (196 parties ratified)
3. 3

   NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution)

   • Each country submits its own climate action plan — "bottom-up" approach
   • Must be submitted every 5 years (2020, 2025, 2030...)
   • India's 2022 updated NDC: 50% cumulative electric power from non-fossil fuels by 2030
   • Also commits to 45% reduction in emissions intensity of GDP by 2030 (from 2005 base)
4. 4

   COP28 (Dubai, UAE, November–December 2023)

   • First Global Stocktake concluded — finding world is "not on track" to meet 1.5°C goal
   • Historic "transition away from fossil fuels" language agreed (not "phase out")
   • Loss and Damage Fund operationalised — $475 million pledged in first round
   • UAE's Sultan Al Jaber served as COP28 President
5. 5

   COP29 (Baku, Azerbaijan, November 2024)

   • Agreed New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG)
   • $300 billion per year to developing nations by 2035 from developed countries
   • In addition to existing $100 billion pledge
   • India strongly pressed for $1 trillion floor
6. 6

   International Solar Alliance (ISA)

   • Co-founded by India and France at COP21 (Paris, 2015)
   • Headquarters in Gurugram, India; 120 member countries
   • Mission: mobilise $1 trillion in solar investments by 2030
   • Target: deploy 1,000 GW of solar capacity globally
   • First intergovernmental organisation headquartered in India
7. 7

   CDRI (Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure)

   • Co-launched by India and UK at COP26 (Glasgow, 2021)
   • 39 national governments + 7 international organisations
   • Aim: make infrastructure resilient to climate and disaster risk
   • HQ: New Delhi; includes Small Island Developing States (SIDS) initiative
8. 8

   Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment)

   • Launched by PM Modi at COP26 (Glasgow, November 2021); formally established July 2022
   • Advocates shifting from "use and throw" to "reduce, reuse, recycle" lifestyle
   • Calls on individuals, communities, businesses, and governments to be "pro-planet people"
   • 75 actions across 7 key behaviours (energy, water, food waste, single-use plastic, waste, e-waste, healthy lifestyles)
9. 9

   Panchamrit Commitments (COP26, November 2021)

   • Five climate pledges by India announced by PM Modi
   • (1) 500 GW non-fossil energy by 2030; (2) 50% total energy from renewables by 2030
   • (3) 1 billion tonne CO₂ reduction by 2030; (4) 45% emissions intensity reduction by 2030
   • (5) Net zero by 2070
10. 10

    Loss and Damage Fund

    • Created at COP27 (Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, 2022)
    • Compensates climate-vulnerable nations for losses beyond adaptation capacity
    • Operationalised at COP28 (Dubai, 2023) with World Bank as interim trustee
11. 11

    India's Renewable Energy Achievement (2024-25)

    • Installed renewable energy capacity: over 200 GW (wind + solar + hydro + others)
    • Solar: 90 GW+; India is 4th globally in installed renewable capacity
    • On track for 500 GW by 2030
    • India added 18.5 GW solar in FY2024-25 (a record)
12. 12

    "Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities" (CBDR-RC)

    • The foundational principle of international climate justice
    • Developed countries caused most historical emissions and must lead on mitigation and finance
    • Developing nations like India retain the right to growth while taking nationally appropriate actions