India’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to UNFCCC

In news– Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved India’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to be communicated to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

What are India’s updated NDCs?

The updated NDC seeks to enhance India’s contributions towards the achievement of the strengthening of global response to the threat of climate change, as agreed under the Paris Agreement.
India at the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Glasgow, United Kingdom, expressed to intensify its climate action by presenting to the world five nectar elements (Panchamrit) of India’s climate action.
This update to India’s existing NDC translates the ‘Panchamrit’ announced at COP 26 into enhanced climate targets.
The update is also a step towards achieving India’s long term goal of reaching net-zero by 2070.
India is one of the 193 parties signatory to the Paris Agreement, a legally binding international treaty on climate change.
Under the Agreement, parties have to keep updating their NDCs (which are commitments made in order to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change) every five years.
Earlier, India submitted its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to UNFCCC on October 2, 2015.
The 2015 NDC comprised eight goals; three of these have quantitative targets upto 2030 namely-
- Cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil sources to reach 40%.
- Reduce the emissions intensity of GDP by 33 to 35 percent compared to 2005 levels and
- Creation of additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover.
As per the updated NDC, India now stands committed to reduce Emissions Intensity of its GDP by 45 percent by 2030, from 2005 level and achieve about 50 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.
The updated NDC reads “To put forward and further propagate a healthy and sustainable way of living based on traditions and values of conservation and moderation, including through a mass movement for ‘LIFE’– ‘Lifestyle for Environment’ as a key to combating climate change”.
India’s updated NDC has been prepared after carefully considering our national circumstances and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC).
Recognizing that lifestyle has a big role in climate change, the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, at COP 26, proposed a ‘One-Word Movement’, to the global community.
This one word is LIFE…L, I, F, E, i.e. Lifestyle For Environment.
The vision of LIFE is to live a lifestyle that is in tune with our planet and does not harm it. India’s updated NDC also captures this citizen centric approach to combat climate change.
The updated NDC also represents the framework for India’s transition to cleaner energy for the period 2021-2030.
India’s updated NDC will be implemented over the period 2021-2030 through programs and schemes of relevant Ministries /departments and with due support from States and Union Territories.
The Government has launched many schemes and programs to scale up India’s actions on both adaptation and mitigation.
For instance the Net Zero target by 2030 by Indian Railways alone will lead to a reduction of emissions by 60 million tonnes annually.
Similarly, India’s massive LED bulb campaign is reducing emissions by 40 million tonnes annually.
India’s NDC does not bind it to any sector specific mitigation obligation or action.

What are Nationally determined contributions?

- Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) are reductions in greenhouse gas emissions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

All countries that signed the UNFCCC were asked to publish their INDCs at the 2013 United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Warsaw, Poland, in November 2013

- Under the Paris Agreement, adopted in December 2015, the INDC will become the first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) when a country ratifies the agreement unless it decides to submit a new NDC at the same time.
- Nationally determined contributions (NDCs) are at the heart of the Paris Agreement and the achievement of these long-term goals.

NDCs embody efforts by each country to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

The Paris Agreement (Article 4) requires each Party to prepare, communicate and maintain successive nationally determined contributions (NDCs) that it intends to achieve.
Parties shall pursue domestic mitigation measures, with the aim of achieving the objectives of such contributions.
The Paris Agreement requests each country to outline and communicate their post-2020 climate actions, known as their NDCs.

Note:

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is another projected legally binding agreement produced at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) or Earth Summit 1992.
The objective of UNFCCC is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.

Further reading: https://journalsofindia.com/what-are-nationally-determined-contributions-and-what-are-indian-ndcs/

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Source: PIB