Why is it in the news
- India will submit its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) at COP30 in Brazil on November 10, 2025.
- Expected to include increased energy efficiency targets and reinforce climate commitments.
- COP30 presidency (Brazil) emphasizes assessment of gaps in NDC achievement globally.
- Submission is timely as only 30 out of 190+ countries have submitted updated NDCs so far.
Relevance:
- GS III (Environment & Climate Change): NDCs, Paris Agreement, emissions intensity, renewable energy targets.
- GS II (International Relations & Governance): Climate diplomacy, COP negotiations, global climate commitments.
- GS III (Economy & Energy): Carbon markets, energy transition, policy interventions in 13 major sectors.
Understanding India’s NDCs
- NDC Definition: Nationally Determined Contributions are country-specific climate action commitments under the Paris Agreement.
- India’s 2022 NDCs:
- Reduce emissions intensity of GDP by 45% (2005 levels).
- Source 50% of electric power capacity from non-fossil fuels by 2030.
- Create a carbon sink of at least 2 billion tonnes by 2030.
- Key Terminology:
- Emissions intensity of GDP: Carbon emissions per unit of GDP; does not equal absolute emission reduction.
- Non-fossil fuel capacity: Renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro, nuclear).
- Current Status (2023):
- 33% reduction in GDP emissions intensity (2005–2019).
- 50% of installed power capacity from non-fossil sources.
Significance of Updated NDCs (NDC 3.0)
- Operational timeline: Likely to indicate targets for 2035.
- Carbon Market: India aims to operationalize the India Carbon Market by 2026 for 13 major sectors, enabling emission trading via reduction certificates.
- Global assessment: Updated NDCs feed into the UN ‘synthesis report’ to evaluate whether collective efforts are sufficient to meet Paris Agreement goals (well below 3°C warming).
Global Context
- EU: No formal 2035 target yet; indicative reduction 66.25%–72.5% (1990 levels). Long-term goal: net zero by 2050.
- Australia: Updated NDC aims to cut emissions by 62%–70% of 2005 levels by 2035.
- Global gap: Even if all NDCs are perfectly met, world is projected to heat by 3°C, missing Paris target of well below 2°C.
Strategic and Policy Implications
- Energy Transition: Higher energy efficiency and non-fossil power targets reinforce India’s climate leadership.
- Market Mechanism: Carbon market encourages corporate participation, incentivizes emissions reduction, and integrates economic tools with climate goals.
- International Diplomacy: Timely and ambitious NDC submission strengthens India’s position in global climate negotiations.
- Domestic Implementation: Targets will require policy interventions across 13 sectors, technology upgrades, and regulatory enforcement.
Challenges
- Achieving absolute emission reduction while sustaining economic growth.
- Sectoral compliance: Ensuring carbon market operations are effective across industries.
- Global comparison: Need to match or exceed peers’ commitments to maintain credibility in climate diplomacy.
- Monitoring and Reporting: Accurate data collection and progress reporting to UNFCCC is critical.
