15-Dec-2022: Action plan on ill effects of climate change

India has always emphasized that climate change is a global collective action problem and requires international cooperation for its solution. India is a Party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and its Kyoto Protocol (KP), and the Paris Agreement (PA).Reports from various sources including Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlight that the challenges faced due to global warming are mainly due to cumulative historical and current greenhouse gas emissions of the developed countries. India with more than 17 % of global population has contributed only about 4 % of the global cumulative greenhouse gas emissions between 1850 and 2019.

Even though, India is not part of the problem, it is part of the solution, and has done far more than its fair share in addressing the climate change. The Government of India stands committed to combating climate change through its several programmes and schemes including the National Action Plan on Climate Change(NAPCC) which comprises missions in specific areas of solar energy, energy efficiency, water, sustainable agriculture, health, Himalayan ecosystem, sustainable habitat, green India, and strategic knowledge for climate change. The NAPCC provides an overarching framework for all climate actions. Thirty-four States /Union Territories (UTs) have prepared their State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) in line with NAPCC taking into account the State specific issues relating to climate change. India has also proactively taken a lead in promoting international collaborations through International Solar Alliance and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and has undertaken various programmes and activities through these arrangements.

Under the terms of the Paris Agreement, the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)and Long-Term Low Emissions Development Strategy(LT-LEDS) are determined by countries themselves and communicated to the UNFCCC. In keeping with this, India has submitted its updated NDCs on 26thAugust 2022 and its long-term low carbon development strategy on 14thNovember 2022.

The impact of climate change on agriculture and other sectors is being assessed by the relevant Ministries from time to time. Agriculture in India is primarily the site of adaptation and not mitigation, though mitigation co-benefits may arise and be utilised from time to time depending on context specific and local circumstances. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has initiated a network project, National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) in 2011 to study and address the impact of climate change on Indian agriculture. As per the studies under NICRA, rainfed rice yields in India are projected to reduce marginally (<2.5%) in 2050 and 2080 and irrigated rice yields by 7% in 2050 and 10% in 2080 scenarios. Wheat yield is projected to reduce by 6-25% in 2100 and maize yield by 18-23%. Climate change is likely to benefit chickpeas with an increase in productivity (23-54%).

Further, Department of Science and Technology is implementing two national missions namely National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem and National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change. Under the missions, a number of R&D projects have been supported in climate change studies across India to assess the impact of climate change on sectors like coastal vulnerability, health, agriculture and water.

14-Nov-2022: India Submits its Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy to UNFCCC

India submitted its Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), during the 27th Conference of Parties (COP27) today. The Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy was launched by the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav, who is leading the Indian delegation to COP 27, being held at Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt from 6-18 November, 2022.

The salient features of the strategy are –

1. The focus will be on the rational utilization of national resources with due regard to energy security. The transitions from fossil fuels will be undertaken in a just, smooth, sustainable and all-inclusive manner.
2. The National Hydrogen Mission launched in 2021 aims to make India a green hydrogen hub. The rapid expansion of green hydrogen production, increasing electrolyser manufacturing capacity in the country, and three-fold increase in nuclear capacity by 2032 are some of the other milestones that are envisaged alongside overall development of the power sector.
3. Increased use of biofuels, especially ethanol blending in petrol, the drive to increase electric vehicle penetration, and the increased use of green hydrogen fuel are expected to drive the low carbon development of the transport sector. India aspires to maximise the use of electric vehicles, ethanol blending to reach 20% by 2025, and a strong modal shift to public transport for passenger and freight.
4. While urbanisation will continue as a strong trend from our current relatively low base, future sustainable and climate resilient urban development will be driven by smart city initiatives, integrated planning of cities for mainstreaming adaptation and enhancing energy and resource efficiency, effective green building codes and rapid developments in innovative solid and liquid waste management.
5. India’s industrial sector will continue on a strong growth path, in the perspective of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’. Low carbon development transitions in the sector should not impact energy security, energy access and employment. The focus will be on improving energy efficiency by the Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme, National Hydrogen Mission, high level of electrification in all relevant processes and activities, enhancing material efficiency and recycling leading to expansion of circular economy, and exploring options for hard-to-abate sectors, such as steel, cement, aluminium and others.
6. India has a strong record of enhancing forest and tree cover in the last three decades alongside high economic growth. India’s forest fire incidence is well below global levels, while its forest and tree cover are a net sink absorbing 15% of CO2 emissions in 2016. India is on track to fulfilling its NDC commitment of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of additional carbon sequestration in forest and tree cover by 2030.
7. The transition to low carbon development pathway will entail several costs pertaining to the development of new technologies, new infrastructure, and other transaction costs. While several estimates exist, varying across studies, they all fall generally in the range of trillions of dollars by 2050. Provision of climate finance by developed countries will play a very significant role and needs to be considerably enhanced, in the form of grants and concessional loans, ensuring scale, scope and speed, predominantly from public sources, in accordance with the principles of the UNFCCC.    

