The Indian government on Wednesday ratified pledges made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi 

in COP26, which was held in Glasgow last November. The pledges were made to accelerate India’s reliance on renewable sources to run the economy and be effectively fossil fuel-free by 2070. 

However the approved pledges were fewer than those committed by the Indian Prime Minister.

India updated its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which is a formal communication to the United Nations spelling out steps to be taken by the country towards keeping global temperatures from rising beyond 2°C by the end of the century.

In a media release, following the Union Cabinet approval, the pledges were, India is committed to reduce emissions intensity of its GDP by 45 percent by 2030, as compared to the 2005 level. And achieving 50 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030. The press note says these commitments are a step towards achieving India’s long term goal of reaching net-zero by 2070.

India last submitted its NDC’s in 2015 that specified eight targets, including reducing the emissions intensity of GDP by 33 to 35 precent (of 2005 levels) by 2030, having 40 percent of its installed electricity capacity sourced from renewable energy and create an additional carbon sink of 2-3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through forest and tree cover by 2030.

New law on cleaner fuel

The government of India is also planning to introduce a law which orders consumers to use cleaner fuels and aims to establish a carbon market under legislation.

These new laws would penalise industrial operations, vehicles, ships and large buildings for not meeting energy consumption standards.Titled as ‘Changes to the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill’, this will have a special focus on the promotion of new and renewable energy establishing India as a key global hub for development of the nascent zero-emissions fuel.