Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the necessity for climate finance, technology assistance, and the right to pursue development for emerging economies ahead of his attendance at the UN climate summit in Dubai, COP28.

During the summit's opening in Dubai, ongoing debates among nations have highlighted divisions regarding the prioritization between phasing out coal, oil, and gas versus scaling up technologies to mitigate the climate impact of fossil fuels.

Asserting the stance of emerging powers like India and China, Modi's office stressed the need for equitable carbon and development space for achieving sustainable growth, pointing fingers at developed nations for surpassing their share of available carbon resources.

Echoing this sentiment, India's Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra earlier highlighted coal's continued significance, stating that coal would remain a vital component of India's energy requirements in the coming years. India, heavily reliant on coal for 73% of its energy needs, is swiftly working to increase coal-based power generation capacity by 17 gigawatts to address a surge in power demand.

India and China have opposed efforts to obstruct the construction of coal-fired power stations, while France, supported by the United States, intends to seek a cessation of private financing for these projects at COP28.

Kwatra emphasized India's expectations for a comprehensive roadmap on climate financing at COP28 and reiterated support for a "loss-and-damage" fund aimed at assisting countries impacted by environmental degradation due to industrial development, emphasizing its potential benefits for developing nations.