India has committed to achieving about 60% of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel energy resources by 2035, with the help of technology transfer and low-cost international financing, as it submitted its Nationally Determined Contributions to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change for the period 2031-2035. It pledged to reduce GDP emissions intensity by 47% by 2035, compared to the 2005 level, and to create a carbon store of 3.5 to 4 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent through forest and tree cover by 2035, compared to the base year of 2005.
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) are voluntary, non-binding climate action plans submitted by countries every five years under the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change.
India cited developed countries’ “mitigation ambition gap” and worsening global warming due to its inadequate response. He stressed that a large part of the NDCs of developing countries, including India, is conditional on the availability of adequate climate finance. She said that these conditional commitments cannot be met without adequate financing, technological cooperation and capacity building, thus weakening the collective goals of the Paris Agreement.
In March, the Federal Cabinet approved enhanced climate targets for 2031-2035 under the Paris Agreement, increasing its commitments on emissions, clean energy and forests, while the United States withdrew from the global climate framework and developed countries scaled back their ambitions.
The NDCs cited data from the Second Needs Determination Report (UNFCCC SCF 2024) indicating a significant increase in the financial resources needed by developing countries to implement NDCs. Updated estimates project a cumulative financing need of $5.012 trillion to $6.852 trillion by 2030. This implies annual mobilization requirements of about $455-584 billion between 2019 and 2030.
“These figures underscore the critical necessity of scaling up international support to match the implementation ambitions of developing countries… Boosting ambition, especially for developing countries like India, is closely linked to effective provision of the means for implementation, including predictable, adequate and accessible climate finance,” the document said.
The document said that India’s national contributions are guided by the vision of Vikshit Bharat (Advanced India) by 2047. “India aspires to become a developed country by 2047. The vision of ‘Vikshit Bharat@2047’ aims to achieve new heights of prosperity, provide best facilities in rural and urban areas, adopt a pro-citizen governance model, and build world-class modern infrastructure,” the document said.
He added that India aims to achieve its ambitious goals of universal access to services such as water, sanitation, waste management, affordable housing and electric power in line with the short and medium-term goals set by the government’s existing initiatives, including achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
The document said that India will pursue low-carbon development paths, but at its own pace. The document added that for India to move from a lower-middle-income economy to a developed country, economic progress needs to be supported by improvements in technology, skilled human resources, strong infrastructure, and sound financial strategies.
“India remains committed to pursuing low-carbon development paths that are firmly grounded in its national circumstances, development priorities and long-term economic aspirations. Accordingly, the pace and scale of this transition will be calibrated to ensure that the objectives of growth, poverty eradication and social development are fully protected.”
The document added that the historical accumulation of greenhouse gases since the industrial revolution has caused global warming, a problem that has been exacerbated by the insufficient response by developed countries. “Despite the adoption of the UNFCCC, the failure of many developed countries to meet their commitments has created a ‘mitigation ambition gap’ that requires them to take stronger global action.”
India said it emphasizes South-South cooperation as an important pillar of global climate action. “By building capacity and sharing knowledge, including through platforms such as the International Solar Alliance and the Alliance for Resilient Infrastructure, India aims to support developing countries. This cooperation complements, and is not a substitute for, developed country commitments under the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement.”
India will need technology transfer and adequate financing to meet mitigation and adaptation needs, she said. India has called for global cooperation in research and development for clean and sustainable technologies and facilitating their transfer to developing countries without imposing high costs.
India said its commitments are conditional on access to appropriate support, including its eligible share of international climate finance, and can be adjusted to match the level of support available.
