[Answered] Enumerate India’s updated Nationally Determined Commitments (NDCs). Also, analyze India’s present performance on INDCs.

At the Glasgow Summit (COP 26 of UNFCCC), PM of India made five promises, and called it the ‘Panchamrit’. Two of these were upward revision of existing targets, the ones that have been made official and put in the updated NDC or nationally determined commitments, and would be submitted to the UN climate body. India’s first NDC was submitted in 2015, just before the Paris Agreement was finalised.

India’s updated Nationally Determined Commitments (NDCs):

In order to curb the climate change, India aims to-

• Reach non-fossil energy capacity of 500 GW by 2030.
• Meet 50% of its energy requirements from renewable energy by 2030.
• Reduce total projected carbon emissions by 1 billion tonne.
• Reduce carbon intensity of the economy to less than 45% by 2030. Also, it would now ensure that at least 50 per cent of its total electricity generation, not just 40 per cent, would come from renewable sources by 2030.
• Achieve net zero carbon emission by 2070.

India’s present performance on INDCs:

• The two climate targets — those relating to reductions in emissions intensity and proportion of non-fossil sources in electricity generation, India is on way to achieve its existing targets well ahead of the 2030 timeline.
• India’s emissions intensity was 24 per cent lower than the 2005 levels in the year 2016 itself. It is very likely that the 33 to 35 per cent reduction target has already been achieved, or is very close to being achieved.
• The other target- having at least 40 per cent of electricity coming from non-fossil fuels, has officially been reached. According to the latest data from the power ministry, 41.5 per cent of India’s current installed electricity capacity of 403 GW is now powered by non-fossil fuels. Renewables (wind, solar and others) alone account for more than 28 per cent of this capacity while hydropower contributes over 11 per cent.

The updated NDC seeks to enhance India’s contributions towards achievement of the strengthening of global response to the threat of climate change, as agreed under the Paris Agreement. India has expressed its intent, via several legislations, to use energy efficiently and many of its biggest corporations have committed to shifting away from polluting energy sources.