India commits to revised NDC, shifts pressure back to rich nations to deliver on climate finance at COP30

Environment minister Bhupender Yadav made the statement on the NDC while in Belem for the annual climate conference 

The second week of COP30 started off with two much needed ingredients: stormy rainfall which sent temperatures dipping, and India’s announcement it will be announcing its revised Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).

Currently, 173 countries have submitted new NDCs, with Yemen and Mexico submitting them last year. In total, these account for 73% of global emissions, according to Climate Watch.

In a statement delivered during a high-level segment at the UN climate conference, India’s environment minister Bhupender Yadav said, “We shall be declaring our revised NDCs till 2035 and also the first Biennial Transparency Report (BTR).” It is expected to be announced by December 2025.

With this, the global criticism that India has been facing over its delayed NDC status has been put to rest. 

Biding its time

In fact, this could be a pivotal opportunity for India to show how much it has been doing on the climate front. “India has initiated a lot more beyond NDC. If this is ultimately the COP of implementation, you have to look at who’s implementing rather than who’s speaking,” said Dr Arunabha Ghosh, special envoy to COP30 for South Asia, during a press conference at COP.

Citing an example, Ghosh pointed out that India’s allocations of public capital for green hydrogen makes it the largest in the world.

Yadav also reiterated in his speech that the newly launched domestic Nuclear Mission and Green Hydrogen Mission will help the country reach its net zero goals by 2070. He said, “India’s emission intensity has declined by over 36% since 2005. India’s non-fossil fuel-based energy capacity, currently around 256 GW, accounts for more than half of its total electric installed capacity — an NDC target achieved five years ahead of schedule. Initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance and the Global Biofuel Alliance have become global platforms for promoting affordable and clean energy.”

On the renewable front, India’s growth story is well known, having funded 80% of the transition domestically.  Its installed capacity is around 233 GW now.

“India has achieved 50% of its non-fossil-fuel energy, which was promised by 2030, five years in advance, at a cost that is making solar and storage extremely competitive compared to fossil fuels. That is an example that’s definitely worth replicating, where economics will trump—and hopefully a lot of climate finance can be mobilised,” said Ashish Khanna, Director General, International Solar Alliance.

Combining growth with climate resilience

During a fireside chat at the UK pavilion with Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change of the United Kingdom, Yadav said, “Climate action and economic development are mutually reinforceable goals.”

Echoing this sentiment, Sameer Kwatra, senior director, India, International, Natural Resources Defense Council, said, “India has demonstrated leadership through its climate actions—be it global collaboration, International Solar Alliance, or The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).”

Furthermore, while India’s electricity demand and consumption have increased, its emissions have increased at half the pace, according to Kwatra. “India is already trying to walk the talk on decoupling economic development,” he said.

With its unwavering stance on the need for public finance through Article 9.1 as enshrined in the Paris Agreement, the spotlight has now been put back on developed nations to deliver on its promises. In fact, the EU bloc and UK might be the main blockers to the demand of 9.1, according to people familiar with the matter.

“Crucially, India turned the pressure back on wealthy nations, making it clear that the path to 1.5°C requires the Global North to reach net zero far earlier than current target dates and finally deliver the trillions in finance owed under Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement. India’s statement highlights the central standoff of COP30 and is effectively signalling that higher global ambition is impossible without the legally obligated means of implementation,” said Harjeet Singh, founding director of Satat Sampada Climate Foundation.

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Shaswata Kundu Chaudhuri

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