India: Climate Change Issues
Updated December 5, 2023
India: Climate Change Issues
Global climate change presents multiple challenges to
Asia: flooding and infrastructure damage; biodiversity loss
India. The country is faced with meeting its energy and
across freshwater, land, and ocean ecosystems; increase in
economic development needs, reducing its greenhouse gas
frequency and extensiveness of coral bleaching; reduced
(GHG) emissions, and addressing the potential impacts of
coastal fishery resources; and decreased food and water
climate change. India is among the world’s top emitters of
security. The report also projects that 26% more people will
GHGs, including carbon dioxide (CO2), along with China,
be exposed to sea level rise from 2020 to 2040 in Asia.
the United States, and the European Union; thus, India’s
participation in global efforts to mitigate climate change
Domestic Climate Policies
would be crucial to their success. India accounted for
India’s 1.4 billion people and growing middle class
17.5% of the world’s population and 7% of global CO2
continue to create increased energy demands and resulting
emissions in 2021, although its CO2 emissions per capita
GHG emissions. According to the International Energy
are comparatively low. Energy use in India has roughly
Agency’s (IEA’s) India Energy Outlook 2021, to meet
doubled since 2000. The country’s reliance on coal and
projected growth in electricity demand over the next 20
other fossil fuels results in India emitting more GHGs per
years, India would need to add a power system the size of
unit of energy generated than many other large countries.
the European Union’s. Rapid industrialization and
urbanization likely will continue to create large energy
Impact of Climate Change
demands, perhaps most notably in the area of space cooling.
India also is increasingly vulnerable to the effects of
climate change. According to a 2021 Indian government
By many accounts, transition away from coal to renewables
overview of the country’s National Action Plan on Climate
is among the most important tasks facing Indian leaders as
Change (NAPCC), “Climate change is one of the most
they address climate change and reform India’s energy
critical global challenges of our times. Recent events have
sector. Coal accounts for roughly half of India’s total
emphatically demonstrated our growing vulnerability to
installed generation capacity. Both IEA and Indian
climate change. Climate change impacts will range from
government officials project that India will continue to rely
affecting agriculture—further endangering food security—
on coal as a primary source of energy, even as coal’s share
to sea-level rise and the accelerated erosion of coastal
of power generation may decline. In 2022, India’s Minister
zones, increasing intensity of natural disasters, species
of Coal, Mines, and Parliamentary Affairs reportedly stated
extinction, and the spread of vector-borne diseases.”
that “no transition away from coal is happening in the
foreseeable future in India,” with coal expected to play a
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC)
central role in India’s energy mix beyond 2040. At the same
Sixth Assessment Report, Climate Change 2023: Synthesis
time, India’s renewable energy sector is growing rapidly,
Report, provides both observations and projections of
and the potential exists for further expansion of this sector,
potential impacts of climate change on India. The report
including with solar, wind, and hydropower sources.
states that observed adverse impacts of climate change on
Asia include increased heat, malnutrition, and harm from
India’s pledge to attain 500 gigawatts (GW) of non-fossil
wildlife; worsening mental health; displacement of people;
fuel energy generation by 2030 will require more than
and flood- and storm-induced damages in coastal areas.
doubling current capacity of 186 GW (including 7.5 GW
Additionally, the report states the following as key risks for
from nuclear power). Over half of this targeted addition is
Selected Climate Change Policy Initiatives in India
In addition to efforts outlined in the NAPCC and India’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), the IEA has identified the
fol owing announced policy initiatives as key to reducing India’s emissions:
• Net Zero Emissions by 2070 (announced in 2021);
• Renewable energy and transmission targets, including aims to raise power generation from non-fossil sources to 50% of all
capacity (from 42% at present) and achieve 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030;
• Production-Linked Incentives, such as subsidies toward creation of new manufacturing of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules and
modern batteries;
• a National Green Hydrogen Mission funded with $2.3 bil ion to support production, use, and exports targeted at five mil ion
tons annually; and
• a Carbon Market authorized by India’s Energy Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2022, which allows the government to provide
for a carbon-trading scheme.
Source: International Energy Agency, World Energy Outlook 2023
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India: Climate Change Issues
to come from the solar sector. According to the Ministry of
Cooperation with the United States
Power, 72 GW of solar photovoltaic currently accounts for
The Biden Administration has expressed support for India’s
about 17% of India’s total installed capacity. A National
goal of installing 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030 and
Solar Mission, one of the eight Missions under India’s
its long-term vision to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070.
