Climate change is real, India will declare NDC by December: Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav

Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav said on Monday that India will submit its revised Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for 2035 by December. He also appealed to developed countries to achieve their net-zero targets well ahead of the current deadline. A net-zero target means that a country, company, or the world as a whole must remove an equal amount of greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide) to the atmosphere. Addressing the high-level session of the United Nations Climate Conference (COP30), Yadav said that climate change is a “real and imminent threat” arising from unsustainable development and unsustainable growth trends. At another COP30 event, he emphasized the need for global partnerships to accelerate industrial transformation and announced international projects focused on creating value from industrial byproducts. The Environment Minister said, “Developed countries must reach net-zero well ahead of their current targets, fulfill their responsibilities under Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement, and provide new, additional, and concessional climate finance, estimated to be in the trillions of dollars.” Yadav said that implementation of climate goals should be adequate, accessible, and affordable, and should not be limited by intellectual property rights. Speaking about India’s goals, he said that the recently launched Nuclear Power Mission and Green Hydrogen Mission have further accelerated India’s journey to achieve net-zero by 2070. He said, “We will also release a revised NDC for 2035 and our first biennial transparency report.” Regarding the delay in submitting the NDC, Yadav said that internal processes, including cabinet approval, are underway. He said, “We have clarified that we will release it soon. It will be by December.” NDCs are national climate plans of countries under the Paris Agreement, which include targets for reducing emissions and adapting to climate impacts. These targets help limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Countries are required to submit their third round of NDCs for the period 2031-2035 this year. Most countries have already submitted their revised NDCs before the start of COP30. During COP30, Yadav also met with Edward Miliband, UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net-Zero. In his speech during the high-level session, Yadav said that COP30 marks the completion of a decade of the Paris Agreement, a time to evaluate the world’s collective resolve. He said, “It has reminded us that climate change is no longer a distant dream—it is real and imminent. Unsustainable growth and development have plunged the planet into a deep crisis.” He told the UN body that two billion trees were planted in India through community initiatives in just 16 months, in line with the Paris Agreement’s goal of conserving and developing carbon sinks and reserves. Negotiators from more than 190 countries are participating in the annual COP30, held under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. COP30 is being held from November 10 to 21 in Belém, in the Amazon region of Brazil. Praising the host country, Yadav said, “On behalf of India, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Government of Brazil and the people of Belém for hosting COP30, located in the heart of the Amazon and a living symbol of our planet’s ecological wealth.