WSDS-ACT4EARTH National Dialogue: Road to COP30 and Beyond

In 2024, the world recorded its first year with average temperatures above 1.5°C—a stark reminder that the Paris Agreement’s promise remains unfulfilled. As 2025 marks its tenth anniversary, the growing frequency of floods, droughts, cyclones, and wildfires underscores the urgency of accelerating adaptation (WMO, 2025).

A major gap persists between ambition and means of implementation. At COP29 in Baku, India and the Like-Minded Developing Countries (LMDCs) expressed disappointment at limited outcomes. Scientific assessments estimate that USD 1.3 trillion will be required annually until 2035 to meet climate finance needs, while developed nations have committed only USD 300 billion, much of it non-grant-based (PIB, 2024). Restoring credibility to the COP process will require reforms that enhance urgency and build trust.

Equity remains central to climate action. India, with 18 per cent of the global population and only 3.4 per cent of cumulative emissions, continues to advocate for operationalizing equity through measurable metrics, reinforcing common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR). Adaptation finance remains inadequate, and unsustainable consumption in high-income economies highlights the need for a just energy transition that supports low-carbon growth in developing countries.

Against this backdrop, TERI will host a national Act4Earth Dialogue to gather diverse perspectives and share preliminary findings from its study on reforms in multilateralism.

Overarching questions for the roundtable discussions include:

[1] How can equity and CBDR be translated into measurable frameworks for climate finance?

[2] What reforms in multilateral processes are required to restore trust and deliver meaningful outcomes for developing countries?

[3] What emerging issues, such as artificial intelligence and other frontier technologies, should be integrated into climate and sustainability discussions?