BackIndia among few big economies on track to meet climate pledges: Bhupender Yadav
India’s climate efforts surpass NDC goals, minister Yadav stressed
PremiumNew Delhi: India is one of the few major economies on course to meet its commitments to the Paris Agreement's goal of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius, said Union minister for Climate Change, Environment, and Forest Bhupender Yadav said on Friday at the Voice of Global South summit.
Yadav pointed to India's low per capita greenhouse gas emissions, which are currently less than one-third of the global average, and highlighted that developed nations are yet to meet their climate finance promises to help developing countries combat climate change effects.
India's has had minimal historical contribution to global carbon emissions—only 4% from 1850 to 2019—despite having 17% of the world population. In contrast, developed countries with an equivalent share of the global population have contributed about 60% of the emissions.
“The increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels" and pursue efforts “to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels" was adopted by 196 Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France, in December 2015.
However, in recent years, world leaders have stressed the need to limit global warming to 1.5°C by the end of this century because the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change indicates that crossing that threshold risks unleashing far more severe climate change impacts, including more frequent and severe droughts, heatwaves and rainfall.
A report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s National Center for Environmental Information has said that there is a 99% chance that 2023 could be the hottest year on record, after the warmest October.
To limit global warming to 1.5°C, greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2025 at the latest and decline 43% by 2030.
Yadav reminded developed countries of their commitment to mobilising $100 billion annually by 2020 for climate finance and doubling their contribution to adaptation finance by 2025 from the levels seen in 2019.
The minister highlighted India's progress, with 44% of its electricity generation now derived from non-fossil fuel sources, exceeding the NDC (nationally determined contributions) goal of 40% by 2030.
He also drew attention to India's green credit programme, which encourages voluntary environmental actions by people, and public and private entities.
Last August, India updated its NDC to include a 45% reduction in GDP emission intensity by 2030 from 2005 levels, and to target 50% of electric power capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by the same year.
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