India in Climate Change Negotiations

India has transitioned from a 'custodian' role for the global South, strictly adhering to the principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC), toward a more proactive and pragmatic leadership style. While professional negotiators have historically maintained rigid positions based on equity and historical emissions, political leadership—notably during the Copenhagen, Cancun, and Durban COPs—has shown a greater willingness to shift toward binding commitments and transparency. India now emphasizes solar power collaboration and the implementation of the Paris Agreement while continuing to demand green technology transfer from developed nations.

• India's long-term negotiating strategy is anchored in the demand for green technology transfer from developed nations and the principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC).
• There is a divergence between India's professional negotiators, who prefer a custodian role for developing countries, and its political leadership, which has been more open to abandoning entrenched positions to achieve strategic gains.
• During the 2009 Copenhagen Summit, then-Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh advocated for a radical shift in India's position, suggesting the country take steps to curb emissions without guaranteed finance or technology from developed nations to improve its global standing and pursue a UN Security Council seat.
• India's emissions profile has evolved, making it the fourth largest emitter globally as of 2015, with emissions at 6.81 per cent, though it continues to argue for differentiation based on per capita emissions (1.9 for India compared to 16.1 for the USA).
• India has shifted from a defensive posture to a proactive one, exemplified by its leadership in forming a 120-country alliance for solar power at the 2015 Paris summit and its strong support for the Paris Agreement.
• Domestic climate pressures in India include a sharp increase in forest fires in central India and the Himalayan region, as well as a transition from being a water-rich to a water-scarce nation.

APA

Miklian, J., Sinha, U. K., & Kolås, Å. (2017). India in Climate Change Negotiations. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/71b767c6-318d-4bf1-a5b8-7c35c219af89/Sinha et al - India in Climate Change Negotiations PRIO Policy Brief 10-2017.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Miklian, Jason, Uttam Kumar Sinha, and Åshild Kolås. India in Climate Change Negotiations. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2017. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/71b767c6-318d-4bf1-a5b8-7c35c219af89/Sinha et al - India in Climate Change Negotiations PRIO Policy Brief 10-2017.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Miklian |first1=Jason |last2=Sinha |first2=Uttam Kumar |last3=Kolås |first3=Åshild |title=India in Climate Change Negotiations |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=October 2017 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/71b767c6-318d-4bf1-a5b8-7c35c219af89/Sinha et al - India in Climate Change Negotiations PRIO Policy Brief 10-2017.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{miklian2017india, author = {Miklian, Jason and Sinha, Uttam Kumar and Kolås, Åshild}, title = {{India in Climate Change Negotiations}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2017}, month = oct, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/71b767c6-318d-4bf1-a5b8-7c35c219af89/Sinha et al - India in Climate Change Negotiations PRIO Policy Brief 10-2017.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }