PM Modi meets UN chief Guterres, discuss India's progress in achieving climate goals

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of COP28 climate summit in Dubai. Guterres and Prime Minister Modi held a “warm interaction on the sidelines of COP28 in Dubai,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in an update on X, formerly Twitter.

According to Bagchi, Prime Minister Modi and UN’s chief Guterres held discussions about India’s G20 presidency, and India‘s progress in achieving climate goals, the priorities and concerns of Global South related to climate action, climate finance, technology and reforms of multilateral institutions among other key subjects. “UNSG affirmed to work with India to take forward G20 India’s achievements at the UN Summit of the Future 2024,” Bagchi informed in a post. 

MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweets, "A warm interaction between PM Narendra Modi and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of COP28 in Dubai. Discussions covered G20 India; India‘s progress in achieving climate goals; priorities and concerns of Global South… pic.twitter.com/zYfoqU3BCG

— ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2023

Guterres affirmed to cooperate with India and take forward the agendas of the UN Summit of the Future. The Summit of the Future is aimed at the multilateral solutions for a better tomorrow for the world, and will be hosted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) between 22-23 September 2024.

The summit will be aimed at strengthening global governance and will reach a concise, action-orientated Outcome Document (“A Pact for the Future”)  in advance by consensus through intergovernmental negotiations and endorsed by Heads of State/Government at the Summit. The UN resolution which was adopted on 8 September 2022 set out the modalities for the Summit of the Future, enabling the planning that was scheduled  at the HLPF this July and the SDG Summit in September 2023.

PM Modi welcomes historic decision to operationalise ‘Loss and Damage Fund’

At COP28 Presidency’s session on Transforming Climate Finance, Prime Minister Modi welcomed the decision to operationalise the 'Loss and Damage Fund.’ "India welcomes the historic decision to operationalise the 'Loss and Damage Fund'. This has released a new energy into the COP28 Summit. We hope that concrete results will be yielded on other issues related to climate finance,”Prime Minister Modi said. "India welcomes the historic decision to operationalise the 'Loss and Damage Fund'. This has released a new energy into the COP28 Summit. We hope that concrete results will be yielded on other issues related to climate finance," he added.

The L&D funding is aimed at alleviating the climate crisis for the vulnerable countries. The initial funding is estimated to be $475  million, with the host UAE pledging $100 million, the European Union pledging $275 million, $17.5 million from the US, and $10 million from Japan.