The Paris Agreement in Article 4, paragraph 19, states, “All Parties should strive to formulate and communicate long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies, mindful of Article 2 taking into account their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of different national circumstances.”

Further, COP 26 at Glasgow in November 2021, in Decision 1/CP.26, inter alia, (i) urged Parties that have not yet done so to communicate their LT-LEDS by COP 27 (November 2022).

The document has been prepared after extensive consultations held by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change with all relevant Ministries and Departments, State Governments, research institutions, and civil society organisations.

India’s approach is based on the following four key considerations that underpin its long-term low-carbon development strategy:

1. India has contributed little to global warming, its historical contribution to cumulative global GHG emissions being minuscule despite having a share of ~17% of the world’s population.
2. India has significant energy needs for development.
3. India is committed to pursuing low-carbon strategies for development and is actively pursuing them, as per national circumstances
4. India needs to build climate resilience.

The two themes of “climate justice” and “sustainable lifestyles”, alongside the principles of Equity and Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC), in the light of national circumstances, that India had emphasized at Paris, are at the heart of a low-carbon, low-emissions future.

Similarly, the LT-LEDS has been prepared in the framework of India’s right to an equitable and fair share of the global carbon budget, which is the practical implementation of India’s call for “climate justice.” This is essential to ensure that there are no constraints on realizing India’s vision of rapid growth and economic transformation, while protecting the environment.

The LT-LEDS is also informed by the vision of LiFE, Lifestyle for the Environment, that calls for a world-wide paradigm shift from mindless and destructive consumption to mindful and deliberate utilization.

3-Aug-2022: Cabinet approves India’s Updated Nationally Determined Contribution to be communicated to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved India’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to be communicated to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The updated NDC seeks to enhance India’s contributions towards achievement of the strengthening of global response to the threat of climate change, as agreed under the Paris Agreement.  Such action will also help India usher in low emissions growth pathways.  It would protect the interests of the country and safeguard its future development needs based on the principles and provisions of the UNFCCC.

India 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, expressed to intensify its climate action by presenting to the world five nectar elements (Panchamrit) of India’s climate action. This 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.

Earlier, India submitted its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to UNFCCC on October 2, 2015. The 2015 NDC comprised eight goals; three of these have quantitative targets upto 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.

As per the updated NDC, India now stands committed to reduce Emissions Intensity of its GDP by 45 percent by 2030, from 2005 level and achieve about 50 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030. Today’s approval, also takes forward the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of sustainable lifestyles and climate justice to protect the poor and vulnerable from adverse impacts of 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". The decision on enhanced NDCs demonstrates India’s commitment at the highest level for decoupling of economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions.

India’s updated NDC has been prepared after carefully considering our national circumstances and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC). India’s updated NDC also reaffirms our commitment to work towards a low carbon emission pathway, while simultaneously endeavoring to achieve sustainable development goals.

