India Submits Climate Action Plan to the United Nations

India has pledged at the UN to cut its carbon emission intensity by 33-35 per cent.

India has pledged to cut its carbon emission intensity by 33-35 percent. (Photo: iStockphoto)

Submitting its ‘climate action plan’, India has pledged to cut its carbon emission intensity by 33-35 percent. The share of renewable energy will be increased by a massive 40 per cent in its total energy mix by 2030.

The announcement was made by India in its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention (UNFCCC) on Climate Change in Bonn for a global climate pact ahead of the climate change summit in Paris later this year. India described its INDC as “fair and ambitious”.

India also said that it reserves the right to make additional submissions on INDC as and when required, noting its submission represented highest possible efforts as evident from multiple initiatives undertaken by the government.

The 38 page INDC document’s goals included :

• To adopt a climate friendly and a cleaner path than the one followed hitherto by others at corresponding level of economic development
• To reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 per cent by 2030 from 2005 level
• To achieve about 40 per cent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel based energy resources by 2030 with the help of transfer of technology Low cost international finance including from Green Climate Fund (GCF)
• 
  

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, meanwhile, called for a comprehensive and equitable climate change agreement at the Paris summit. She said developing countries can do more if they are enabled in their efforts financially, and through technology transfer and capacity building support from developed countries.

The country would need, as per preliminary estimates, around USD 206 billion between 2015 and 2030 for implementing adaptation actions in agriculture, forestry, fisheries infrastructure, water resources and ecosystems.