India's Climate Plan Submission at COP30
India, recognized as the world's third-largest carbon emitter, has not yet submitted its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) plan. This document, required every five years by the UN Framework Climate Convention (UNFCCC), outlines a country's climate action targets. The status of India's submission has been noted at the current COP30 UN climate summit taking place in Belem, Brazil.
Context of NDCs and Global Climate Targets
Updated NDCs are intended to include more ambitious carbon reduction targets, reflecting the global community's challenges in achieving necessary emissions cuts to prevent significant global warming. The 2015 Paris Agreement established the objective of limiting the average global temperature increase to well below 2°C, with efforts to reach 1.5°C.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), annual emissions need to be reduced by 35% to 55% from 2019 levels by 2035 to align with the Paris Agreement's goals. Despite these targets, global emissions have shown a trend of increasing almost every year since the agreement.
As of November 10, the climate plans submitted to the UNFCCC project an emissions reduction of approximately 12% by 2035, provided that countries fully implement their stated policies. UNEP indicates that current emissions policies could lead to a global warming of 2.8°C this century, underscoring the requirement for more ambitious carbon-cutting targets.
Submission Timeline and India's Statement
Around 120 of the 196 UNFCCC member countries have submitted their updated plans. India is among the countries that have not yet done so. The initial deadline for the updated plan (NDC3) was February, later extended to September after over 90% of member countries did not meet the original deadline.
Attention was directed towards major emitters such as China, India, and the European Union during this period, particularly following the US President's renewed announcement of the country's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. While some countries submitted their plans before or during the COP30 summit, India's Environment Minister, Bhupender Yadav, announced this week in Belem that the country's plan would be submitted by the end of December.
International Assessments of India's Climate Action
International assessments have characterized India's climate action as inadequate. The Indian government has offered counterarguments to these assessments.