India has increased its commitments to reduce emissions and increase the use of green energy beyond the levels promised under the Paris Agreement in 2015.
The country is one of the fastest growing global economies and the third largest contributor of greenhouse gases after China and the United States.
The revisions to India's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change were announced by the Environment Ministry on Wednesday.
Instead of aiming far a 33-35 per cent reduction in emissions intensity — defined as the amount of greenhouse gas emitted for every unit of GDP — by 2030, India will now try to bring this down by 45 per cent, the ministry said.
At the same time, New Delhi will act to to source about 50 per cent of it installed power capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources.
The ministry said the new targets were an extension of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “sustainable lifestyles and climate justice to protect the poor and vulnerable from adverse impacts of climate change”.
“The decision on enhanced NDCs demonstrates India’s commitment at the highest level for decoupling of economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions,” it said.
“India’s updated NDC also reaffirms our commitment to work towards a low carbon emission pathway, while simultaneously endeavouring to achieve sustainable development goals.”
The Paris Agreement of 2015 is a legally binding international treaty on climate change, seeking to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.
India, the world’s second most populous country, is under pressure to balance emissions reduction and investment in clean energy while striving to upgrade and expand infrastructure to meet the needs of 1.3 billion people.
Since 2015, India has installed 66 gigawatts of solar and wind capacity and can currently generate 110GW of electricity from these sources.
Similarly, India has cut 40 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions by promoting the use of energy-efficient LED bulbs.
At the COP26 climate talks held in Glasgow, Scotland, last November, Mr Modi announced that India would make a one billion-tonne reduction in projected emissions until 2030, and strive for net-zero emissions by 2070.
Indian Railways, one of the biggest rail networks in the world, will achieve a net-zero target by 2030, reducing 60 million tonnes of emissions annually, the Environment Ministry said.
India is investing in non-fossil resources to generate 50 per cent of its total energy requirements — 500 gigawatts — by the end of this decade.
The ministry said tax concessions and incentives for the adoption of renewable energy in industries would lead to an overall increase in green jobs.
It also plans to increase forest cover to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
Avantika Goswami, climate change programme manager at the Centre for Science and Environment, a Delhi-based think tank, said the new commitments showed India's intention to work towards climate change goals.
“From a global standpoint, this is a step up in ambition for India, considering that it has a very small contribution to historical greenhouse gas emissions. It shows that India is committed to co-operating and decarbonising its economy, despite having to balance major developmental goals like poverty reduction,” Ms Goswami told The National.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Sarfira
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
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Gothia Cup 2025
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1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
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2 Kuwaiti teams
How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
HAJJAN
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
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Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
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Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
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Virat Kohli (captain), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wkt), Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
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House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
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- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
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- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
