Measure success in Antalya by accelerated implementation of Paris Agreement goals: Union Minister Bhupender Yadav at Pre-COP 31 meet

New Delhi [India], October 7 (ANI): Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav called for closing gaps in climate action, fulfilling existing commitments and accelerating implementation of the Paris Agreement as he addressed the plenary discussion on COP31 priorities at the UNFCCC Pre-COP31 meeting in Fiji on Wednesday.
He said the success of the upcoming COP31 should be measured by concrete action on the ground rather than new targets or declarations. Yadav is leading the Indian delegation at the UNFCCC Pre-COP31 meeting being co-hosted by Australia, Fiji and Tuvalu.
Yadav saluted the spirit of the people of Tuvalu for “bravely combating the challenges of climate change” and setting an example of a successful model. He said that their efforts strengthen hope, confidence and the resolve to stand united in combating climate change.
The Minister said that the long-term objectives and goals have already been established under the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement, including the ambition of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C. He emphasised that achieving this ambition would require commensurate means of implementation and that the focus now should be on assessing how the world can accelerate its journey towards these goals.
The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 195 Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France, on 12 December 2015. It entered into force on 4 November 2016. Currently, as of 27 January 2026, there are 194 Parties to the Paris Agreement. Its overarching goal is to hold “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels” and pursue efforts “to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.”
Referring to the COP31 Presidencies’ focus on consensus, decision-making and implementation, Yadav said there is an overall Consensus on the long-term goals and direction of climate multilateralism. "However, there is a need to identify and develop consensus on existing gaps in understanding, including gaps between science and traditional knowledge and community practices, between practices and ethics, and between available resources and felt needs."
The Minister said that COP31 should endeavour to close these gaps in understanding.
On decision-making, Yadav said the key decision required from Parties is to fulfil their commitments under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement “in true letter and spirit” and enable each Party to fulfil these commitments. On Implementation, the Minister called for addressing identified gaps where the need is highest, and the impact is visible and felt by the majority.
He emphasised the need for greater capacity building and urged Parties to bring concrete examples and success stories every year—demonstrating high-impact mitigation, large-scale adaptation and effective delivery of means of implementation.
Yadav said that consistently sharing and scaling such examples year after year would yield better results on the ground in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. He concluded that success in Antalya should not be measured simply by new targets or declarations, but by whether implementation is accelerated, support reaches those who need it, and existing solutions can be taken to scale.
The Pre-COP is a preparatory meeting held a few weeks before the annual UN Climate Change Conference, which this year will be held in Antalya, Türkiye, in November. (ANI)