India expects clear roadmap on climate finance during COP28: Foreign Secretary Kwatra

New Delhi: India expects a "clear roadmap" on climate finance at the ongoing COP28 in Dubai, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said on Thursday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on a visit to the Gulf city to attend the world's most significant climate meeting.

Modi will attend the World Climate Action Summit on Friday during the United Nations 'Conference of the Parties' on climate, known as COP28 that is focused on reducing emissions and supporting developing countries deal with extreme weather events.

Several world leaders are set to attend the climate action summit to discuss ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and effectively combat climate change.

In the summit, Modi is expected to highlight India's ambitious climate agenda and related issues.

The World Climate Action Summit is the high-level segment of the COP28.

The prime minister is scheduled to participate in three other high-level side events as well before returning to Delhi on Friday night.

The COP28 is taking place from November 30 to December 12 under the presidency of the UAE.

"Our clear perspective and priority has been that climate finance and also climate technology are a very crucial segment of all the global efforts in addressing this challenge of environmental degradation," Kwatra said at a media briefing.

"We expect a clear roadmap to be agreed at COP28 on climate finance which would be important for delivering on the new, collective, quantified goals," he said.

During its G20 presidency, India strongly pushed for climate finance to help the developing countries deal with climate change.

"India is among a few large economies which are on track to meet its nationally determined contributions," Kwatra said.  "India has taken a leadership role in shaping the global agenda on climate and environment including through focusing on this issue in two Voice of Global South Summits organised by India," he said.

"Our approach to climate action is reflected in our principled positions in international negotiations and our global efforts to help the rest of Global South in combating this serious challenge of climate change as also its impact on the development framework of the developing countries," he said.

India hosted the first virtual Voice of Global South Summit in January while the second one was hosted this month.

On Modi's visit to Dubai, Kwatra said it would give another opportunity to further advance the prime minister's vision to deal with the challenge of climate change and forge global consensus on "this very important issue".

"We are proactive in taking practical climate action measures and basing them on a firm conceptual understanding and a very firm belief that our development has to be a green development," he said.

India is also co-hosting two side events that included launch of green credit initiatives. The other one is the launch of a leadership group for industry transition.