Achieving economic development, and ensuring a decent living for its people is crucial for any country. With growing consciousness about climate change and environmental degradation, and their combined debilitating impact on the world if left unaddressed, several countries have embraced the 17 Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015, with an avowed commitment to save the world.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity, though some of them are designed to end poverty, hunger and discrimination against women too.
However, India’s tryst with climate action goals began in 2009 when India announced its voluntary goal to reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 20-25% by 2020 in comparison to 2005 level, and achieved 24% of it in time.
In line with Paris Agreement, India submitted its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to UNFCCC in 2015 outlining eight targets for the period 2021-2030, reinforcing its commitment to fight climate change.
They include reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35% by 2030 from the 2005 level; achieving about 40% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy sources; to creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover; and a mix of the other targets pertaining to sustainable lifestyles; climate-friendly growth paths; climate change adaptation; climate finance; and technology and capacity building. But the icing on the cake was to come from the target to achieve ‘NET ZERO’ emissions by 2070.
India has already prepared a National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) which encompasses eight core missions in specific areas of solar energy, enhanced energy efficiency, sustainable habitat, water, sustaining Himalayan ecosystems, Green India, sustainable agriculture, and strategic knowledge for climate change. 33 states and Union territories and have already firmed up action plans. Adaptation plans are being supported through National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC), through which 30 adaptation projects have been approved in 27 states and UTs.
By April 2023, India was ‘On-Target’ to meeting 14 of the 33 SDGs, including indicators for neonatal and under-five mortality, full vaccination, improved sanitation and electricity access, and they have substantially improved in the last five years. This national designation does not apply equally across all districts. For example, Neonatal and under-five mortality are currently both ‘On-Target’ for the country, but 286 and 208 districts (out of 707 districts), respectively, are not.
Indicators such as eliminating adolescent pregnancy, reducing multidimensional poverty, and women having bank accounts have improved across a vast majority of the districts between the years 2016 and 2021. Significant progress on access to improved sanitation was made.
In 19 of the 33 SDG indicators, the current pace of improvement is not enough to meet SDG targets, particularly for initiatives such as clean fuel for cooking and water and handwashing facilities. Practice of child marriages and teenage pregnancy, and assault on women could not be curtailed significantly.
Quoting a UNDP survey, India’s Economic Survey 2022-23 highlighted that 41 crore Indians have escaped poverty in 15 years ending 2019-21, bringing the count of multidimensionally poor people down to 16.4% of the population (228.9 million people in 2020).
“Demonstrating the on-track progress to attain Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of halving poverty by 2030, more than 41 crore (410 mn) people exited poverty between 2005-06 and 2019-21 according to the UN Multi-dimensional Poverty Index," said the UN survey. Poverty also includes lack of access to healthcare, sanitation, clean drinking water or electricity, and quality of education.
A few months back, parliament has passed the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 which mandates use of non-fossil energy sources such as biomass, ethanol and green hydrogen, and a bill to promote carbon credit trading. Minister of New and Renewable Energy R K Singh said the amendments seek to promote renewable energy and the development of a domestic carbon market to battle climate change.
Non-fossil fuel power capacity in the country has reached 186 GW, accounting for 44% of 423 GW of total capacity. The 40% target fixed for 2030 was achieved in 2021, so we will have 65% capacity in non-fossil fuels by 2030, Singh said recently.
In a quantum leap that positions India at the forefront of global efforts towards sustainable energy solutions, MNRE recently defined a clear Green Hydrogen Standard, under the Green Hydrogen Mission, which envisages setting up of as 25 million tonne green hydrogen capacity.
The Centre has already taken various steps to safeguard the environment, including Swachh Bharat Mission, Green Skill Development Programme, Namami Gange Programme, Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act (CAMPA), National Mission for Green India, National River Conservation Programme, and Conservation of Natural Resources & Ecosystems.
National Statistics office, under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, in June 2023, released the Sustainable Development Goals, National Indicator Framework 2023, for all the 17 SDGs, which enables monitoring and measuring/ tracking the progress of SDGs, in June 2023. It brings down the weight of major challenges that sustainability initiatives face in India, except the financing part of the SDGs.
As a country with largest population in the world, achievement of progress in SDGs in India will leave its imprint on the progress on attaining SDGs globally. India’s Climate Change initiatives are making strides already as represented by the Climate Change Performance Index 2023, where India cornered 8th position, with only four contenders - Denmark, Sweden, Chile and Morocco – above, and the Poor Performers being China (51), the US (52) and Iran (63 - lowest). The catch is that the index has kept the top three positions vacant, citing lack of qualified contenders for the same. India was in 10th position in CCPI 2022. That way it has set the direction for the future already – to climb up.