Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav met with China's special envoy for climate change, Liu Zhenmin, on the sidelines of COP30 in Belem, Brazil. Their discussions focused on coordination among LMDC (Like-Minded Developing Countries) members regarding ongoing developments at COP30, with a particular emphasis on maintaining the integrity of the Paris Agreement, highlighting shared commitments to climate goals.

Yadav emphasised the importance of strengthened cooperation between India and China on climate action during this critical global negotiation forum.​

Earlier in the COP30 proceedings, Bhupender Yadav addressed the High-Level Ministerial Segment on the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA). He called for renewed global cooperation to protect big cat species and their habitats as part of integrated climate and biodiversity action.

Yadav underscored that ecological challenges are deeply interconnected and require linked solutions for climate and biodiversity preservation.

He highlighted that big cats are apex predators crucial for ecological balance and act as sentinels of ecosystem health. Healthy populations of big cats are indicators of thriving forests, regenerating grasslands, functioning water systems, and efficient carbon storage in living landscapes.​

Yadav warned that declines in big cat populations lead to destabilised ecosystems, weakening resilience to climate change and dwindling natural carbon sinks.

He underscored that wildlife conservation has a direct role in climate action, stating that conserving big cat landscapes strengthens carbon sequestration, watershed protection, disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, and sustainable livelihoods.

The minister also outlined IBCA’s role in providing countries with technical assistance, standardised tools, capacity building, and mechanisms for south-south cooperation, blended finance, and biodiversity-carbon credit mobilisation. India plans to host a Global Big Cats Summit in New Delhi in 2026 to foster international collaboration on these issues.​

Yadav's engagement with China and his emphasis on big cat conservation reflect India's broader strategy at COP30: promoting multi-dimensional climate action that integrates ecological preservation, biodiversity, and sustainable development, while collaborating with global partners to uphold the Paris Agreement and advance nature-based solutions.​

Based On ANI Report