India gave the UNFCCC secretariat a separate plan called "India's Long-term Low Carbon Development Strategy" in November 2022
According to the updated NDC that India sent to the UNFCCC in August 2022, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State for Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change, said today that India is committed to reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45 percent by 2030 from its level in 2005 and getting about 50 percent of its electricity from sources other than fossil fuels by 2030, with the help of technology transfer and low-cost international finance.
The NDC update is also a step in the right direction for India, which has set a long-term objective of becoming net-zero by 2070. India gave the UNFCCC secretariat a separate plan called “India’s Long-term Low Carbon Development Strategy” in November 2022.
The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), which includes missions in particular areas of solar energy, energy efficiency, water, sustainable agriculture, the Himalayan ecosystem, sustainable habitat, health, green India, and strategic knowledge for climate change, was mentioned by Choubey in a written response to a question in the Rajya Sabha. He added that the government of India is committed to fighting climate change through its numerous programmes and schemes. One of the primary projects to support sustainable growth while addressing India’s energy security is the National Solar Mission, which is part of the NAPCC.
Some of the initiatives taken to support renewable energy in the nation are:
- 100 percent allowance of automatic FDI;
- a statement of the trajectory for the Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) through 2029–2030;
- construction of new sub-stations and laying new transmission lines as a part of the Green Energy Corridor Scheme for transportation of renewable energy;
- the creation of ultra-mega renewable energy parks to supply land and infrastructure to developers of renewable energy (RE) projects for the installation of RE projects at a massive scale;
- a few schemes like the 12000 MW Central Public Sector Undertaking Scheme Phase II, Solar Rooftop Phase II, and Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM);
- the waiver of Inter State Transmission System (ISTS) fees to be applied to interstate sales of solar and wind energy for projects that would be operational by June 30, 2025;
- announcement of requirements for the installation of solar photovoltaic systems and/or devices;
- Energy (Late Payment Surcharge and Related Matters) Rules 2002 (LPS rules) notification;
- establishment of a project development cell to attract investments;
- Standard Bidding Guidelines for Tariff-Based Competitive Bidding Process for Purchasing Power from Grid-Connected Solar Photovoltaic System and Wind Projects;
- notification of the Green Energy Open Access Rules for Promoting Renewable Energy for 2022 and;
- issuance of orders stating that power must be delivered against a letter of credit (LC) or advance payment to guarantee that distribution licensees will pay RE generators on time.
According to the written response, India has continued to gradually decouple economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions. Between 2005 and 2016, India’s gross domestic product (GDP) emission intensity decreased by 24%. As of November 30, 2022, India’s installed capacity for electric power derived from non-fossil fuels was 173.14 GW, accounting for 42.3 percent of the global installed capacity for electric power derived from non-fossil fuels.
The response went on to say that the Indian government has urged states and UTs to create state action plans on climate change in accordance with NAPCC. In Andhra Pradesh’s state action plan on climate change, some of the priority sectors are agriculture and livestock, energy, marine and fisheries, irrigation and water supply, manufacturing, transportation, and forestry.
Source: Press Information Bureau
