India reports progress to tackle climate change in new publication

Union Minister of Environment Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday released a publication on climate action titled 'India - Spearheading Climate Solutions' which mentions the key actions India has taken under various sectors towards combating and adapting to climate change. "This publication not only highlights our achievements towards climate action but also our preparedness for the future," Vardhan said during the release of the publication here.

"The initiatives captured in this publication are a reflection of our commitment towards addressing climate change concerns while keeping a fine balance with the sustainable development priorities," he added.

Some of the major initiatives mentioned in the publication include the Union Ministry's National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), National Adaptation Fund on Climate Change (NAFCC), Climate Change Action Programme (CCAP), State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC), International Solar Alliances (ISA), and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).

In the last four years, many development initiatives - taken at both the state and the national level - have significantly contributed to the adaptation and mitigation of climate change, Vardhan's office said in a statement. The goal of generating 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022, smart cities, electric vehicles, energy efficiency initiatives, leapfrogging from Bharat Stage-IV to Bharat Stage-VI emission norms by April 2020 have been undertaken to minimise the impact of climate change.

"The renewable energy capacity stands at more than 74 GW which includes about 25 GW from solar energy. India's forest and tree cover have increased by one per cent as compared to the assessment of 2015. Schemes like 'Ujala' for LED distribution has crossed the number of 320 million while 'Ujjwala' for distributing clean cooking stoves to women below the poverty line has covered more than 63 million households," the statement said.

India submitted its Second Biennial Update Report (BUR) to UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in December 2018 as per the reporting obligations under the convention. The report revealed that the emission intensity of India's GDP came down by 21 per cent between 2005 and 2014, and India's achievement of climate goal for the pre-2020 period is on track.

(With inputs from agencies.)