The decision was announced to the Asia-Pacific Group on April 2, according to a Newsonair report, which did not detail the reasons for the decision.

The Times of India noted that, although there is no official statement on the matter, the Environment Ministry officials confirmed that the withdrawal had been informed to the relevant body, without offering further explanation.

The newspaper noted that the country announced its decision, stating its inability to host the conference after a review of its commitments for 2028.

India’s proposal to host COP33 was initially made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself on December 1, 2023, during his speech at COP28 held in Dubai.

The newspaper stated that the withdrawal was announced last week by the Ministry’s deputy secretary, Rajat Agarwal, to the president of the Asia-Pacific Group at the UN climate body, which is responsible for coordinating with the host countries in that region.

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