Bhupender Yadav Advocates Stronger MEA Implementation at 2025 BRS COPs

Shri Yadav shared the collective insights from the round table discussions held on April 30, 2025, where ministers and delegates engaged on key mechanisms to enable effective implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs).

On the second day of the High-Level Segment of the 2025 Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions (BRS COPs), India reaffirmed its leadership in global environmental governance. Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav, played a pivotal role during the Ministerial Interactive Panel discussion themed “Means of Implementation,” underscoring India’s strategic priorities for sustainable development and international environmental cooperation.

India Advocates Robust Financing and Innovative Solutions

Shri Yadav shared the collective insights from the round table discussions held on April 30, 2025, where ministers and delegates engaged on key mechanisms to enable effective implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs).

Central to the discussions was the call for predictable and sustained international financing mechanisms. Countries underscored the necessity of both international support and domestic resource mobilization, including policy tools such as progressive taxation, carbon levies, and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). These were recognized as essential to build national capacities for environmental action.

A forward-looking element of the roundtable focused on innovative financing. Instruments such as green bonds, debt-for-nature swaps, chemical certificates, and green loans were highlighted as promising tools for attracting private sector investments, especially in economies under fiscal stress or emerging from conflict.

Enabling Policy and Institutional Strengthening

The discussion also brought to light the vital role of regulatory frameworks that promote private engagement. Shri Yadav emphasized policies that not only restrict environmentally harmful practices—such as bans on single-use plastics—but also offer tax incentives for green technologies, thereby fostering a fertile environment for sustainable enterprises.

The ministers stressed that effective implementation depends on institutional strength and inter-agency coordination. The capacity of environment ministries to lead was seen as fundamental, alongside support for capacity building and technical training across sectors.

Further, the establishment of robust data infrastructure and transparent monitoring systems was seen as a backbone for evidence-based policy-making and for building public trust in environmental governance.

Regional Solidarity and Inclusive Implementation

Shri Yadav emphasized regional cooperation as a catalyst for success. He advocated for the strengthening of regional centers, which could serve as hubs for technical exchange, shared infrastructure, and capacity development.

A key concern raised was the need to support conflict-affected and institutionally weaker nations. The roundtable proposed measures such as direct international financing access, conflict-sensitive programming, and customized technical partnerships to ensure that no country is left behind in achieving the environmental goals set by the global community.

Strategic Bilateral Meetings on the Sidelines

Beyond the formal sessions, Shri Yadav engaged in a series of high-level bilateral meetings to strengthen India’s environmental diplomacy:

• With Ms. Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Shri Yadav discussed the preparations for the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2). The focus was on the creation of a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, with particular concern for its impact on the marine environment.

• In a bilateral with H.E. Dr. Abdulla bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie, Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Qatar, both sides explored avenues for enhanced cooperation in biodiversity conservation and environmental protection. Shri Yadav extended an invitation to Qatar to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA), reflecting India’s commitment to global renewable energy partnerships.

• During a diplomatic dinner hosted at India House in Geneva, Shri Yadav also met with several key figures in multilateral environmental institutions, including:

  • Mr. Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary of the BRS Conventions;

  • Ms. Ivonne Higuero, Secretary General of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES);

  • Ms. Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention;

  • Prof. Celeste Saulo, Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO);

  • Ms. Monika Stankiewicz, Executive Secretary of the Minamata Convention.

These interactions highlighted India’s rising stature in international environmental forums, with widespread acknowledgment of the country’s transformational efforts in climate action, biodiversity conservation, and chemicals and waste management.

Toward Viksit Bharat by 2047

India’s proactive role at the 2025 BRS COPs is a testament to its broader commitment to the “Viksit Bharat by 2047” vision—an ambition that places environmentally sound management of chemicals and waste at the heart of national sustainable development.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India continues to balance growth with ecological responsibility, sending a strong message to the international community: environmental sustainability is not a constraint on development, but a catalyst for transformation.