New Delhi: India will present an expanded set of climate commitments, its revised Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to 2035, along with the first biennial transparency report, which is scheduled for next month, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said in Belo, Brazil, on Monday.
“India’s emission intensity has fallen by more than 36% since 2005 and non-fossil sources now account for more than half of our total installed electricity generation (currently around 256 GW), an NDC target achieved five years ahead of our 2030 target,” the minister said on 30
The announcement strengthens India’s compliance with the Paris Agreement at a time when countries are under pressure to raise their climate ambitions.
NDCs are climate action plans submitted by countries to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as part of the Paris Agreement. The document outlines each country’s targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change, and must be updated every five years with more ambitious targets.
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In 2022, India announced its first NDC – to achieve the emissions intensity of its GDP (gross domestic product) by 45% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. The emissions intensity of GDP refers to the amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced per unit of GDP – a measure of how efficiently an economy uses carbon-based resources to generate economic output.
“It is encouraging to know that India will soon publish its revised NDC. This announcement puts an end to unnecessary speculation about India’s commitment to the Paris Agreement. India has already achieved its previous NDC targets five years ahead of schedule and I am confident that its new commitments will further strengthen its position as a global leader in the fight against climate,” said Dr. India.
“Honorable Obligations”
In his statement, the minister called on developed countries to show greater climate ambitions and meet their commitments. “Developed countries need to reach net zero much earlier than the current target date and provide new, additional and concessional climate finance in the trillions, not billions,” he said. He emphasized the need for affordable and accessible climate technology and said that climate technology must be free from restrictive intellectual property barriers.
Noting that India’s global leadership has been demonstrated through initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance and the Global Biofuels Alliance, Yadav also underlined the momentum created by the Nuclear Mission and the Green Hydrogen Mission in advancing India’s path to net zero by 2070.
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Addressing a roundtable of LeadIT industry leaders in Belém, the minister earlier said, “India strongly believes that global partnerships are indispensable and LeadIT, jointly launched by India and Sweden in 2019, is a model for such collaboration.”
Since its launch, LeadIT has grown to 18 member countries and 27 companies, successfully elevating industrial transformation to the global climate agenda, supporting transition plans, improving transparency of global decarbonisation efforts and building platforms for knowledge exchange, the minister said.
He also noted the progress made under the Industry Transition Platform (ITP), established through joint funding from India and Sweden, and said that 18 industries and research institutions from India and Sweden will soon start projects covering value creation from industrial by-products and gases, carbon capture and utilization, artificial intelligence for process optimization, electrification and hydrogen-based industrial heating.
The minister also highlighted the collaboration between Tata Motors and Volvo Group facilitated by LeadIT to decarbonise heavy transport.
“Given India’s high level of performance against the current NDCs, this reinforces India’s position as a global leader in climate action,” said RR Rashmi, senior fellow at Teri. “India’s new NDC is expected to raise the targets further. This will act as a positive signal for domestic and international investors looking to invest in clean energy in India.”
