As world leaders gather in Baku for COP29, India is poised to champion the urgent need for climate finance, accountability, and protection for vulnerable communities. While India’s delegation will be led by the Minister of State for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, the country’s key priorities include holding developed nations accountable for their climate finance commitments, strengthening resilience for vulnerable communities, and achieving an equitable energy transition. India’s approach, while moderate in terms of attendance and scale, emphasizes pragmatic climate action, focusing on transparent and reliable climate finance. The conference is expected to tackle the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) for climate finance, a critical benchmark that could reach trillions of dollars annually. With the re-election of Donald Trump in the U.S., COP29 is anticipated to be a test of multilateralism, with China and the EU potentially taking on leadership roles in the absence of strong U.S. climate action. India’s COP29 strategy aims to challenge developed nations on their climate pledges and drive conversations toward more transparent and reliable climate finance.