India approves new emissions targets to tackle climate change

By Shilpa Jamkandikar and Gloria Dickey

MumbaiAugust 4 – India, the world’s third-biggest polluter, finally approves new targets to reduce global warming emissions.

India’s Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the country’s new domestic emissions pledges, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).NTC) Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced these goals at the UN climate talks last year. UN in Glasgow, but proceedings have not yet been formalized.

New NTC Over the next seven years, India pledges to reduce emissions intensity by 45% from 2005, which is 10% more than its previous pledge in 2016.

India also aims to meet half of its energy needs from renewable sources such as solar and wind by 2030. This is also higher than its previous target of 40%, which the government said it had achieved by December 2021.

Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, parties must update their long-term climate goals every five years and are urged to show greater ambition as the impacts of climate change worsen.

“The decision to improve NTC It demonstrates at the highest level India’s commitment to decoupling economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions,” a government statement said.

The NTC An update will now be submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

The government has said it is aiming for net zero emissions by 2070, 20 years later than climate scientists say.