India has withdrawn its proposal to host the 33rd Conference of the Parties (COP33) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2028, sources told news agency ANI. The move has drawn sharp criticism from the Congress.
According to sources, the decision was communicated to the Asia-Pacific group on April 2. No official reason has been cited for the move.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier proposed that India host COP33 during his address at the high-level segment of COP28 in Dubai in December 2023.
“India is committed to the UN Framework for Climate Change process. That is why, from this stage, I propose to host the COP33 Summit in India in 2028,” he had said.
Reacting to the development, Congress General Secretary and former environment minister Jairam Ramesh questioned the government’s intent behind withdrawing the bid.
“I am very surprised. It was high on PM`s agenda especially since 2029 will be the year of Lok Sabha polls. So atmospherics could have been created,” he said.
In a post on X, Ramesh said the decision reflects the Modi government’s “true commitment to the 2015 Paris Agreement both in letter and spirit” and raises questions about its willingness to adopt more ambitious carbon mitigation goals in the near term.
On Dec 1 2023, the Prime Minister had announced grandly in Dubai that India would be hosting the annual UN Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP) in India in late 2028. Clearly the intention was to milk the global gathering for whatever it is worth in the months before the… pic.twitter.com/FEBaisCmuI
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) April 9, 2026
“Unexpectedly last night, it was announced that India will not be hosting the high-profile 2028 Conference. No reasons have been given for this sudden decision,” he said.
Congress calls move a ‘flip-flop’, links COP33 plan to poll ‘atmospherics
He also drew parallels with the G20 Summit hosted in New Delhi ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, alleging that the earlier plan to host COP33 was aimed at creating similar “atmospherics”.
Ramesh further said that by 2028, the seventh assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is expected, which could have placed additional pressure on India as host to push for enhanced climate commitments globally.
“Incidentally, do we recall what the PM had told a group of children some years ago on his view of climate change? He had remarked that ‘people have changed, climate has not.’ Bizarre!” Ramesh said.
The Congress leader also termed the move a “flip-flop” by the government.
Meanwhile, the Union Cabinet last month approved India’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for the period 2031–2035, aimed at enhancing the country’s climate ambitions under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement.
According to an official release, the updated NDC is guided by the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’, focusing on building a climate-resilient and sustainable future.
“India`s successive climate targets build upon India`s earlier commitments, many of which have already been achieved ahead of schedule, reflecting the country`s consistent track record of delivering on climate action,” the release said.
“The five qualitative targets are intended to embed sustainability into everyday life and governance systems, promote climate-resilient development pathways, and enable a just and inclusive transition for all sections of the society,” it added.
(With ANI and PTI inputs)