NAPCC, targets 100 GW of grid-connected solar power by
In 2021, President Biden and Prime Minister Modi
2030. With 44 GW at present, wind power accounts for
established the U.S.-India Climate and Clean Energy
10% of total capacity; the government aspires to generate
Agenda 2030 Partnership with two tracks. The first, a
150 GW from wind by 2030. Including hydropower,
Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP), “focuses
renewable energy sources now provide 42% of India’s total
government, industry, and other stakeholder efforts to
installed capacity.
advance energy security, clean energy innovation, and
decarbonization efforts to support the energy transition
Approach to COP Negotiations
while ensuring clean energy access.” The Department of
At COP27, India announced the submission of their Long-
Energy is the lead U.S. agency. SCEP works on five
Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) to
“pillars”: Responsible Oil and Gas; Power and Energy
the UNFCCC. This document outlines how they will meet
Efficiency; Renewable Energy; Sustainable Growth; and
their decarbonization pledge announced in 2021. The six
Emerging Fuels and Technology. Under the SCEP, a new
key areas of India’s LT-LEDS are energy security,
Renewable Energy Technology Action Platform (RETAP)
transportation, urbanization, industrial sectors, forestry, and
met for the first time in August 2023. The two governments
climate finance.
are also seeking to increase minerals security cooperation to
advance shared clean energy goals, including through the
India has for decades argued that developed countries
Minerals Security Partnership.
caused the current climate crisis and should thus take the
bulk of responsibility for mitigating it, and that developed
During a 2021 visit to New Delhi, U.S. Special Presidential
countries should also support developing countries’ climate
Envoy for Climate John Kerry joined Indian officials in
mitigation efforts financially and technologically. The LT-
launching the second track of the partnership: a bilateral
LEDS and press release announcing the LT-LEDS
Climate Action and Finance Mobilization Dialogue, with
emphasize this point. The LT-LEDS says there are
the Departments of State and the Treasury as lead U.S.
“shortcomings in the scope, scale, and speed of the climate
agencies. U.S. efforts include a $500 million U.S.
finance made available to developing countries from
International Development Finance Corporation loan to
developed countries” and “shortcomings in defining,
build solar panels in India. This mechanism has seen
tracking, and reporting” climate finance. The documents
limited success to date, and India is able to finance only a
also state that climate finance is skewed towards mitigation
small percentage of the $100 billion or more it reportedly
rather than adaptation, “with adverse implications for
will need annually to meet its net-zero by 2070 goal. Kerry,
developing countries facing climate-induced disasters.”
at a July 2023 G20 meeting on climate issues, said, “[We]
have an imperative [at COP28] to try to establish a better
In his speech at the COP26 summit in 2021, Indian Prime
finance track in order for emerging economies and less
Minister Narendra Modi said, “India expects developed
developed countries to be able to make the transition.”
countries to make $1 trillion available as climate finance as
soon as possible. As we track the progress of climate
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or “Quad” is another
mitigation, we must also track climate finance.” Ahead of
mechanism through which the United States and India—
COP28, India and the UAE released a joint statement on
along with Japan and Australia—are undertaking initiatives
climate change, urging Parties to the Paris Agreement to
to address climate change. In 2022, Quad leaders launched
operationalize the loss and damage fund established at
a new “Quad Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation
COP27. This fund is intended to be used by low-income
Package” to enhance climate and clean energy cooperation,
countries to cope with the financial impacts of climate
as well as promote adaptation and resilience. Among other
change. Loss and damage is a key focus area of debate
developments at a May 2023 Quad summit meeting, the
between developing and developed countries at COP28.
four leaders issued a Statement of Principles on Clean
Energy Supply Chains in the Indo-Pacific and announced a
Nationally Determined Contribution
Clean Energy Supply Chains initiative designed to
(NDC)
accelerate the region’s clean energy transition.
India updated its NDC in August 2022 ahead of COP27.
The NDC states India will reduce the emissions intensity of
In the 118th Congress, S. 1720, the Indo-Pacific Strategic
its gross domestic product by 45% by 2030 from 2005
Energy Initiative Act—“To provide support for energy
levels. The update also includes a pledge to derive 50% of
infrastructure projects in the Indo-Pacific region,” including
the country’s electric power from non-fossil fuel-based
India—was introduced in May 2023. If enacted, this bill
resources by 2030. India’s NDC pledge does not include a
would provide political and diplomatic support for new
quantifiable target for 2030 emissions. The IEA’s World
energy infrastructure projects, particularly natural gas.
Energy Outlook 2023 projects India’s CO2 emissions will
rise nearly 30% by 2050, one of the largest country
K. Alan Kronstadt, Specialist in South Asian Affairs
increases.
Claire M. Jordan, Research Librarian
Kezee Procita, Head Research and Library Services
Section
https://crsreports.congress.gov
India: Climate Change Issues
IF12178
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