India has taken big steps to deal with climate change. According to Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, the Cabinet has set a target of 47% reduction in emissions intensity by 2035 as compared to 2005 levels. This target is part of India's official commitments under the Paris Agreement.
Emission intensity means emissions of greenhouse gases according to the size of the country's economy. This means that India will work towards reducing pollution while continuing its economic growth.
The government has set a target of increasing the share of clean energy in the total electricity generation capacity from 52% to 60% in the coming decade. India has already achieved a 36% reduction in emissions intensity between 2005 and 2020, which shows its progress in this direction.
However, India's economy is growing rapidly, due to which absolute emissions continue to increase. India says that per capita emissions are still much lower than developed countries, so developed countries should take more responsibility.
After the relaxation of climate policies in America during Donald Trump, pressure on other countries has increased. The United Nations believes that if all countries fulfill their promises, emissions can be reduced in the next 10 years, but it will not be enough.
Some critics believe that developing countries like India and China are setting relatively easy targets. However, India has performed well in the field of clean energy and achieved the target of achieving 50% electricity capacity from clean energy by 2025 ahead of schedule. Overall, this new target of India is being considered an important step towards dealing with climate change.
