Sawt Falasteen - France threatens to block funds for India over climate inaction

France's ecological transition minister Monique Barbut told AFP the European Union should take a firmer stance against climate inaction and favour a "more transactional" approach in negotiations with emerging economies.

As an example, she singled out India, which signed a major trade deal with Brussels in January.

Under the accord, the EU is to pay 500 million euros ($574 million) to support India's green transition, she said.

"I am not in favour of such funding until India submits a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in accordance with its commitments and it adopts a slightly different approach towards the European Union in climate negotiations," she said.

NDCs are country plans to cut planet-warming emissions, which signatories to the 2015 Paris climate agreement have to submit every five years.

More than 60 countries, including major recipients of climate finance -- such as India, Egypt and the Philippines -- are yet to produce their latest version, having failed to meet a United Nations deadline last year.

India is the world's third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, after China and the United States.

More broadly, Barbut said Brussels had to take a tougher stance in climate negotiations, with a "more strategic and also more transactional approach".

"This clearly means: 'We only pay if you act'," she said in an interview, adding she had laid out her concerns in a message to the European Commission.

"Europe should only provide financial support to countries that themselves make credible commitments within the framework of the Paris Agreement."

EU climate ministers are due to discuss the 27-nation bloc's climate diplomacy during a meeting in Brussels on Tuesday.

K.Hassan--SF-PST