India Joins Tropical Forests Forever Facility at COP30

At the COP30 Leaders’ Summit in Belém, Brazil, India officially joined the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF) as an observer.

At the COP30 Leaders’ Summit in Belém, Brazil, India officially joined the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF) as an observer, a strategic step in international climate diplomacy.

Delivering India’s statement at the Leaders’ Summit of COP30 held in Belém, Brazil, India’s Ambassador to Brazil, Dinesh Bhatia, reaffirmed the country’s commitment to multilateralism and the Paris Agreement, which marks its 10th anniversary this year.

This comes as the world celebrates a decade of the Paris Agreement (2015) and questions are being raised about the adequacy of global climate ambition.

India’s statement at COP30 reflected strong support for this fund while also pointing to gaps in global climate progress.

Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF)

It is a global fund led by Brazil that rewards tropical countries for conserving and expanding their forests. Its goal is to mobilize about USD 125 billion through public and private investment.

It aims to reward countries that conserve or expand their tropical forests by providing results-based payments — marking a shift from promises to performance-based support.

On the day of its launch, 53 countries — both rainforest and non-rainforest nations — endorsed it, including China, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Finland, the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Germany, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Peru, among others.

“NDC 3.0”

Countries are required this year to submit the third round of their NDCs for the period 2031–2035, known as “NDC 3.0.” Officials have stated that India may submit its updated NDC before or during COP30, to be held from November 10 to 21.

India’s statement also highlighted key domestic achievements.

Between 2005 and 2020, India reduced the emission intensity of its GDP by 36%.

More than 50% of India’s current installed power capacity comes from non-fossil fuel sources.

India achieved its revised NDC target five years ahead of schedule.

Forest and tree cover now constitute 25.17% of India’s geographical area, creating a carbon sink of 2.29 billion tonnes of CO₂ between 2005 and 2021.

India now has about 200 gigawatts of renewable energy, making it the world’s third-largest renewable energy producer.

Agreement reached to phase out the use of dental amalgam by 2034 under the Minamata Convention

At a conference in Geneva, signatories to a treaty aimed at protecting human health and the environment from mercury pollution called for ending the use of mercury amalgam.

In its closing statement, the conference declared that nations had “agreed to phase out the use of dental amalgam by 2034, marking a historic milestone in reducing mercury pollution.”

The decision was taken at the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-6) to the Minamata Convention on Mercury held in Geneva to reduce mercury pollution. There was also agreement to intensify global efforts to eliminate mercury-containing skin-lightening products.

Mercury (Hg) is a naturally occurring, heavy, silvery-white transition metal with atomic number 80. It is ductile, malleable, and capable of conducting heat and electricity. It is the only common metal that remains in a liquid state at room temperature.

About the Minamata Convention on Mercury

The convention includes more than 150 countries, adopted in 2013 and entered into force in 2017. It is named after Minamata Bay in Japan, which suffered decades of severe mercury poisoning in the mid-20th century.

Membership: 153 countries, including India.