PM Modi sets India's 2070 zero carbon emission target at COP26 summit

He said India was the only country to have met its target set at the Paris Climate Agreement in letter and spirit as the 2015 meet was not just a summit, but a commitment for it.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said India was working very hard on tackling climate change related issues. He said India was the only country to have met its target set at the Paris Climate Agreement in letter and spirit as the 2015 meet was not just a summit, but a commitment for it.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi address the COP26 summit on Monday. (ANI)

He said India would achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2070. Delivering the national statement at the United Nations’ COP26 climate summit in Scotland's Glasgow, Modi spelt out the five ‘amrit tatva’ from India. 

“At this global brainstorming on climate change, I present 5 'amrit tatva' from India. I gift this 'panchamrit'. First, India will bring its non-fossil energy capacity to 500 GW by 2030. Second, by 2030 India will fulfill 50 per cent of its energy requirement through renewable energy,” he told the key gathering of more than 120 leaders. 

“Third, India will cut down its net projected carbon emission by 1 billion tonne from now until 2030. Fourth, by 2030, India will bring down carbon intensity of its economy by more than 45%. Fifth, by 2070 India will achieve the target of 'net zero',” he said.

India is the last of the world's major carbon polluters to announce a net-zero target, with China saying it would reach that goal in 2060, and the US and the EU aiming for 2050.

Regarding the 2015 Paris meet, he said it was not just a summit, but a sentiment. "It was a commitment and India was not making promises to the world. Instead, 125 crore Indians were making promises to themselves. I am happy that a developing country like India is working to pull crores of people out of poverty,” he said.

He said the world today admitted that lifestyle had a major role in climate change and proposed a one-word movement before the world leaders. “This word is LIFE which means Lifestyle for Environment. Today, it is needed that all of us come together and take forward LIFE as a movement,” he said.