Recognizing that lifestyle has a big role in climate change, the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, at COP 26, proposed a ‘One-Word Movement’, to the global community. This one word is LIFE…L, I, F, E, i.e. Lifestyle For Environment. The vision of LIFE is to live a lifestyle that is in tune with our planet and does not harm it. India’s updated NDC also captures this citizen centric approach to combat climate change.

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. It will lead to an overall increase in green jobs such as in renewable energy, clean energy industries- in automotive, manufacturing of low emissions products like Electric Vehicles and super-efficient appliances, and innovative technologies such as green hydrogen, etc. India’s updated NDC will be implemented over the period 2021-2030 through programs and schemes of relevant Ministries /departments and with due support from States and Union Territories. The Government has launched many schemes and programs to scale up India’s actions on both adaptation and mitigation. Appropriate measures are being taken under these schemes and programs across many sectors, including water, agriculture, forest, energy and enterprise, sustainable mobility and housing, waste management, circular economy and resource efficiency, etc. As a result of the aforesaid measures, India has progressively continued decoupling of economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions. The Net Zero target by 2030 by Indian Railways alone will lead to a reduction of emissions by 60 million tonnes annually. Similarly, India’s massive LED bulb campaign is reducing emissions by 40 million tonnes annually.

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.

India’s NDC do not bind it to any sector specific mitigation obligation or action. India’s goal is to reduce overall emission intensity and improve energy efficiency of its economy over time and at the same time protecting the vulnerable sectors of economy and segments of our society.

18-Jul-2022: India’s historical cumulative emissions and per capita emissions are very low despite being home to more than 17% of the global population

The Government of India has articulated and put across the concerns of developing countries 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. As a part of its overall approach, India emphasized the foundational principles of equity, and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. It also highlighted that all countries should have equitable access to the global carbon budget, a finite global resource, for keeping temperature increase within the limits set by the Paris Agreement and all countries must stay within their fair share of this global carbon budget while using it responsibly. India also called on the developed countries for climate justice, and for undertaking rapid reductions in emissions during the current decade so as to reach net-zero much earlier than their announced dates, as they have used more than their fair share of the depleting global carbon budget.

India also highlighted that the transfer of climate finance and low-cost climate technologies have become more important for the implementation of climate actions by developing countries. The ambitions on climate finance by developed countries cannot remain the same as they were at the time of the Paris Agreement in 2015. It was emphasized that just as the UNFCCC tracks the progress made in climate mitigation, it should also track climate finance. Further, it was conveyed to the developed countries that India understands the suffering of all other developing countries, shares them, and hence raises the voice of developing countries.

India’s historical cumulative emissions and per capita emissions are very low despite being home to more than 17% of the global population.  India has contributed only about 4% of the global cumulative greenhouse gas emissions between 1850 and 2019.

All decisions at the annual Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC are arrived at by consensus and hence the question of India being directed to undertake any action by such decisions does not arise.

Even though we are not part of the problem, India is committed to being part of the solution and has done far more than its fair share. India’s commitment to emission intensity reduction of the economy is an economy-wide target and not specific to any sectors including transport and energy sectors.

The Government of India stands committed to combating climate change through its several programmes and schemes including the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) which comprises missions in specific areas of solar energy, energy efficiency, water, sustainable agriculture, Himalayan ecosystem, sustainable habitat, green India, and strategic knowledge for climate change. The NAPCC provides an overarching framework for all climate actions. Thirty-three States /Union Territories (UTs) have prepared their State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) in line with NAPCC taking into account the State specific issues. These SAPCCs outline sector-specific and cross-sectoral priority actions, including adaptation. The government seeks to address the environmental issues and problems like air pollution, management of waste, degradation of forests, biodiversity loss, and land/soil degradation through promotional and legal measures. The promotional measures are undertaken by various ministries/departments through various programs, schemes and activities in close cooperation, with state governments and all other stakeholders, to preventing air pollution, management of waste, enhancing forest and biodiversity and preventing land/soil degradation. Further, the regulatory measures are implemented through Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, Environment (Protection) Act, 1986; Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980; The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972; The Indian Forest Act, 1927; The Biological Diversity Act, 2002; Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016; and rules and Notifications under these Acts, as amended from time to time. A number of actions have been taken by the Government to combat air pollution, waste, degradation of forests, biodiversity loss, and land/soil degradation, which inter alia, includes the following:

