India announces upgraded climate commitments for '35

India announced a long-awaited upgrade to its climate commitments on Wednesday, pledging to increase the share of non-fossil fuels in its electricity capacity to 60 per cent by 2035.

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Government employees learn how to use electronic voting machines during training in Guwahati, Assam, on Wednesday.

(Associated Press)

The world's most populous country and third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases has been facing pressure to curb pollution while meeting rising energy demand.

The announcement came after the cabinet approved India's so-called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), a roadmap to achieve climate change goals under the Paris Agreement.

The country will “achieve 60 per cent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2035”, the statement from the federal government read.

It also pledged to reduce emissions intensity, a measurement of emissions generated relative to GDP, by 47 per cent by 2035, compared with 2005 levels.

The decision taken by the Union Cabinet, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, enhances the country's ambition under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Paris Agreement, while reinforcing its commitment to sustainable development and climate justice.