For India, COP31 Must Turn Climate Promises Into Projects That Reach People

India’s power sector achieved a landmark in February this year, with non-fossil sources contributing to over 50 percent of installed capacity, five years ahead of the committed timeline. Yet, coal still generates more than 70 percent of India’s electricity, highlighting the gap between installed capacity and the energy mix that powers everyday lives and its reach to different strata of society.

The Conference of the Parties (COP) 31 Action Agenda, launched in New York on 21 September, will be judged by how well it closes that distance between what we can count and what people experience.

The COP31 Presidency’s 10 priority themes, from electrification to resilient cities, food security, health, and oceans, are the very challenges that India is grappling with.

Data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) show that developed countries provided and mobilised about USD 137 billion in 2024. India’s estimated climate finance requirement through 2030 is USD 170 billion/year. Indian borrowers routinely pay 1%–3% more than those in developed countries for comparable assets.

Climate targets should look beyond installed capacity to measure success. For instance, expanding electrification in India will require investments in storage, grid, and system flexibility.

Developing countries cannot be expected to decarbonise steel and cement while they face border charges. Therefore, climate action must also account for trade rules, access to finance and technology, and capacity to decarbonise.

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