The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister on August 3 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.
Panchamrit
- 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.
The Prime Minister had laid out five commitments, or Panchamrit, as the government references it, namely:
- India will increase its non-fossil energy capacity to 500 GW (gigawatt) by 2030;
- will meet 50% of its energy requirements from “renewable energy” by 2030;
- will reduce the total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes from now till 2030;
- will reduce the carbon intensity of its economy by more than 45%; and
- will achieve the target of “net zero” by the year 2070, when there will be no net carbon dioxide emitted from energy sources.
NDC 2015
India had 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.
India’s updated NDC
India’s updated NDC, following the Cabinet approval, only mentions two of these promises, namely:
- India is committed to reduce emissions intensity of its GDP by 45% by 2030, from the 2005 level and
- achieving 50% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.
