The shape of a five-year climate agenda for India

The shape of a five-year climate agenda for India

Sub: Environment

Sec: Climate change

Impact of Government’s Climate Action Choices:

• Choices will affect all Ministries and sectors.
• Influences India’s economic sustainability and global position.
• Focus on climate finance and justice over the next five years.

India’s Transformation:

• Significant progress in climate action over the last decade.
• Established global institutions like the International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, and the Global Biofuels Alliance, as well as shaped the Green Development Pact under its G-20 presidency last year.
• The 2070 net-zero target and ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).
• Domestic policies now include sustainability, such as the Indian emissions carbon trading scheme.

Future Goals for the Government:

• Accelerate sustainable economic development.
• Adopt the mantra ‘go higher, go wider, go deeper’ to align climate leadership with economic growth.

Global Leadership (Go Higher):

• ‘Go higher’ relates to India’s global leadership.
• Host significant international climate summits, potentially the UN Conference of Parties in 2028.
• Aim for consensus on issues like halting new oil and gas investments post-2030 and securing adaptation finance.
• Promote equity in international forums and lead global institutions for climate finance.

Broaden Targets Beyond Power Sector (Go Wider):

• ‘Go wider’ means India has to adopt and strongly communicate sectoral emission reduction targets that go beyond the power sector.
• Set sectoral emission reduction targets beyond the power sector.
• Focus on zero-carbon mobility, including two- and four-wheelers, to boost rural mobility and clean energy jobs.
• Use the 2035 NDC submission as an opportunity to expand energy transition targets.

State-Level Climate Action (Go Deeper):

• Going deeper implies that sub-national climate action and resilience must come to the fore in this term of the government.
• Collaborate with States like Tamil Nadu and Bihar on net-zero plans.
• Create a Centre-State coordination group and incentivize State-level actions through the Sixteenth Finance Commission.
• Promote scientific modelling in policymaking and establish unified data measurement and reporting architecture.

Long-Term Vision:

• Aim for sustained climate leadership over the next four to five years.
• Strengthen India’s position at international tables and demonstrate climate action prowess.

Source: TH