India has formally submitted its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the United Nations climate body, outlining ambitious targets for the 2031-2035 period while stressing that these commitments depend on adequate support from developed nations in terms of finance and technology transfer.
Key Climate Targets
In its submission on April 24, India pledged to achieve 60% cumulative installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2035, contingent upon technology transfer and low-cost international finance. The country also committed to reducing emissions intensity (emissions per unit of GDP) by 47% by 2035 from 2005 levels, and creating an additional carbon sink of 3.5 to 4.0 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through forest and tree cover by 2035, relative to 2005 stock.
Conditional Commitments
India emphasized that a significant portion of developing countries' NDCs depends on the availability of means of implementation, particularly finance, technology transfer, and capacity building. The submission states: "Without sufficient funding, technology cooperation, and capacity-building, these conditional commitments cannot be fulfilled, resulting in an ambition gap that weakens the collective objectives of the Paris Agreement."
The document clarifies that India's NDC does not impose specific emission reduction obligations on individual sectors, including agriculture. Instead, the goal is to reduce overall emissions intensity by promoting clean energy and energy efficiency while safeguarding vulnerable sectors and communities.
Call for Developed Countries' Support
India reminded rich nations of their obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement to provide finance, technology, and capacity-building support. "India, in turn, will require its fair share of these resources and support to advance its climate goals," the submission states, adding that effective implementation depends on additional support from developed countries.
Progress on Previous Commitments
India noted that as of February 28, its non-fossil fuel-based electric power installed capacity exceeded 52.5% of total capacity, while emissions intensity of GDP reduced by 36% between 2005 and 2020. The country is also on track to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3.0 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030, having already added 2.29 billion tonnes between 2005 and 2021.
Broader Development Goals
India's submission underscores its aim to deliver universal access to water, sanitation, waste management, affordable housing, and electric power in line with sustainable development goals. The country also highlighted efforts to mobilize domestic and international finance, propagate sustainable lifestyles, build capacities, and align with the vision of a developed India (Viksit Bharat) by 2047.
NDCs are non-binding voluntary commitments submitted every five years. India first submitted its NDC in 2015 and updated it in 2022, each time flagging the need for developed countries to fulfill their promises of support.
