New Delhi, Oct 19 (PTI) South Asia must convey the nature of its unique vulnerabilities to climate change, from the world’s youngest mountains to fragile island states and storm-prone coasts, and highlight its homegrown solutions at COP30, South Asia’s Special Envoy to the climate summit, Arunabha Ghosh, has said.
Exploring what can be achieved at the regional level should be the next priority, Ghosh told PTI in an interview.
“Our first priority is to convey the nature of our vulnerability to climate change,” he said.
“In South Asia, we have the youngest mountains in the world, small island states, and extensive coastal areas. Heat stress, changing precipitation patterns, glacial melt, and extreme weather events are all compounding our developmental challenges,” he said.
Ghosh, who also heads the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), said his second priority is to convey the kinds of actions already happening across the region, not just at the level of implementation but also in terms of structural and institutional design.
“We are putting together what we call a ‘granary of solutions’ from South Asia, which will be released at COP30,” he said.
“It could include new funds countries have created, new institutional bodies they’ve established, or new missions they’ve launched. Even while we wait for the climate finance that hasn’t arrived, there’s a lot we can learn from one another and much we can showcase to the rest of the world.” The third key focus, Ghosh said, is to explore what can be achieved at the regional level, beyond the COP process itself.
“We are looking at how South Asian countries can aggregate their Nationally Determined Contributions to offer larger markets, or create common platforms for adaptation and resilience finance,” he said.
“These ideas can strengthen our ability to attract investment and build regional stability,” he said.
He linked these priorities to the key themes set by the Brazilian COP30 presidency of advancing implementation, connecting biodiversity with adaptation and fostering bottom-up multilateralism.
“A lot of our resilience work in South Asia directly ties in with global adaptation goals,” Ghosh said, calling for indicators that better reflect the realities of developing nations.
While acknowledging the growing ambition across the region, Ghosh said climate finance remains the “missing piece”.
“The big question is how to convert finance into investment and bridge the gap when it comes to insurance cover for the vulnerable,” he said.
Describing his role, Ghosh said he acts as a bridge between the COP presidency and South Asian stakeholders.
“I am not a negotiator or a government representative. I am listening. My role is to carry messages in both directions, helping ensure that regional voices are heard globally,” he said.
Ghosh said success for South Asia at COP30 would mean scaling up investment and securing a stronger global focus on adaptation.
“Clear indicators that reflect our regional realities in the Global Goal on Adaptation and a strong financial signal for resilience would mark real success,” he added.
COP30 will be held in Belem, Brazil, from November 10 to 21. It will mark the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, where countries are expected to present national climate plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions, aligned with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. PTI UZM DIV DIV
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