India to finetune its stand on COP26 ahead of its meet

New Delhi: Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will likely to finetune its stance and strategy next week ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference also known as the Conference of Parties (COP26) scheduled between October 31 and November 12, an Environment ministry official said on Friday. India, seen as the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHGs), has seen many visiting dignitaries in recent weeks urge New Delhi to submit a date by when the country's emissions will reach next zero, ie, when India's GHG emissions equal the amount of GHGs its forest cover soaks up.

Briefing a group of reporters in the run up to COP26 the official said India's position is yet to come up before the Cabinet.

India's delegation to the Glasgow meet will comprise about 15 officials drawn from the ministries of environment, power, finance, earth sciences, agriculture, new and renewable energy, the official said. Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav will lead the delegation and be present at the meet when it takes up issues like the Paris rulebook that sets out guidelines for implementing the 2015 Paris Agreement, the legally binding global pact on climate change. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Glasgow on November 1 where he will attend the Leaders' Summit, a person familiar with the matter said separately.