India criticized developed nations for their role in causing the climate crisis during a pivotal hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Thursday.

The country argued that these nations have exploited the global carbon budget, failed to fulfill their climate-finance commitments, and are now pushing developing countries to limit their resource consumption.

The ICJ is currently assessing the legal responsibilities of countries in addressing climate change and the potential consequences for non-compliance.

Making submissions on behalf of India, Luther M Rangreji, joint secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said, "If the contribution to degradation is unequal, the responsibility must also be unequal."

India emphasized that developing nations are the most severely impacted by climate change, despite being the least responsible for its causes.

"The developed world, which historically contributed the most, is ironically the best equipped with the technological and economic means to address this challenge," Rangreji said.

"Countries which have reaped development benefits from exploiting fossil fuels demand developing countries to not utilise the national energy resources available to them," he said.

"The USD 100 billion pledged at the Copenhagen COP in 2009 by developed country parties and the doubling of the contribution to the Adaptation Fund have not yet been translated into any concrete actions," India noted.

India emphasized the principle of fairness, stating, "If the contribution to global environmental degradation is unequal, the responsibility should also be unequal." The country reiterated its commitment to meeting its climate targets under the Paris Agreement but cautioned against placing excessive burdens on its citizens.

"There is a limit on how much we burden our citizens, even when India is pursuing Sustainable Development Goals for one-sixth of humanity," it said.