In INDC, India pledges to curb greenhouse gas emissions by up to 35 percent

New Delhi: Ahead of the climate change summit in Paris later this year, India has pledged to curb its greenhouse gas emissions by up to 35 per cent from the 2005 level.

In its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) tonight, 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.

In the 38-page document, India said that it would need, as per preliminary estimates, around USD 206 billion between 2015 and 2030 for implementing adaptation actions in agriculture, forestry, fisheries infrastructure, water resources and ecosystems.

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

"Keeping in view its development agenda, particularly the eradication of poverty coupled with its commitment to following the low carbon path to progress and being sanguine about the unencumbered availability of clean technologies and financial resource from around the world, India hereby communicates its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) in response to COP decisions... For the period 2021 to 2030: To put forward and further propagate a healthy and sustainable way of living based on traditions and values of conservation and moderation.

"To adopt a climate friendly and a cleaner path than the one followed hitherto by others at corresponding level of economic development; To reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 percent by 2030 from 2005 level; To achieve about 40 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from nonfossil fuel based energy resources by 2030 with the help of transfer of technology and low cost international finance including from Green Climate Fund (GCF)," the document, uploaded on the UNFCC website late tonight, said.

"To create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030," it said.

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar is scheduled to announce the action plan to fight adverse effects of climate change tomorrow, coinciding with the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Each of the 192 countries were expected to submit their INDCs ahead of a climate change conference in Paris where the nations hope to finalise a global pact to curb greenhouse gas emissions sufficiently to prevent temperatures from rising beyond 2 degrees C during this century.

The Conference of Parties (COP21) in Paris, scheduled from November 30 to December 11 this year, will for the first time in over 20 years of UN negotiations.