A reminder on climate action amid conflict

India’s updated NDC signals to the world that climate action need not be held hostage by the vagaries of global setbacks

- 

India's power markets are evolving, with distributed electricity infrastructure creating conditions for an even higher share of non-fossil sources in the generation mix.

(HT ARCHIVE)

If a week is a long time in politics, a four-week war is an eternity in geopolitics. Making long-term climate policy in the midst of great uncertainty in global energy markets from the conflict in West Asia is fraught with challenges. It is in this context that India’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for 2031-2035 should be evaluated.

India has committed to reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP by 47% by 2035 from the 2005 level (up from the 2030 target of 45%), achieving 60% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2035 (a 10% increase), and creating a carbon sink of 3.5-4 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through forest and tree cover by 2035 (an enhancement of one billion tonnes compared to the 2030 target).

What does India’s announcement tell us about India’s strategic mitigation priorities, climate ambition, and its reading of the evolving geopolitical landscape?