By Sudarshan Varadhan
March 25 (Reuters) – India aims to cut emissions intensity by 47% from 2005 levels by 2035 while expanding clean energy capacity under climate pledges linked to the Paris Agreement, it said on Wednesday, targets described by analysts as conservative.
The world’s fastest-growing major economy aims to lift the share of installed clean power capacity to 60% over the next decade, from 52.6% now, and build on efforts to reduce emissions intensity that in 2020 had been cut by 36% from 2005 levels.
Emissions intensity relates to greenhouse gas emissions relative to the size of the economy.
Absolute emissions continue to rise alongside economic growth, but India often cites its low per-capita emissions to argue that developed nations must do more to fight climate change.
“India’s climate action has been sustained and ambitious,” the government said in a statement, adding that its strategy centred on renewable energy.
Critics accuse developing countries such as China and India of setting conservative targets. India met a goal for clean power to make up 50% of its electricity capacity in 2025, five years ahead of the 2030 target.
“India’s booming clean energy industry is highly likely to deliver much faster progress than policymakers were prepared to commit to,” said Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst and co-founder at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
The Central Electricity Authority, an adviser to India’s federal power ministry, expects rising solar and wind power additions to push clean energy’s share in the power mix to 70% by 2035, much higher than the government’s 60% pledge.
The rolling back of U.S. climate policies under President Donald Trump has added pressure on other countries to step up action. The European Union aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040 from 1990 levels while Beijing has committed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 7-10% from China’s peak emissions.
The United Nations expects global greenhouse gas emissions to fall over the next 10 years if countries meet their climate pledges, though not quickly enough to avoid worsening climate impact.
(Reporting by Sudarshan VaradhanEditing by Andrew Heavens, Mark Potter and David Goodman)
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