PARLIAMENT QUESTION: INDIA’s NDC TARGETS

Key Highlights:

• India's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) includes three quantitative targets: reducing emission intensity of GDP, increasing non-fossil fuel-based energy capacity, and creating an additional carbon sink.
• India achieved a 37.38% reduction in GDP emission intensity by 2022 against a 45% target by 2030.
• Non-fossil fuel-based installed electric power capacity crossed 50% in June 2025, reaching 54.18% by June 2026, achieving the NDC goal five years early.
• An additional carbon sink of 2.44 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent was created by 2022, against a 2.5–3.0 billion tonnes target by 2030.
• Enhanced NDC targets for 2035 aim for a 47% reduction in GDP emission intensity, 60% non-fossil fuel-based electricity capacity, and a 3.5-4.0 billion tonnes CO₂ equivalent carbon sink.
• The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), with its nine missions, guides India's climate commitments.
• Monitoring mechanisms include the Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change (PMCCC), Executive Committee on Climate Change (ECCC), and Apex Committee for Implementation of the Paris Agreement (AIPA).

Detailed Insights:

• India's NDC targets also include five qualitative goals focused on sustainable lifestyles, climate-friendly paths, and enhanced adaptation, aligned with Viksit Bharat @2047.
• The NAPCC comprises missions in areas like agriculture, energy efficiency, green India, and sustainable habitat, with six missions focusing on adaptation.
• Flagship initiatives include the National Green Hydrogen Mission, PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM), and Production Linked Incentive (PLI) for clean energy technologies.
• Measures for coastal regions involve conservation and restoration of mangroves and coastal ecosystems, implementation of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) framework, and the Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) programme.
• 34 States and Union Territories have prepared their respective State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCCs) to facilitate localized climate action.
• India tracks and reports progress as per the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) under Article 13 of the Paris Agreement through Biennial Transparency Reports.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs): Climate action plans submitted by countries under the Paris Agreement, outlining efforts to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change.
• Paris Agreement: An international treaty on climate change, adopted in 2015, aiming to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
• National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC): India's national strategy to address climate change, comprising eight (now nine) missions focused on mitigation and adaptation.
• Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF): A mechanism under the Paris Agreement for countries to report on their climate actions and support provided or received, ensuring accountability.