India calls Joint Crediting Mechanism key tool for equitable, scalable climate action at COP30
Belém (Brazil) (PTI): India has said the Joint Crediting Mechanism has emerged as an important instrument for driving equitable and scalable global climate action; has the potential to accelerate advanced low-carbon technologies, and can support New Delhi’s emission targets.
Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Wednesday said cooperative frameworks such as the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) strengthen global mitigation efforts while also aligning with the development priorities of nations like India.
“Mechanisms such as the JCM represent a significant approach in strengthening efforts for climate action while supporting national priorities, particularly for developing countries,” Yadav said while speaking at the 11th JCM Partner Countries’ Meeting on the sidelines of COP30 here.
Japan’s Environment Minister Hirotaka Ishihara, who chaired the session, said the JCM has now expanded to 31 partner countries with more than 280 projects being implemented under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
Japan aims to scale this collaboration (JCM) globally by enabling long-term investments, boosting participation of partner nations in resilience projects, and supporting capacity-building, Ishihara said at the meet organised by his ministry.
India and Japan signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) in August this year on Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
Reaffirming the India–Japan climate partnership, Yadav said the JCM aligns with the Article 6 cooperative framework and offers both governments and private entities a clear pathway to jointly develop mitigation projects, mobilise finance, deploy advanced technologies and transparently allocate emission reductions.
The mechanism, he said, also reinforces multilateral climate goals in a “practical and mutually beneficial” manner.
Yadav said the JCM will directly contribute to India’s climate action plan under the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and its long-term low-emission development strategy.
Approved low-carbon technologies would “play an important role in catalyzing our long-term goals,” Yadav added, noting that the system is expected to spur investment, technology deployment and capacity building while helping India localise high-technology climate solutions.
He informed partner countries that India is in the final stages of completing the Rules of Implementation and other activity-cycle documents, while the Bureau of Energy Efficiency is developing the Indian Carbon Market portal.
The portal will carry a dedicated section for the JCM and other Article 6 cooperative approaches to ensure transparent and efficient project facilitation.
Outlining future areas of cooperation, Yadav said upcoming JCM initiatives would focus on renewable energy with storage, sustainable aviation fuel, compressed biogas, green hydrogen and green ammonia, as well as advanced technologies for hard-to-abate sectors such as steel, cement and chemicals, areas that closely align with India’s development priorities.
Calling the India–Japan partnership an example of high-integrity climate cooperation, Yadav urged countries to work together to make the JCM “a model for transparent, impactful, and equitable climate partnerships.”
The 2015 Paris Agreement aims at substantially reducing global greenhouse gas emissions to hold global temperature increase to well below 2 degrees Celsius and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels (with a baseline 1850-1900).
Article 6 of the Paris Agreement enables international cooperation to tackle climate change and to unlock financial support for developing countries.
The world has already heated up by 1.3 degrees Celsius since the pre-industrial era, largely due to burning fossil fuels.
Negotiators from India and more than 190 other countries have gathered here for the annual Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The COP30 summit is taking place at this Brazilian city of Belem in the Amazon region from November 10 to 21.
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Delhi CM Rekha Gupta accuses Mamata Banerjee of stalling SIR; TMC hits back
Kolkata (PTI): Alleging that her West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee had approached the Supreme Court to stall the SIR exercise to prevent the identification of infiltrators, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday claimed that the people of the state have made up their minds to dislodge the Trinamool Congress from power.
The TMC countered strongly, urging Gupta to "look into her own backyard" and accused her of making absurd allegations against the TMC government without checking facts.
Addressing participants at the 'Nari Sankalp Yatra' organised by the BJP's women's wing at Science City auditorium here, Gupta alleged that the "hands-off" and appeasement policies of the TMC government had allowed thousands of infiltrators to enter the state in recent years.
She claimed that this had put a strain on basic rights such as access to water, electricity, ration, education, livelihood and the right to vote for genuine citizens.
"She wants to perpetuate this and hence is trying to stall the SIR exercise, which aims at identifying and deporting infiltrators. Imagine a chief minister going to the apex court to argue against an exercise meant to ensure free and fair polls," Gupta said.
The BJP leader alleged that appeasement politics had reached an "alarming level" under the TMC regime.
Raising concerns over women's safety, she claimed that women in the state were not secure despite having a woman chief minister.
Referring to the rape-murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Hospital, Gupta alleged that the state government had failed to respond adequately to such crimes.
She also referred to the alleged rape of a woman medic in Durgapur and another law student on a Kolkata college campus, claiming that criminals had been emboldened to commit brutalities against women.
She alleged that in crimes against women, overall crime incidents and child marriages, West Bengal remained among the top -- "a slur on a state which once led intellectual and social movements and set examples for the rest of the country," she said.
Criticising the state government's welfare initiatives, she said schemes such as Kanyashree were built on "false claims" and asserted that women needed security rather than assurances.
Accusing the state government of blocking central schemes, Gupta alleged that funds worth "lakhs of crores of rupees" had not reached the poor due to non-implementation of programmes such as Ayushman Bharat, PM Awas Yojana and Jal Jeevan Mission by the state.
"You are only interested in renaming projects and taking credit," she said.
Gupta also alleged that the education sector in the state had been adversely affected, saying several state-run schools had closed due to a shortage of teachers and that the government was opposed to the National Education Policy.
Drawing a comparison with BJP-ruled Delhi, Gupta said, "People have already voted out 'Bhaia' (a reference to former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal). Now it is your turn to bid farewell to 'Didi'." Calling upon women to resist what she termed "strong-arm tactics", she urged them to assert their strength, invoking the imagery of Goddess Durga.
"Bengal has the right to live with dignity, and women have the right to live with dignity," she added.
Reacting to Gupta's allegations, West Bengal Women and Child Welfare minister Shashi Panja accused her of making "absurd allegations" against the Trinamool Congress government ahead of elections.
Panja alleged that during Gupta's tenure in Delhi, several incidents had raised serious concerns, including reports of missing young women and a blast near the Red Fort.
She also criticised the air pollution situation in the national capital, claiming that people were struggling to breathe.
The TMC leader said that despite being in power for a year, Gupta was making "tall claims" instead of addressing key issues in Delhi.
Panja further alleged that the Delhi CM visited West Bengal during elections to "peddle false allegations" against the state government.
Rebutting Gupta, the TMC said in a post on X said, "Madam why did you go off-script again? For your edification, here are the cold, hard facts: In total cases of crimes (IPC + SLL), Bengal ranks a respectable 15th, far safer than BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, which languish near the bottom."
"In overall crime rate, Bengal sits comfortably at 28th. Who's second? Your own Delhi. Double Engine Gujarat and Haryana grab 4th and 5th as top-tier crime havens," the TMC said.
"In child marriage, Assam again takes the shameful pole position. And yet you dare lecture Bengal? Stop embarrassing yourself, stop the hypocrisy, and maybe fix the rotting mess in your own backyard before pointing fingers at a state that's outperforming your disasters on every key metric," the TMC countered.
