G20 Nations Couldn't Do, India Did, Met Paris Accord Target Before Time: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed India's contribution in the world's fight against climate change and global warming, declaring that India is the only G20 nation to have achieved - before the deadline - climate goals committed at the Paris climate change conference in 2015.

The Prime Minister was speaking on the occasion of Independence Day celebrations, and delivering his address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi.

The agreement he referred to is a legally binding international treaty on climate change adopted by 196 organisations and nations at a United Nations summit. In December last year the government said it had achieved its first two Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDC.

These were to reduce emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 per cent by 2030 from 2005 level; and to achieve about 40 per cent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.

In 2022 India updated its NDC, according to which target to reduce emissions intensity of its GDP had been enhanced to 45 per cent by 2030 from 2005 level, and the target on cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources has been enhanced to 50 per cent by 2030.