India approved its updated climate pledge in August 2022. Known as the updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) was submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) under the Paris Agreement. India’s NDC has set ambitious targets to achieve net zero emissions by 2070.
Panchamrit
- The updated climate pledge has taken into account the five-point set of targets announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Glasgow, United Kingdom.
- The five point set of targets known as Panchamrit (five nectar elements) defined targets for India’s climate action in the following ways:
- India will strive to reduce its dependence on fossil fuel energy and at the same time, increase its non-fossil fuel energy capacity to 500 gigawatt (GW) by 2030.
- By 2030, renewable energy will fulfill 50% of India’s energy requirements.
- The total projected carbon emissions will be reduced by 1 billion tonnes from now through 2030.
- The carbon intensity of its economy will be brought down to less than 45 per cent.
- India will achieve its target of net zero by 2070.
The update NDC has included three of these five targets:
Target 1
Quantified Goal: Updated NDC has laid out India’s ambitious plan to reduce emission intensity of its GDP by 45% by 2030 from its 2005 levels.
Non-Quantified Goals: India will promote a healthy and sustainable way of living. This living will give great emphasis on conservation and traditions. ‘Lifestyle for Environment’ (LIFE) will be launched as a mass movement to create awareness about the importance of sustainable living.
Target 2
Quantified Goal: By 2030, non-fossil fuel-based energy resources will be able to meet 50 per cent of India’s electric power requirements. India will be able to achieve this ambitious target with the help of green technology and low-cost international finance most of which may be secured under the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
Non-Quantified Goal: Unlike the economically developed countries of today, India will progress to development without compromising on the environment and biodiversity.
Target 3
Quantified Goal: To create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.
Non-Quantified Goals: Sectors that are most vulnerable to climate change will get enhanced investments so that they could adapt to climate change. Climate smart agriculture, better water resource management, protection of India’s coastal and Himalayan regions, disaster management are some of the non-quantified goals to be achieved under this target.
Key Points To Remember
- The updated NDCs is a document that has defined targets on how to achieve economic growth without greenhouse gas emissions.
- The targets have been set taking into account the national scenario.
- India aims to achieve its climate goals under the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
- The pledge lays out India’s clean energy transition pathway from now through 2030.
- India submitted its first pledge to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)in 2015.
Under the Paris Climate agreement, all signatories are required to update their climate pledge every five years. The countries are also supposed to make more commitments to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. - The Paris Agreement seeks to limit global warming to well below 2°C, preferably to 1.5°C, compared to pre-industry levels.
NDC 2015
India had submitted its first Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to UNFCCC in October 2015.
The 2015 NDC had three main goals: to reduce emissions intensity of the economy by 33–35 per cent below 2005 levels; to have 40 per cent of installed electric power from non-fossil-based energy resources by 2030; to create an additional (cumulative) carbon sink of 2.5-3 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e) by 2030 through additional forest and tree cover.
Brief History of India’s Current Climate Change Policy
- India has been pursuing policies that seek to promote development with climate goals.
- In 2001, India became one of the few countries to pass the Energy Conservation Bill.
- Recently, its Energy Conservation Act 2001 was amended in 2022. The amended act includes application of the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) to office and residential buildings and specification of energy consumption standards for ships and vehicles.
- India’s policy response to climate change has been defined through the National Action Plan on climate Change (NAPCC, released in 2008).
NAPCC has various missions and programmes, namely:
- National Solar Mission (NSM)
- National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE)
- National Mission on Sustainable Habitat (NMSH)
- National Water Mission (NWM)
- National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE)
- National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change (NMSKCC)
- National Mission for a Green India (GIM)
- National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)
Challenges To Achieve Climate Goals
- India has been trying to increase its forest and tree cover since 2015. India’s Green India Mission has fallen short of its target of reviving India’s forests through afforestations by 30% from 2015-16 to 2020-21.
- The total forest and tree cover in India in 2015 was 24.16 percent of the total land; this barely increased to 24.62% by 2021.
- India’s continued dependence on coal to meet its energy requirements is a major roadblock to achieve its climate goals. India’s coal has greater ash content and it causes more pollution. It is also hard to burn, and requires as much to produce the same amount of power as imported coal.
- Due to some electoral compulsions, the Government of India is unable to withdraw subsidies from fossil fuels. According to an estimate, direct and indirect subsidies to oil, gas and coal in 2021 was greater than the subsidies for renewables and Electric Vehicles (EVs).