India stands committed to combating climate change and has taken several measures to meet India’s NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution) submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) under the Paris Agreement in 2015, which was updated in 2022, the union environment ministry informed the Rajya Sabha on January 29 in a written response.
India updated its NDCs in 2022, which committed that India would reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45% from 2005 levels by the year 2030, and source about 50% of its energy requirement from non-fossil fuel-based sources by the same deadline. It had also set a deadline to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.
“The NDC, including that for 2031-35, is finalised after extensive stakeholder consultation, the outcome of which is declared after the completion of the process and upon approval of the competent authority,” said Kirti Vardhan Singh, union minister of state for environment. “The National Statement delivered at COP 30, held in November 2025 in Belém, Brazil, said inter alia that India would declare its revised NDC till 2035,” Singh added.
He was responding to four questions by DMK MP Tiruchi Siva: whether the minister has publicly announced that India’s NDC targets would be submitted by December 2025, if NDCs have not been submitted as of January 14, 2026, and if so, the reasons for delay in submission and the expected date of submission.
In response to a question on whether the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change (PMCCC) has been constituted and what is its date of constitution, composition of members, functions and terms of reference among others, Singh said, “PMCCC was initially constituted on June 6, 2007, and last reconstituted on July 14, 2015. The terms of reference (ToR) of PMCCC involves evolving a coordinated response to issues related to climate change at the national level, provide oversight for formulation of action plans in the area of assessment, adaptation, and mitigation of climate change, and the periodic monitoring of key policy decisions.”
“The last meeting of PMCCC was convened on April 25, 2025. The discussions, decisions and guidance provided in the meeting focused on climate scenarios in the global and Indian context, various initiatives and climate action taken by India, including target of achieving Net Zero by 2070 especially in the context of the last decade, deliberation and review of action taken under National Action Plan on Climate Change and accomplishments under the associated missions,” he added.
PMCCC is chaired by the Prime Minister of India, and comprises of the Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Minister of External Affairs, Minister of Finance, Minister of Jal Shakti, Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Minister of Science and Technology, Minister of Power, Minister of Coal and Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Cabinet Secretary, Foreign Secretary, Secretary (Environment, Forest, and Climate Change) and four experts as members as well as the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister.
Curated by Dr. Elena Rodriguez
