India sharpened its global pitch on wildlife and climate action at the UN climate summit in Brazil, announcing that New Delhi will host a Global Big Cats Summit in 2026. The declaration was made by Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav during the High-Level Ministerial Segment on the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) at CoP30 in Belém.
Speaking at the event, Yadav said the survival of big cats is directly tied to climate stability, ecosystem resilience and natural carbon storage. He called big cats “sentinels of ecosystem health” and argued that conserving their habitats strengthens climate adaptation and safeguards water and forest systems. “What we often call wildlife conservation is, in fact, climate action in its most natural form,” he said.
Yadav highlighted India’s conservation achievements, including doubling its tiger population ahead of schedule and steady growth in the Asiatic lion population. He also cited India’s nationwide wildlife assessments, expanding protected areas and community partnerships aimed at securing habitats and corridors, a PIB release stated.
Calling IBCA a vision rooted in “One Earth, One World, One Future,” the Minister noted that 17 countries have formally joined the alliance, with more than 30 expressing interest. He urged nations to deepen cooperation through shared technical support, capacity-building and biodiversity-linked climate finance.
Inviting countries to take part in the 2026 summit, Yadav said global collaboration is essential to protect big cats and the ecosystems they anchor. “We must collaborate, not compete. Protecting big cats is protecting our shared future,” he said.
