U.K. asks India to update climate goals

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging India to announce a “more ambitious” Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) ahead of a United Nations climate change summit in the U.K. in a few weeks.
Prime Minister conveyed India’s commitment to Climate Action, as seen in its ambitious target for expansion of renewable energy and the recently announced National Hydrogen Mission
As president of the coming climate change conference, the U.K. is asking all countries to update their NDCs to reflect climate targets for the next few decades.
One hundred and ninety three countries filed their first NDCs, but only 19 have so far updated them.

India’s NDC

India filed its first NDC in 2016, committing at the time to cut emissions by 33% by 2030 (from 2005 levels) and to ensure that about 40% of its installed power capacity comes from renewable energy.
However, the U.K. and the U.S. have been asking India to do more in terms of declaring its second NDC.
It includes India’s promise of installing 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030, and to declare firm deadlines for achieving Net Zero carbon emissions and ending the use of coal for generating electricity.

Salient features of India's NDC

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 per cent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel based energy resources by 2030, with the help of transfer of technology and low cost international finance, including from Green Climate Fund.
To create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover 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.