What are Nationally determined contributions? and what are Indian NDCs?

In News

The Government of India has constituted the Apex Committee for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement (AIPA) November 2020, through a gazette notification.

What are Nationally determined contributions?

• Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) are (intended) 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, paragraph 2) 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.

What does this mean?

The Paris Agreement requests each country to outline and communicate their post-2020 climate actions, known as their NDCs. 

Together, these climate actions determine whether the world achieves the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement and to reach global peaking of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as soon as possible and to undertake rapid reductions thereafter in accordance with best available science, so as to achieve a balance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of GHGs in the second half of this century. 

It is understood that the peaking of emissions will take longer for developing country Parties, and that emission reductions are undertaken on the basis of equity, and in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty, which are critical development priorities for many developing countries.

What are Indian NDCs?

• India has submitted its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
• Salient features of India’s INDC
• To put forward and further propagate a healthy and sustainable way of living based on traditions and values of conservation and moderation.
• Improve emissions intensity of its GDP by 33-35% by 2030 below 2005 levels.
• Increase the share of non-fossil fuels-based electricity to 40% by 2030
• Enhance its forest cover which will absorb 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2030.
• To better adapt to climate change by enhancing investments in development programmes in sectors vulnerable to climate change, particularly agriculture, water resources, Himalayan region, coastal regions, health and disaster management.
• To mobilize domestic and new and additional funds from developed countries to implement the above mitigation and adaptation actions in view of the resource required and the resource gap.
• To build capacities, create domestic framework and international architecture for quick diffusion of cutting edge climate technology in India and for joint collaborative R&D for such future technologies.
• The NDCs are to be implemented in the post-2020 period. India had submitted its NDCs in 2015.

Apex Committee for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement (AIPA)

• The Apex Committee for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement (AIPA) was constituted by the Indian government to ensure a coordinated response to climate change matters and to keep the country on track towards meeting its climate change obligations under the Paris Agreement. 
• It will act as the national authority for regulating carbon markets within the country under the Paris agreement.
• The committee was formed under the chairmanship of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change secretary. 
• The committee has 17 members, responsible for formulating policies to implement the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).
• The committee will also regularly communicate and report the progress of India’s status in achieving its NDC to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
• The committee will define the responsibility of different government Ministries to achieve the climate change mitigation and adaptation goals of India.