India and Climate Change: Goals, Achievements, and the Way Forward

• Climate change is one of the most serious crises facing human civilization today.
• Its impacts extend beyond the environment, affecting health, agriculture, water resources, and economic development.
• For a developing country like India, the challenge lies in balancing economic growth with environmental protection. To address this, India has committed to concrete climate action at both international and national levels.

India’s Climate Action: At a Glance

• As an active member of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), India has outlined clear climate targets through its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

India’s NDC Targets (by 2030)

• Reduce GDP emission intensity by 45% compared to 2005 levels.
• Achieve about 50% of total electricity generation capacity from non-fossil fuel sources.
• Create an additional carbon sink of 2.5–3 billion tons of CO₂ through afforestation and reforestation efforts.

“Panchamrit” Pledge: India at COP26, Glasgow

In 2021, at COP26 in Glasgow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced India’s “Panchamrit” pledge for climate action, which includes five major commitments:

1. Achieve net-zero emissions by 2070.
2. Attain 500 GW of non-fossil energy capacity by 2030.
3. Meet 50% of energy requirements from renewable sources by 2030.
4. Reduce carbon emission intensity by 45% by 2030.
5. Reduce carbon emissions by 1 billion tons by 2030.

India’s Achievements and Progress

India has made significant strides toward its climate goals:

• GDP emission intensity decreased by 36% between 2005 and 2020.
• Share of non-fossil sources reached 46.52% by October 2024.
• Through afforestation and reforestation, a carbon sink equivalent to 2.29 billion tons of CO₂ was created between 2005 and 2021.

Although India remains the third-largest greenhouse gas emitter globally, its per capita emissions are well below the global average.

Challenges and Issues

India’s climate policy is ambitious, but its implementation faces several hurdles:

• Intermittent supply of renewable energy and high energy storage costs.
• Heavy dependence on imports of components (especially solar panels and lithium batteries).
• Limitations in grid connectivity and transmission infrastructure.
• Slow phasing out of coal-based plants, affecting energy transition.
• A gap of about 8% between policy targets and implementation, as indicated by NDC reports.

India’s Policies, Schemes, and Initiatives

(a) National Level

• National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)
• National Adaptation Fund
• National Biofuel Policy (2018)
• National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy
• Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia Policy
• Schemes: PM-KUSUM, PM-SURYA, Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT), Ujjwala Scheme, FAME India Mission, etc.

(b) International Level

• International Solar Alliance (ISA)
• Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)
• LIFE (Lifestyle for Environment) Mission

(c) Local Initiatives

• Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation including a climate chapter in its budget.
• Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation issuing the country’s first green municipal bond.

The Way Forward

For India, climate action is not just about targets; it’s about balancing development and sustainability. Future focus areas should include:

• Aligning long-term renewable energy goals with short-term energy demands.
• Promoting investment in Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).
• Designing schemes suited to local needs, such as Kerala’s Pachathuruthu initiative and Jharkhand’s Swaniti development plan.
• Expanding finance and technology support for net-zero transition through international cooperation.

Conclusion

• India’s climate commitment demonstrates that even developing countries can have strong political will for environmental protection.
• India’s model is based on “Sustainable Growth with Equity.”
• If India continues on its current trajectory, it will not only achieve its net-zero goal by 2070 but also play a leading role in global climate action.