India’s climate policy

About

India’s climate policy is informed by its vision of inclusive growth for all-round economic and social development, the eradication of poverty, declining carbon budget, firm adherence to the foundational principles of the UNFCCC, and climate-friendly lifestyles.

Background

The 1990s were a time of great change in India and the world, which led to the forging of new policies in many areas, including on the environment.
The Rio Summit of 1992 saw the emergence of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity and Forest Principles.
After Rio, the divisions of climate change and biodiversity in India’s then Ministry of Environment and Forests came to life slowly and steadily.

Over-exploitation by the developed world and India’s climate policy

Climate change has been brought to a crisis stage by the excessive, unsustainable production and consumption patterns of the developed countries.
A recent study argues that during the study period, the United States and Europe were responsible for the majority of global ecological damage caused by the overuse of natural resources. The US accounts for 27% of the world’s excess material use, followed by the EU (25%).

Five major determinants of India’s climate policy

The Indian landmass has an area of 3.28 million sq km, accounting for 2.4% of the world’s geographical land surface area and 4% of the world’s freshwater resources.

It is one of the 17 mega-biodiverse countries, having four biodiversity hotspots, 10 bio-geographic zones, and 22 agro-biodiversity hotspots.

India experiences six different seasons, and its civilisation and economy have developed in harmony with this seasonal cycle.

In recent decades, climate change has disrupted this harmony by blurring the distinction between seasons, which has led to increased unpredictability and negative consequences for nature and society.

India’s 1.4 billion people account for almost one-sixth of humanity. It is home to 7-8% of the world’s recorded species, with more than 45,500 species of plants and 91,000 species of animals documented so far.

The human to land ratio is very low in India at 0.0021 sq km, and is continuing to recede. This serious limitation has to be addressed which requires understanding and an integrated management of land and water.

- The Global Climate Risk Index 2020 prepared by Germanwatch puts India as the fifth most affected country in terms of experiencing extreme weather events, a sharp rise from its 14th position in 2017.
- The World Bank report on the Impact of Climate Change on South Asia (2018) predicts that rising temperatures and changing monsoon rainfall patterns could cost India 2.8% of its GDP.

- India’s worldview is shaped by our ancestors who lived in harmony and consonance with nature.
- The ‘Prithvi Sukta’ says that the Earth is our Mother, and sacred groves tell us that the idea of protection of nature and natural resources is seeped in our way of life.
- Gandhi’s ideals of standing up for the last man, trusteeship, and the ability of the Earth to provide enough for everyone’s need and not anyone’s greed represents a continuous strain of thought since time immemorial.
- The logo of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) — Nature Protects if She is Protected shows our reverence, respect for nature, and our focus towards conserving it.

- India’s actions are shaped by science, based on evidence. Despite having historical cumulative emissions of less than 4% (1850-2019) and 1.9 tonnes of carbondioxide per capita emissions, India has taken strong climate actions.

The evolution of India’s climate policy

India recognises that development and environment are two sides of the same coin, and must be taken together for all-round holistic development.

India has been a consistently strong voice of the Global South: the CBDR-RC (Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities) principle was developed largely through Indian interventions at the Rio Summit, 1992.
The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) 2008, with eight missions, has laid the ground for understanding climate change and acting on it.
Thirty-four Indian states and Union Territories have prepared State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCCs) consistent with the objectives of NAPCC; it is coordinated as India’s climate policy, and is not the preserve of any one Ministry or Department.
It has created international institutions like the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to focus on the transition to renewable energy, separated carbon emissions from economic growth, and is one of the G20 countries that are on track to meet the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets.
India has added two more ‘C’s to its climate policy, that of confidence and convenient action.
- India has reflected this confidence in building global institutions such as the ISA, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA).

India, along with Sweden, heads The Leadership Group for Industry Transition.
With the Lifestyle for Environment movement, India shows that convenient actions are the only way possible, and that India’s sustainable lifestyles are the way forward.
India’s long-term low emissions development strategy to the UNFCCC showcases its belief in the multilateral process to achieve net zero by 2070. India has been successfully decoupling its economic growth from greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, resulting in a reduction of the emission intensity of its GDP by 33% between 2005 and 2019.
India’s solar energy capacity has increased by more than 26 times, and wind energy capacity has more than doubled in the last 10 years. It now has the fourth largest installed capacity of wind, and fifth largest solar in the world, achieving a target of 40% installed electric capacity from non-fossil fuels in November 2021, nine years ahead of schedule, and then increasing the target to 50%.

Source

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