New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved India’s Nationally Determined Contribution for the period 2031 to 2035, which will be communicated to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
India has committed to reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP by 47 per cent by 2035 from the 2005 levels. In its NDC, India has also committed to achieving 60 per cent of cumulative installed electric power capacity from non-fossil fuel sources.
“In a significant step towards strengthening India’s action, the Union Cabinet, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved India’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for the period 2031 to 2035, enhancing the country’s ambition under the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement while reinforcing its commitment to sustainable development and climate justice,” the Union government said in a statement.
The statement added, “India’s successive climate targets build upon India’s earlier commitments, many of which have already been achieved ahead of schedule, reflecting the country’s consistent track record of delivering on climate action.
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India’s climate goals
India’s latest NDC is for the period of 2031 to 2035, and will be significant in its goal of achieving net-zero by 2070. Before this, the country’s original climate document, submitted in 2015, committed to a 33-35 per cent reduction in the emissions intensity of GDP and 40 per cent share of non-fossil resources-based electric power installed capacity by 2030.
According to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), both of these targets have been met “11 years and 9 years ahead of the committed timelines, demonstrating a credible and action-oriented approach to climate governance.”
“Our emissions intensity has since reduced by 36% during 2005 to 2020, and the target has now been enhanced to 47% to be achieved by 2035,” the government statement read.
India also updated its NDCs in 2022, committing to reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030 and to source about 50 per cent of its energy requirements from non-fossil fuel sources by the same deadline.
It had also set a deadline to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.
“Towards the updated NDC’s goal on enhancing share of non-fossil fuel energy resources in installed electric power capacity, the country has achieved 52.57 % non-fossil capacity (February 2026), successfully meeting the target five years ahead of the timeline and now the ambition has been further raised to 60% share of non-fossil fuel-based energy resources in installed electric power capacity to be achieved by 2035,” the statement read.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)