The Indian government has quietly withdrawn its offer to host the COP33 climate summit in 2028, Climate Home News has learned.
An Indian official informed other nations of the decision on April 2, saying the offer – first made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2023 – was being withdrawn “following a review of its commitments for the year 2028”.
No additional explanation has been provided. The Indian government has not publicly announced the decision and did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Climate Home News is the first to report the withdrawal.
The decision leaves uncertainty over the host of COP33, which will follow COP31 in Türkiye and COP32 in Ethiopia. South Korea is now the only country to have expressed interest in hosting the 2028 summit, with a decision expected later this year.
The right to host the annual climate COP negotiations rotates between the UN’s five regional groups. This year’s COP31 will be co-hosted by Türkiye and Australia – both members of the Western Europe and Others Group – and next year’s will be in the capital city of Ethiopia, a representative of the African Group.
The Asia-Pacific Group is next in line. India had been widely expected to host COP33 after Modi announced the country’s bid at COP28 in Dubai in 2023.
In July 2025, the BRICS group of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa said in a joint statement that they “welcomed” India’s candidacy to host COP33.
In the same month, The Hindu reported that the Indian government had set up a “cell” under the climate change division of the environment ministry to prepare for the summit.
But a letter dated 2 April – seen and verified by Climate Home News – confirms the reversal. In it, Rajat Agarwal, the environment ministry official responsible for liaising with the UNFCCC, informed the chair of the Asia-Pacific Group that India is withdrawing its candidacy.
The four-paragraph letter says India will continue to engage constructively with the international community on climate action and appreciates the “support and solidarity” of the Asia-Pacific countries during its bid for candidacy.
