The government of India unveiled its new interim climate goals, including new approved targets to reduce economy-wide emissions intensity by 47% and to achieve 60% of electric power capacity from non-fossil-based sources by 2035.

While the government said that the new targets were aligned with India’s long-term climate goal to reach net zero by 2070, environmental groups criticized the targets as lacking ambition and clarity. Climate analytics platform Climate Action Tracker, for example, note that the new emissions goal represents only an incremental increase from India’s current target to reduce emissions intensity by 45% by 2030, and that the country is already on track to hit the new non-fossil energy goal by 2030 under current policies.

Climate Action Tracker also noted that with the use of an emissions intensity target, instead of an absolute emissions reduction goal, India’s actual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions could continue to rise with economic growth, even if the target were to be achieved.

Dr Nandini Das, India expert at Climate Action Tracker, said:

“India has missed an opportunity to come up with a national, economy-wide 2035 target to cut greenhouse gas emissions.”

India is one of the largest emitters in the world, behind only China and the U.S., representing approximately 6.5% of global GHG emissions, according to World Resources Institute.

The new goal will form India’s new Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement. NDCs are national climate action plans presented by each country under the agreement, and are required to be updated every five years with increasingly higher ambition.

India set its first NDC in 2015, pledging to reduce emissions intensity by 33% – 35% and to achieve 40% electric power capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030. Both goals were met several years early, and in 2022, India updated its 2030 ambitions, targeting a 45% emissions intensity reduction and 50% non-fossil fuel electricity. The new non-fossil energy goal has already been achieved, with India currently at 52.6%.

Alongside the emissions and non-fossil energy goals, India also announced a new target to create carbon sink through forest and tree cover to 3.5-4.0 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2035 from a 2005 level. India’s current goal is to create 2.5 – 3 billion tonnes of CO2e carbon sink by 2030, and the government said that it has reached 2.29 billion tonnes to date.

The government outlined key measures that will be taken to achieve its new emissions and clean energy goals, including initiatives focused on large-scale renewable energy expansion, battery storage systems, as well as green energy corridors, cleaner manufacturing, and ensuring reliable and sustainable infrastructure across the country. Additionally, the strategy will emphasize strengthening institutional capacity, innovation ecosystems, and local-level adaptation measures, the government said, through programs such as India’s Green Hydrogen Mission,    Production Linked Incentive scheme, a push for Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) and nuclear energy.

In a statement announcing the approval of the new goals, the government said:

“The Cabinet’s approval of India’s Nationally Determined Contribution for the period 2031 to 2035 marks a major milestone in India’s journey towards a low-carbon, climate-resilient future, further strengthening its role as a global leader in climate action.”