Overview on India's Climate Policy

Context(IE): Understanding India’s Climate Policy – A Expert’s Insight.

Evolution of environment policies globally and in India

The Rio Summit in 1992 introduced
- The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
- The Convention on Biological Diversity.
- Forest Principles.
India’s Response
- Gradual integration of climate change and biodiversity concerns by India’s Ministry of Environment and Forests post-Rio Summit.

Determinants of India’s climate policy

India’s climate policy is based on five major determinants: geography, population, impacts, worldview, and actions.

Geography

India’s land area is 3.28 million sq km, making up 2.4% of the world’s land surface and holding 4% of global freshwater resources. It ranks as the seventh largest country globally.
India is one of 17 mega-biodiverse countries, with four biodiversity hotspots, 10 bio-geographic zones, and 22 agro-biodiversity hotspots.
The country experiences six distinct seasons, shaping its civilisation and economy.
However, climate change has disrupted this seasonal cycle in recent years.
The blurring of seasonal distinctions has led to increased unpredictability and negative impacts on both nature and society.

Population

India has a population of 1.4 billion, nearly one-sixth of the global population.
It boasts 7-8% of the world’s recorded species, including over 45,500 plant species and 91,000 animal species. The human-to-land ratio in India is very low, at 0.0021 sq km, and is decreasing over time.
Coping with this limitation requires understanding and integrated management of land and water resources.

Impacts

According to the Global Climate Risk Index 2020 by Germanwatch, India is ranked as the fifth most affected country by extreme weather events.
This is a significant increase from its 14th position in 2017.
The World Bank’s report on the Impact of Climate Change on South Asia (2018) predicts that India could lose 2.8% of its GDP due to rising temperatures and changing monsoon patterns by 2050.
Nearly half of the country’s population could also see a decline in living standards as a result.

Worldview

India’s perspective is influenced by its tradition of living in harmony with nature.
The ‘Prithvi Sukta‘ describes the Earth as our Mother and sacred groves emphasise the importance of protecting nature.
Gandhi’s principles, like standing up for the marginalised and practising trusteeship, echo this tradition of valuing nature.
The idea that the Earth can provide for everyone’s needs but not everyone’s greed has been a longstanding belief.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) logo reflects our reverence for nature and our commitment to conservation.
To effectively address global challenges like climate change, the world needs to embrace the ancient Indian philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam‘(One Earth, One World, One Future).

Actions

India’s actions are guided by science, evidence, and numbers.
Despite historical emissions of less than 4% and relatively low per capita CO2 emissions of 1.9 tonnes, India is committed to both domestic and international actions that benefit the planet.
It has established international initiatives like the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to promote the transition to renewable energy.
Unlike some developed countries, India has decoupled carbon emissions from economic growth and is progressing towards meeting its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets.

Unstable United States Stand

While President George H. W. Bush signed the UNFCCC in 1992, the US insisted on no specific targets for action.
President Bill Clinton signed the Kyoto Protocol, but President George W. Bush didn’t ratify it.
President Barack Obama signed the Paris Agreement, but President Donald Trump withdrew from it, only for President Joe Biden to re-enter it.
Given this record, it raises questions about the credibility of developed countries’ commitments to climate action.

India’s Approaches and Principles of Climate Policy

India’s climate policy is guided by its vision of inclusive growth, poverty eradication, and social development.
India adheres to the foundational principles of the UNFCCC.
It also promotes climate-friendly lifestyles and aims for clear, consistent, and coordinated policies.
India believes that development and environmental conservation are interconnected and should be pursued together for comprehensive development.
India attributes the problem of climate change to the overexploitation of natural resources by developed countries.
It advocates for the Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC) principle, which was largely shaped by Indian interventions at the Rio Summit in 1992.

Why India Advocates for CBDR-RC Principle?

Disproportionate responsibility of developed nations

Excessive and unsustainable production and consumption patterns in developed countries have escalated climate change to a crisis level.
A recent study suggests that the United States and Europe bear the greatest responsibility for global ecological damage due to their overuse of natural resources during the study period.
- The US accounts for 27% of the world’s excess material use, while the EU uses 25%.
- Other wealthy nations like Australia, Canada, Japan, and Saudi Arabia together account for 22%.
Despite having only 16% of the global population, high-income countries are responsible for 74% of excess resource use.
China has exceeded its sustainability limit by 15%.

India within sustainability limits

However, 58 countries, including India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Bangladesh, with a total population of 3.6 billion, have stayed within their sustainability limits.
Meanwhile, to reach sustainability, high-income countries need to reduce their resource use by around 70% from current levels.

India’s efforts towards addressing climate change issues

The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) 2008, comprising eight missions, provides a framework for addressing climate change.
- All 34 Indian states and Union Territories have developed State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCCs) aligned with the NAPCC objectives.
Civil society actively participates in decision-making processes related to climate change.
India has established global institutions such as the
- International Solar Alliance (ISA)
- The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).
- The Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA).
India, along with Sweden, leads ‘The Leadership Group for Industry Transition‘ and promotes sustainable lifestyles through initiatives like the ‘Lifestyle for Environment‘ movement.
India’s long-term strategy to the UNFCCC aims for net zero emissions by 2070.
Despite having no binding mitigation obligations under the UNFCCC before 2020, India has successfully reduced the emission intensity of its GDP by 33% between 2005 and 2019.
India has significantly increased its solar energy capacity by over 26 times and doubled its wind energy capacity in the past decade.
- It now ranks fourth globally in installed wind capacity and fifth in solar capacity.
India achieved its target of having 40% of its installed electric capacity from non-fossil fuels in November 2021, nine years ahead of schedule, and has since increased the target to 50%.
There’s a strong focus on providing basic services like pucca housing, continuous electricity, clean water, universal health insurance, and clean cooking gas, which contributes significantly to the fight against climate change.