Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, launched a scathing critique of the European Union at the Berlin Global Dialogue on July 5, 2026, accusing the bloc of slacking on the $100 billion‑per‑year climate‑finance pledge promised at COP21.
He recalled the 2009 Copenhagen commitment to mobilise $100 billion annually by 2020, and the 2015 Paris decision to extend that target through 2025.
Goyal highlighted the stark imbalance, noting that India, which houses 17 % of the world’s population, emits less than 3 % of global carbon, while Europe accounts for about 3 % of the population yet contributes seven to eight times India’s per‑capita emissions.
He added that the EU’s commitments have remained unfulfilled, with ‘they have failed to respond adequately to the needs of less‑developed countries or support them in their decarbonisation efforts.’
Goyal urged the EU to honour its $100 billion pledge by year‑end 2025, warning that India would intensify diplomatic efforts if the bloc fails to deliver.
He emphasized that India must meet the energy and food needs of 1.4 billion people while accelerating a clean‑energy programme, underscoring the urgency of global climate cooperation.