Context:
At the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced that India will publish its revised Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for the 2031–2035 period (NDC 3.0) by December 2025.
About Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs):
NDCs are central to the Paris Agreement, as they detail the climate action a country intends to take - both for mitigation (reducing emissions) and adaptation (improving resilience).
· Countries submit their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the UNFCCC Secretariat every five years as part of their commitment to the Paris Agreement.
· These submissions are a critical mechanism for tracking national climate action plans, which outline targets for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and enhancing climate resilience.
Rationale for Revising NDCs for 2035:
1. Aligning with Net-Zero by 2070
o India has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2070. The revised NDC (NDC 3.0) for 2031–2035 will serve as an intermediate milestone toward this long-term goal.
2. Scaling Ambition
o The new NDC aims to increase mitigation targets, enhance renewable energy deployment, and accelerate energy transition.
o Focus on Green Hydrogen Mission, nuclear energy, and expansion of electric mobility.
3. Adaptation as a Priority
o COP30 has emphasized adaptation finance, with India highlighting measures for coastal resilience, water management, and sustainable agriculture.
o NDC 3.0 will aim to operationalize rationalized adaptation indicators for tracking progress.
4. Mobilizing Finance & Investment
o The revised NDC is expected to de-risk investments to attract private and public capital.
o Continued engagement with Green Climate Fund (GCF), Adaptation Fund, and bilateral climate finance mechanisms is planned.
India’s Original NDC (2015) and Updated NDC (2022):
|
Feature |
Original NDC (2015) |
Updated NDC (2022) |
|
Emissions Intensity |
Reduce emissions intensity of GDP by 33–35% from 2005 levels by 2030 |
Reduce emissions intensity of GDP by 45% from 2005 levels by 2030 |
|
Non-Fossil Fuel Power |
Achieve ≥40% of total electricity generation capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030 |
Achieve about 50% of total electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based sources by 2030 |
|
Carbon Sink |
Create an additional carbon sink of 2.5–3 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent by 2030 through increased forest cover |
Create an additional carbon sink of 2.5–3 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent by 2030 through increased forest cover |
|
Key Initiative |
N/A |
Introduction of the LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) mass movement |
|
Long-Term Goal |
N/A |
Step towards achieving India’s net-zero target by 2070 (announced at COP26) |
