Cabinet approves India’s new climate targets. What it means?

• Cabinet approves India’s Updated Nationally Determined Contribution to be communicated to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

• India now stands committed to reducing emissions intensity of its GDP by 45 percent by 2030

• Approval translates Prime Minister ‘Panchamrit’ announced at COP 26 into enhanced climate targets

• A step towards achieving India’s long-term goal of reaching net-zero by 2070

In an important development, India’s new climate targets were approved by the government on Wednesday. The Union Cabinet approved India’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to be communicated to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

As per the updated NDC, India has now declared that it is committed to reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45 percent by 2030, from 2005 level and achieving about 50 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.

What is an NDC?

NDC or INDC stands for Intended Nationally Determined Contribution. In December 2015, countries across the globe adopted a historic international climate agreement at the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris. The Paris Agreement requests each country to outline and communicate their post-2020 climate actions, known as their NDCs.

“Nationally determined contributions (NDCs) are at the heart of the Paris Agreement and the achievement of these long-term goals. NDCs embody efforts by each country to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change,” mentions the UNFCCC website.

The climate actions communicated in these INDCs determine the global achievability of the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement which is to limit the global average temperature to well below 2°C and preferably to limit the increase to 1.5°C besides achieving net zero emissions in the second half of this century.

What is Emission Intensity?

Emission intensity is defined as the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions emitted for every unit of GDP. It counts emissions beyond those related to energy. For example, emissions from agriculture are also counted in Emission intensity.

India and its NDC

Earlier, India had declared a voluntary target of reduction of emission intensity, excluding emissions from the agriculture sector, by 20–25% below 2005 levels by 2020. In February 2021, India stated that it had achieved a 24 percent reduction from the 2005 levels in emission intensity of GDP by 2016.

In October 2015, India submitted its first Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to UNFCCC. The 2015 NDC comprised eight goals; three of these have quantitative targets up to 2030 namely, cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil sources to reach 40%; reduce the emissions intensity of GDP by 33 to 35 percent compared to 2005 levels and creation of additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover.

Updated Indian NDC

At the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), India expressed to intensify its climate action by presenting to the world five nectar elements (Panchamrit) of India’s climate action. The present update to India’s existing NDC translates the ‘Panchamrit’ announced at COP 26 into enhanced climate targets. The update is also a step towards achieving India’s long-term goal of reaching net zero by 2070.

India has now declared that it is committed to reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45 percent by 2030, from 2005 level and achieving about 50 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.

India’s updated NDC also captures this citizen-centric approach to combat climate change. The updated NDC reads “To put forward and further propagate a healthy and sustainable way of living based on traditions and values of conservation and moderation, including through a mass movement for ‘LIFE’– ‘Lifestyle for Environment’ as a key to combating climate change”.

Transition to cleaner energy

The updated NDC also represents the framework for India’s transition to cleaner energy for the period 2021-2030. “The updated framework, together with many other initiatives of the Government, including tax concessions and incentives such as Production Linked Incentive scheme for promotion of manufacturing and adoption of renewable energy, will provide an opportunity for enhancing India’s manufacturing capabilities and enhancing exports,” the environment ministry statement said.

Climate Finance 

The updated NDC also highlighted the need for international climate finance and indicated a willingness to take domestic action to avoid emissions but stressed the need for funds and technology from the developed world.

“India’s climate actions have so far been largely financed from domestic resources. However, providing new and additional financial resources as well as transfer of technology to address the global climate change challenge are among the commitments and responsibilities of the developed countries under UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement. India will also require its due share from such international financial resources and technological support,” the statement further said.