India has submitted a climate-change policy statement, to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change ahead of a UN summit in Paris in December.
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar unveiled the document, called the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution which outlines the government’s action plan on combating climate change.
Keeping in view its development agenda, particularly the eradication of poverty coupled with its commitment to following the low carbon path to progress and being sanguine about the unencumbered availability of clean technologies and financial resource from around the world, India hereby communicates its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) for the period 2021 to 2030:
- To put forward and further propagate a healthy and sustainable way of living based on traditions and values of conservation and moderation.
- To adopt a climate friendly and a cleaner path than the one followed hitherto by others at corresponding level of economic development.
- To reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 percent by 2030 from 2005 level.
- To achieve about 40 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel based energy resources by 2030 with the help of transfer of technology and low cost international finance including from Green Climate Fund (GCF).
- To create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.
- To better adapt to climate change by enhancing investments in development programmes in sectors vulnerable to climate change, particularly agriculture, water resources, Himalayan region, coastal regions, health and disaster management.
- To mobilize domestic and new & additional funds from developed countries to implement the above mitigation and adaptation actions in view of the resource required and the resource gap.
- To build capacities, create domestic framework and international architecture for quick diffusion of cutting edge climate technology in India and for joint collaborative R&D for such future technologies.
India has ruled out committing to absolute cuts in carbon emissions, in contrast to the United States, China and other big nations which have announced peak years for emissions.
Calling for a comprehensive and equitable climate change agreement at the Paris summit later this year, India said that developing countries can do more if they are enabled in their efforts with the provision of finance, technology transfer and capacity building support from developed countries.
A preliminary estimate suggests that at least $2.5 trillion will be required for meeting India’s climate change actions between now and 2030.
India, the world’s third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, also said it would target 40 per cent cumulative installed power capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030.
This commitment is further echoed in India’s actions in climate change adaptation with setting up its own National Adaptation Fund.
INTENDED NATIONALLY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTIONS (INDC):
INDCs are voluntary pledges that countries are making to cut carbon pollution ahead of UN climate meet in Paris at the end of the year.
Almost all the major countries, including the United States and China, have already declared their INDCs.
All the member-countries of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are expected to submit their climate action plan underlining how they will act to check global warming and fight the menace of climate change.
The Conference of Parties (COP21) in Paris, scheduled from November 30 to December 11 this year, will for the first time in over 20 years of UN negotiations, aim to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on climate with the aim of keeping global warming below 2°C.