Lok Sabha Question No. 3158 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-01-05
Subject: Sustainable Development
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: MUTHAMSETTI SRINIVASA RAO (AVNTHI)

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3158

TO BE ANSWERED ON 05/01/2018

## Sustainable Development

## 3158.  SHRI MUTHAMSETTI SRINIVASA RAO (AVANTHI):

Will  the  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND  CLIMATE  CHANGE  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) whether India is committed to a path of sustainable development;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has recently changed the fossil fuels centric approach to effectively address the concerns of climate change and to follow the path of sustainable development; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof ?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a) Yes, Madam.
- (b) India is fully committed to a sustainable path to prosperity. India has played animportant role  in  shaping  the  Sustainable  Development  Goals  (SDGs).  There  is  aconvergence  of  vision underlying  the  priorities  for  the  proposed  SDGs  and  those  ofthe  Government  of  India.  The Government  ofIndia  has  launched  several  ambitious  programmes  for  implementing  the  SDG agenda,e.g. 'Sabka  Saath  Sabka  Vikas,'which  translates as 'Collective Effort, Inclusive Growth'.
- (c) and (d) India's Action Plan on climate change  focuses on Adaptation and Mitigation  measures  in  a  sustainable  manner.  India  declared  a  voluntary  goal  of  reducing  its emissions intensity of its Gross Domestic Product (GOP) by 20% to 25% by 2020 in comparison to the 2005 level, without considering emissions from the agriculture sector.

India has achieved 12% reduction in emission intensity between 2005 and 2010. For the post 2020-period, India submitted its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) outlining eight (8) targets for 2021-2030 intended to be taken under the Paris Agreement, including:

- (i) To reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions intensity of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 33 to 35 percent by 2030 from 2005 level,
- (ii) To achieve about 40 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil  fuel  based  energy  resources  by  2030  with  the  help  of  transfer  of technology  and  low  cost  international  finance  including  from  Green  Climate Fund (GCF),
- (iii)   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 other targets pertain to sustainable lifestyles; climate friendly growth path; climate change adaptation; climate change finance; and capacity building and technology.

The  Government  has  up-scaled  the  target  of  renewable  energy  capacity  to  175  GW  by 2022 which includes 100 GW from solar, 60 GW from wind, 10 GW from Bio power and 5 GW from small hydro power.

The  Government  in  its  submission to  the  United  Nations  Frame Work Convention on Climate Change on Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) has stated that India will  achieve  40%  cumulative  Electric  power  capacity  from  non-fossil  fuel  based  energy resources by 2030.