1. The Ministry has launched National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in January 2019 to tackle the problem of air pollution in a comprehensive manner with targets to achieve 20 to 30 per cent reduction in PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations by 2024. City Specific Clean Air Action Plans have been prepared and rolled out for implementation in132 non-attainment and million plus cities.
2. As per Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, local bodies and village panchayats shall facilitate construction, operation and maintenance of solid waste processing facilities and associated infrastructure on their own or with private sector participation or through any agency for optimum utilization of various components of solid waste adopting suitable technology including the technologies and guidelines issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs from time to time and standards prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board.
3. The Government has launched several schemes/programmes which include inter - alia the National Afforestation Program, Green India Mission, Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojna (PMKSY) which contribute to the target of restoration of 26 million hectares of degraded land and achievement of land degradation neutrality with focus on sustainable and optimum utilization of land resources. This will help in preserving forests and biodiversity, facilitating conservation of natural resources and improving carbon sinks.
4. The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 enacted in pursuance to the Convention on Biological Diversity to which India is a Party, is aimed at conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use of its components, and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of these resources, also known as access and benefit sharing (ABS). The Act is implemented through a three-tiered institutional mechanism, namely National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) at the national level, State Biodiversity Boards at the State level, and Biodiversity Management Committees at the local body level.

The total expenditure required for various schemes and programs relevant to environmental issues as well as the allocation thereof are determined annually according to the extant norms and procedures followed by the Government for annual budgeting and financial allocation process.

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 the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Paris Agreement. India also require its due share from such international financial resources and technological support. The overarching decision titled Glasgow Climate Pact, adopted by all countries, noted with deep regret that the goal of developed country Parties to mobilize jointly USD 100 billion per year by 2020 in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation has not yet been met.

In the same context, on behalf of developing countries, India put forth strongly that the global call towards increased ambition in climate mitigation should be correspondingly matched by adequate additional means of implementation encompassing new and additional financial support and technology transfer to the developing countries. It was stated that while India resolved to move forward with new commitments and in such times, the transfer of climate finance and low cost climate technologies becomes more important. India expects developed countries to provide climate finance of US $1 trillion per year to the developing countries.

India at COP 26 has expressed to intensify its efforts to address the challenge of climate change by presenting to the world following five nectar elements (Panchamrit) of its climate action:

1. Reach 500GW non-fossil energy capacity by 2030.
2. 50 per cent of its energy requirements from renewable energy by 2030.
3. Reduction of total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes from now to 2030.
4. Reduction of the carbon intensity of the economy by 45 per cent by 2030, over 2005 levels.
5. Achieving the target of net zero emissions by 2070.

21-Mar-2022: Action plan to reduce carbon emission

Climate change is a global collective action problem. India is a Party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), its Kyoto Protocol (KP) and the Paris Agreement (PA). As per the extant provisions under these treaties, India is not obliged to completely stop carbon emissions. The UNFCCC notes that the emissions originating in developing countries, including India, will grow to meet their social and development needs. As per the UNFCCC, the climate action of all countries should be based on the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. Based on these principles, all countries need to access and responsibly use a fair share of the global carbon budget. India with more than 17% of the global population has contributed only around 4% of the global cumulative greenhouse gas emissions between 1850 and 2019.

