New Delhi: Declining climate finance needs to be addressed urgently, said India in a statement on June 8 at the ongoing climate conference in Bonn, Germany. India also urged that unilateral trade measures (referring to mechanisms such as the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) be addressed because they affect climate action by developing countries, as per several news reports.The Bonn Climate Change Conference, which kicked off on June 8 and will continue till the 18th, is an annual meeting of negotiators from Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) ahead of the next Conference of Parties, COP31, which will be held in Antalya in Türkiye this November. The conference is the 64th session of the UNFCCC’s Subsidiary Bodies (SB64).Two subsidiary bodies (on implementation, the SBI; and on scientific and technological advice, the SBSTA) will prepare draft decisions for COP31 based on outcomes from the previous COP that was held at Belem in Brazil, the Hindu reported.No new mandates, says IndiaIndia noted in its statement on June 8 that “no new issues” should be considered in the next COP’s negotiations, reported Down To Earth.“No new issues or obligations beyond agreed mandates should be considered. Initiatives outside the UNFCCC process should remain voluntary in nature,” DTE quoted Harkeerat Randhawa of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), who gave India’s statement at Bonn, as saying.This is possibly a reference to growing demands that parties do more to reduce the use of fossil fuels. India’s stance has been that it will not give up on fossil fuels yet because it still needs to lift its people out of poverty, and because actions must be taken by member parties based on ‘common but differentiated’ responsibilities, which depend on the national circumstances, including historical emissions and economic capacity of the respective nations. India said at the last COP at Belem, for instance, that developed countries have “disproportionately appropriated the global carbon budget” while developing countries continue to take “decisive climate action”.At Bonn too, India batted for “equity and historical responsibility”, and said that developing countries need carbon space to eradicate poverty and expand energy access, the Hindu reported. Per the report, India also sought operationalisation of the Just Transition Mechanism on the basis of equity and Common But Differentiated Responsibilities.Focus on finance“The international climate agenda must now focus on implementation,” India further stated on June 8 at Bonn. It also called for the Article 9.1 work programme (which deals with developed countries providing funds for climate change adaptation and mitigation) to receive the “prominence and dedicated agenda space it deserves”, reported DTE. India was concerned by the declining levels of climate finance, including replenishment of funds and support for the growing adaptation finance gap, per the report.Associating itself with the positions taken on behalf of the Group of 77 and China (G-77), the Like-Minded Developing Countries (LMDC) and the BASIC bloc (Brazil, South Africa, India, China), India also noted that a dialogue on unilateral trade measures was crucial. In recent times, India has consistently expressed displeasure at the deployment of UTMs such as the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.The discussions and outcomes at the Bonn Conference will lay the foundation for the draft decision texts for COP31, which will be held in Türkiye in November this year. Türkiye is the designated presidency and Australia is the designated head of negotiation for COP31.