Bonn Summit Opens in Deadlock, India ‘Disappointed’ over Finance Obligation Exclusion

The Bonn Climate Talks, also known as the 62^nd meeting of the subsidiary bodies (SB 62), are in progress from June 16 and continue till June 26. However, the opening day of the conference saw a failure to gavel the official conference agenda, due to disagreements on items proposed to be added.

According to Down To Earth, the two agenda items proposed by developing countries, on climate finance and unilateral trade measures are seeing wide resistance from developed countries. The agenda was eventually adopted around 6 pm on the second day of the conference.

On June 3, the Like-Minded Developing Countries (LDMC) that includes India, submitted two new items to add to the Bonn conference agenda, i.e., Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement and on unilateral trade measures.

The submissions asked for making a decision on “the ways to implement Article 9.1 in manner that provides additionality, predictability, concessionality and transparency from developed countries, for developing countries.”

However, these were not adopted after the European Union and other developed nations declined to support.

Decided Agenda Disappoints India

According to HT, India, along with other developing countries, expressed disappointment after a key climate finance discussion was excluded from the Bonn Climate Talks agenda, vowing to raise the issue at November’s COP30 summit in Brazil.

The report also stated that the debate over the 9.1 agenda item proposal led to a 30-hour delay before talks could begin.

“We are extremely disappointed with the reluctance of developed countries to discuss their legal obligations to provide finance to developing countries,” said Amandeep Garg, additional secretary at ministry of environment, forests and climate change, who represented the Indian delegation.

“Without enough affordable financial support, developing countries cannot address the challenges posed by climate change,” Garg said during his intervention at the agenda adoption session, backing the LMDC position. “This is completely unacceptable. We do not understand how this process can engage in article 9.1 without which climate action in developing countries cannot be taken in scale, scope and speed”

Garg added, “It has been 10 years of the Paris Agreement and still the items which are required to be discussed, we are not discussing them.”

This development comes after the 29th UN Climate Conference (COP29) in Baku, where countries agreed on a new climate finance target. Developed nations committed to providing $300 billion each year to help developing countries tackle climate change.