In a powerful appeal published on November 24, 2025, a sustainability researcher highlights how developing nations — especially those that contributed least to historical emissions — are being burdened with climate finance structured as debt, not the grant-based support they urgently need. The article argues that this model deepens structural inequality and undermines the very concept of a just transition for countries already suffering climate impacts.
According to the piece, communities across India — from cotton farms to small weaving clusters and garment hubs — are already being disrupted by rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and water scarcity. Yet, despite this urgent climate exposure, they receive little meaningful financial backing to adapt or decarbonise in a sustainable way. The author insists that climate finance should not be framed as a “loan-driven obligation” but as a shared global responsibility.
Instead of loans, the demands include grant-based funding, access to technology, and long-term partnerships that build local capacity. These measures would empower nations to move toward cleaner economies without being saddled with crippling debt. The author notes that countries like India are already deploying renewable energy faster than many historic emitters did — a sign they don’t lack the ambition, but they lack fair support.
Crucially, the article contends that what developing nations want is not charity, but equity — a recognition of science, history, and the commitments enshrined in the Paris Agreement. The demand is framed not in terms of aid, but of justice: climate ambition must be rooted in climate justice, the author argues.
In addition, the article raises important concerns about data bias in global climate and AI discourse. It warns that non-Western data and local knowledge are consistently under-represented, contributing to a distorted global understanding of climate change. This marginalisation of local perspectives, the writer says, risks weakening global climate responses and reinforces epistemic inequalities that must be addressed.
The piece concludes by emphasising that developing nations are not asking for charity — they want a fair approach aligned with both their vulnerability and their vital role in driving global decarbonisation. Climate justice, according to the author, demands not only reparative funding but a transformation in how the world finances climate action.
Ultimately, the call goes beyond aid: it’s a demand for structural reform so that the countries least responsible for climate change are not forced to pay for adaptation via crippling loans, but instead receive equitable, just, and sustainable support to build resilience.
