New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS): India has achieved two out of three quantitative nationally determined contributions (NDCs) targets of the Paris Agreement, nine years ahead of schedule, Union Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav announced on Tuesday.
"It is a matter of great pride that India, under the leadership of our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji, has achieved 2 out of 3 quantitative NDC targets of the Paris Agreement, 9 years ahead of schedule," he said at his address at the 19th Sustainability Summit organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here.
India had, in 2015, submitted its first NDC target to reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 per cent by 2030 from the 2005 level; and to achieve about 40 per cent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.
In December 2023, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change announced it achieved the two targets.
Union Minister Yadav noted that the core idea of sustainability is how to utilise resources and added that energy is the foundation of the development model being followed globally and there is no going back from this path. He pointed out that access to energy is key to achieving a dignified life for all.
The "debate today should not be on emission management but rather what is the cost of per capita emission; hence Sustainability is a social goal," he said, elaborating that sustainability covers "the three concerns of environment, economy, and equity".
He stated that all government policies, schemes, programmes and initiatives have to be formulated taking a balanced approach towards these three. Further, the Environment Minister said that several waste management regulations have already been shared with the industry through EPR. However, more work in regard to the circular economy including sector-specific research; increasing the recyclables market, access to technologies, and building skills is required.
The Minister also launched the CII Report on Building Climate Resilience for Indian Industry. The report includes the Physical Climate Risk Assessment Framework, a necessary tool to help the Indian industry in prioritising appropriate adaptation actions across sectors and in different regions. The report recommends actions for the government such as an open-access climate and extreme weather event dashboard, green and climate-resilient industrial parks and increasing adaptation project funding in the nation.