India has pledged to cut its carbon emission intensity by 33-35 per cent and increase the share of renewable energy by a massive 40 per cent in its total energy mix by 2030 in the target submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention (UNFCCC) on Climate Change for a global climate pact. In its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) submitted to the UNFCCC, India announced that it aims at achieving around 40 per cent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.

India said the current policy framework also includes a favourable environment for a rapid increase in renewable energy, moving towards low carbon sustainable development pathway and adapting to the impacts of climate change. India said its submission represented highest possible efforts as evident from multiple initiatives undertaken by the government and added that it reserves the right to make additional submissions on INDC as and when required.

Noting that mitigation requirements are even more enormous for the country, India referred to an estimate given by plan panel NITI Aayog saying that the mitigation activities for moderate low carbon development would cost around 834 billion dollars till 2030.

It said the country will need $206 billion between 2015 and 2030 to implement actions in agriculture, forestry, fisheries infrastructure, water resources and ecosystems to achieve the targets, not counting the additional investments needed to strengthen resilience and disaster management.

Anjali Jaiswal, Director of the India Initiative for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said India’s ambitious climate target makes clean energy the centrepiece for major economic growth.

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