Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement
Why it Matters?
India, backed by developing nations, successfully reopened discussions at the Bonn climate talks on the legal obligation of developed countries under Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement to provide and not merely mobilise climate finance.
What You Should Know?
The Paris Agreement (2015) is a landmark global treaty under the UNFCCC aimed at limiting global warming to well below 2°C, with efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. It places differentiated responsibilities on developed and developing countries.
The Paris Agreement mandates two key obligations:
Article 9.1: Developed countries must provide financial resources to developing countries.
Article 9.3: Developed countries must take the lead in mobilising climate finance from various sources.
India and developing countries reopened discussions on developed nations’ obligation to provide (not just mobilise) climate finance under Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement.
The issue was reignited at the Bonn Climate Talks 2025 after being sidelined at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, where developed nations pledged to mobilise USD 300 billion annually from 2035. This figure is well below the USD 1.3 trillion/year needed by developing countries, as per their estimates.
India led a united pushback, demanding a separate agenda item to discuss Article 9.1 implementation, which was initially resisted by developed nations. The talks in Bonn were halted for two days due to disagreements over this demand.
India stressed that Article 9.1 is not only a moral duty but a legal obligation, supported by Article 4.3 of the 1992 UNFCCC, which mandates “new and additional” finance from developed countries to meet full agreed costs.