Explained | What is Pacific Pre-COP31?

• Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav is leading the Indian delegation at the UNFCCC’s Pacific Pre-COP31 meetings being co-hosted by Australia, Fiji and Tuvalu.

What is Pacific Pre-COP31?

• Pre-COP is a preparatory meeting held before the annual UN climate conference, known as COP. 

• It brings together a smaller group of countries, usually around 30 to 50, to discuss the key issues that will be negotiated by the countries at COP.

• The Pacific Pre-COP31 is being held from October 5 to 8 in Nadi, Fiji, alongside a leaders’ event in Tuvalu.

• Pre-COP will lay the foundations for negotiations at COP31 in Antalya, Turkey from November 9 to 20, elevating Pacific priorities within the annual climate conference.

• The Pacific Pre-COP31 provides an important platform to ensure the voices and priorities of Pacific Island countries are at the centre stage of the upcoming COP31.

• Hosting the Pre-COP in the Pacific also provides global decision-makers with an opportunity to engage directly with the region on the frontline of climate change and to see first-hand the solutions, resilience and leadership emerging from Pacific communities.

What is COP?

• The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is a multilateral treaty adopted in 1992, shortly after the first assessment report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1990, to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic (human-induced) interference with the climate system. 

• Since entering into force in 1994, the UNFCCC has provided the basis for international climate negotiations, including landmark agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol (1997) and the Paris Agreement (2015).

• The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the main decision-making body of the UNFCCC.

• It brings together 198 countries and the European Union.

• COPs are a platform for the world to negotiate climate change solutions, accelerate clean energy and electrification, mobilise investment and grow global clean industries.

• Turkey will host COP31 including the World Leaders’ Summit in Antalya. Australia will serve as the president of negotiations for COP31. 

• This is the process where countries work through the hard conversations on targets, rules, and the ambition needed to drive global change.

What India highlighted at Pre-COP31?

• Union Minister Bhupender Yadav called for equal attention to adaptation, mitigation, and means of implementation in the run-up to COP31.

• He said the key principles of CBDR-RC must be upheld in letter and spirit.

• CBDR-RC stands for Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities, and its principles acknowledge that all states have a shared obligation to address environmental destruction but deny equal responsibility of all states with regard to environmental protection.

• He also stressed that there cannot be a “one-size-fits-all” pathway to climate action. 

• He highlighted that local studies and assessments are important for finding solutions to emerging challenges of the area.