Following months of anticipation, the Union Cabinet has approved the country’s new Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for the period 2031-2035, committing to enhanced climate ambition under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement.
Building on previous NDC targets, the latest NDC goals commit the following:
● Reduce emissions intensity: Target 47 percent reduction in emissions intensity of GDP by 2035 compared to 2005 levels
● Expand non-fossil power capacity: Achieve 60 percent of cumulative installed electricity capacity from non-fossil sources by 2035
● Enhance carbon sink: Create 3.5-4 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent carbon sink through forest and tree cover by 2035 from 2005 level
The new NDC (2031-2035) enhances the climate pledges set in India’s first NDC (2015), which were further revised and updated in 2021-2022.
Aside from the three headline targets, five qualitative targets have also been identified, including climate-friendly and cleaner economic development pathways, resilient infrastructure to adapt to climate change in various sectors, mobilising domestic and international low-cost finance, capacity building and R&D, and alignment with the principle of “Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE)”.