India has progressively continued decoupling of economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions. In key sectors of economy, the mitigation efforts have been undertaken with a vision of low-carbon, sustainable development. As a result, India has achieved 24% reduction in emission intensity of GDP between 2005 and 2016.

As a Party to the UNFCCC, India periodically submits its National Communications (NCs) and Biennial Update Reports (BURs) to the UNFCCC which includes national Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventory. As per India’s third BUR submitted to the UNFCCC in February 2021, total GHG emissions, excluding Land Use Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) in 2016 were 2,838.89 million tonne CO2e and 2,531.07 million tonne CO2e with the inclusion of LULUCF. Energy sector contributed 75%, Industrial Process and Product Use 8%, agriculture sector 14% and waste sector contributed 3% of total greenhouse gas emissions in 2016. The LULUCF sector was the net sink and absorbed about 15% of the carbon dioxide in 2016.

The Government of India stands committed to combating climate change through its several programmes and schemes including the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) which comprises missions in specific areas of solar energy, energy efficiency, water, sustainable agriculture, Himalayan ecosystem, sustainable habitat, green India, and strategic knowledge for climate change. The NAPCC provides an overarching framework for all climate actions. Thirty-three States /Union Territories (UTs) have prepared their State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) in line with NAPCC taking into account the State-specific issues relating to climate change. These SAPCCs outline sector-specific and cross-sectoral priority actions, including adaptation. Apart from resolutely addressing climate change domestically, India has launched international coalitions such as International Solar Alliance (ISA) and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). Recently, at COP26 in Glasgow, new initiatives under CDRI and ISA, viz, Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS) and Green Grids Initiative—One Sun One World One Grid (GGI-OSOWOG), were also launched. Along with Sweden, India co-leads the Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT) for voluntary low carbon transition of hard to abate sectors.

7-Feb-2022: Zero Carbon Emissions

As per the extant provisions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), its Kyoto protocol and the Paris Agreement (PA), India is not obliged to reduce carbon emissions or to set any target for the next five years to reduce emissions. Under the Paris Agreement, parties are required to communicate their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to combat climate change. These NDCs involve, inter-alia activities for reduction of greenhouse gases and also for building resilience to impacts of climate change. India has communicated its NDCs in 2015. These include, interalia, quantified targets to reduce the emissions intensity of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 33 to 35 percent by 2030 from 2005 level, to achieve about 40% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030, and to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2eq through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.

In the National Statement delivered at 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) held in Glasgow, United Kingdom, India has declared its goal to achieve net zero by 2070. This goal is to be achieved through periodic enhancement of NDCs and corresponding domestic climate actions towards low carbon transition, supported by climate finance and technology transfer under the UNFCCC and PA.

At COP26, as part of its overall approach, India emphasized the foundational principles of equity, and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. It also highlighted the need for all countries to have equitable access to the global carbon budget, a finite global resource, for keeping temperature increase within the limits set by the Paris Agreement and that all countries must stay within their fair share of this global carbon budget while using it responsibly. India also called for climate justice in global climate action, and for the developed countries to undertake rapid reductions in emissions during the current decade, to reach net-zero much earlier than their announced dates, as they have used more than their fair share of the global carbon budget.

India emphasized that climate finance and the transfer of relevant technologies have become even more important for the implementation of climate action by developing countries. The ambition on climate finance by developed countries cannot remain at the level it was at the time the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015. It was emphasized that just as the UNFCCC tracks the progress made in climate mitigation, it should also track climate finance. Further, it was conveyed to the developed countries that India understands and shares the difficulties of all other developing countries, and hence raises its voice in solidarity with their cause.

India also reaffirmed that developing countries need those fossil fuel resources as are relevant to their national circumstances even while accelerating clean energy transition. At the same time, India reminded developed countries that to stay within the global carbon budget for the Paris Agreement temperature targets, they must work for the phaseout of all fossil fuels and not just single out coal.

Apart from resolutely addressing climate change domestically, India has created and continues to nurture international initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).