E-Paper
India’s NDCs signal a climate leap: From commitment to leadership
This article is authored by Shishir Priyadarshi, director, Chintan Research Foundation, and former director, WTO, New Delhi.
At a time when global climate discourse is increasingly marked by hesitation, fragmentation, and missed targets, India’s latest step - approving its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for 2031–2035 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change - stands out as both bold and consequential. It is not merely a revision of targets. It is a statement of intent: that India is ready to lead, not just participate, in shaping the global climate future.
The numbers themselves are striking. A commitment to reduce emissions intensity of GDP by 47% from 2005 levels by 2035. A target of 60% cumulative installed electric power capacity from non-fossil fuel sources. A carbon sink of up to four billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent through forest and tree cover. These are not incremental adjustments - they represent a decisive scaling up of ambition. But what truly sets India apart is not just ambition - it is credibility.
Unlike many countries whose climate pledges remain aspirational, India has built a reputation for delivery. Its earlier commitments of a 33–35% reduction in emissions intensity and 40% non-fossil power capacity, were achieved well ahead of schedule. This is not a trivial detail. In global climate negotiations, credibility is currency. India has earned it.
This consistent overperformance fundamentally alters how its new targets should be interpreted. These are not political declarations meant to signal virtue; they are operational goals backed by demonstrated capacity. In a world where trust deficits plague climate diplomacy, India offers something rare: proof that commitments can translate into outcomes.
Perhaps the most compelling aspect of India’s climate strategy is its refusal to accept the false binary between economic growth and environmental responsibility. For decades, developing economies were told - implicitly or explicitly - that sustainability comes at the cost of development. India is challenging that narrative head-on.
Even as it has maintained one of the fastest GDP growth rates globally, India has expanded renewable energy, enhanced forest cover, and improved energy efficiency. This dual achievement of ensuring growth with greening, offers a template not just for emerging economies, but for the world.
The updated NDC reinforces this philosophy. It aligns seamlessly with the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 and the long-term net-zero target of 2070. Climate action is not being treated as an external obligation imposed by global agreements. It is being internalised as a core pillar of national development.
What makes India’s approach particularly robust is its systemic nature. This is not a narrow, sector-specific strategy - it is an approach geared to a holistic transformation of the economy.
From large-scale renewable energy expansion and green hydrogen initiatives to battery storage systems and green energy corridors, the energy transition is being approached with both scale and foresight. Policies such as the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes are catalysing domestic manufacturing ecosystems, ensuring that the green transition also drives industrial competitiveness.
Equally significant is the push toward emerging technologies like Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS), alongside continued investment in nuclear energy. This diversified approach reduces risk and enhances resilience—an essential feature in an era of technological uncertainty.
India’s climate strategy is also deeply people-centric—an often overlooked but critical dimension of sustainability. Initiatives like Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) transform climate action from a policy agenda into a societal movement. Campaigns such as Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam are not symbolic gestures; they represent a deliberate effort to democratise environmental stewardship.
This matters. Climate action cannot succeed if it remains confined to governments and corporations. By embedding sustainability into everyday behaviour, India is creating a durable foundation for long-term change.
Moreover, the emphasis on a just and inclusive transition ensures that the benefits of green growth are widely shared. From rural livelihoods supported through afforestation to clean energy access for households, the transition is being designed to uplift, not disrupt.
While mitigation often dominates global climate conversations, India deserves credit for giving equal importance to adaptation. This is particularly significant for a country that is highly vulnerable to climate impacts.
From mangrove restoration along coastlines to glacier monitoring in the Himalayas, from early warning systems for cyclones to heat action plans across states, India is building resilience at scale. These efforts are not only protecting lives and livelihoods—they are also reducing long-term economic risks.
In doing so, India is addressing a critical gap in global climate action, where adaptation remains underfunded and underprioritized.
Another notable strength of India’s NDC process is its inclusivity. The updated targets are the result of extensive consultations involving central ministries, state governments, industry bodies, and civil society. This whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach ensures that policies are both ambitious and grounded in reality. Credit must be given to India's ministry of environment, forest & climate change for having led this work with such a strong people oriented inclusive approach.
Such inclusivity enhances not just legitimacy but also implement ability. Climate policy, after all, is only as effective as its execution on the ground.
India’s climate leadership extends beyond its borders. Through initiatives like the International Solar Alliance, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, and the Global Biofuel Alliance, it is actively shaping global solutions.
These platforms reflect a broader vision—one that recognises climate change as a shared challenge requiring collaborative responses. Importantly, they also amplify the voice of the Global South, advocating for equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
In a fractured geopolitical landscape, this leadership is both timely and necessary.
The approval of the 2031–2035 NDC is not just an environmental milestone—it is a strategic one. It strengthens India’s position in global negotiations, enhances its attractiveness as a destination for green investment, and reinforces its identity as a responsible global power.
At a time when supply chains are being reconfigured and green technologies are becoming the new frontier of economic competition, India’s proactive stance positions it advantageously.
India’s updated NDC is a powerful reminder that climate action need not be a burden—it can be an opportunity. An opportunity to innovate, to lead, and to redefine development itself.
By combining ambition with credibility, growth with sustainability, and policy with people, India is charting a path that others can follow. In doing so, it is not just contributing to global climate goals—it is helping reshape them.
In an era searching for leadership, India is stepping forward—not with rhetoric, but with results.
This article is authored by Shishir Priyadarshi, director, Chintan Research Foundation, and former director, WTO, New Delhi.
