How will the new NDC accelerate climate action?, Pg14

Key Highlights:

• India's updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) includes achieving 60% installed electric capacity from non-fossil sources by 2035.
• The NDC aims to reduce emissions intensity per unit of GDP by 47% from 2005 levels and increase the carbon sink to 3.5-4 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent.
• In 2025, India's CO₂ emissions grew at the slowest rate in over two decades, with a significant decline in emissions from the power sector.
• India added 47 GW of solar, 6.3 GW of wind, 4 GW of hydro, and 0.6 GW of nuclear power in 2025.

Detailed Insights:

• The Paris Agreement requires signatory countries to submit NDCs, which are voluntary pledges for transitioning away from fossil fuels.
• India's previous NDC in August 2022 committed to 50% non-fossil installed capacity by 2030, a 45% reduction in emissions intensity, and a carbon sink of at least 2.5-3 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent.
• The UAE Consensus, an agreement by nearly 200 countries in December 2023, aimed to accelerate climate action by transitioning away from fossil fuels, tripling global renewable energy capacity, and doubling energy efficiency improvements by 2030.
• India's power sector saw a 3.8% emissions decrease in 2025 due to reduced coal-fired generation, marking the first such decline outside the Covid year since 1973.
• The Central Electricity Authority’s National Generation Adequacy Plan projects non-fossil sources reaching 786 GW, or 70% of the total, by 2035-36, with solar alone exceeding 500 GW.
• India's NDC uses emissions intensity as its yardstick, allowing absolute emissions to rise if the economy grows faster, a stance defended on grounds of equity.
• India plans to add 100 GW of new coal-fired capacity over seven years and increase coal-based steel capacity by 50% by 2031, which may contradict its climate goals.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC): A voluntary pledge by a country outlining its commitment to reduce emissions and mitigate climate change under the Paris Agreement.
• Emissions Intensity: The ratio of greenhouse gas emissions to GDP, used as a metric to measure the carbon efficiency of economic activity.
• Carbon Sink: A natural or artificial reservoir that accumulates and stores carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, such as forests or oceans.