India is already a strong leader on climate action

State governments, businesses and civil society are pitching in to move far beyond commitments

This week a major United Nations gathering on climate change gets underway in Bonn, Germany. ountries around the world will take this opportunity to showcase their actions to fulfil pledges under the 2015 Paris agreement on climate change, another step forward under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). But it’s clear that there is still much ground to cover.

The Emissions Gap Report 2017, an annual audit of national mitigation efforts and the goals presented by countries in their voluntary Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCS), finds that pledges to reduce current emissions are only about one-third of what is needed to prevent catastrophic temperature increases. The NDCS must therefore be the floor, not the ceiling, of ambition.

In India, Prime Minister Modi has already indicated that the country will go “above and beyond” the Paris agreement. But actions to slow climate change are not only being taken by the national government. State governments, businesses, civil society, and individuals are pitching in to move far beyond commitments. India stands on the cusp of an energy revolution. In just the past year, the country added 11.3 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity, making critical progress towards its ambitious target of 175 GW of renewable energy generation by 2022.

Some of India’s largest states, including Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are pitching to use renewables to power their growth. The Indian Railways, one of the biggest consumers of electricity in the country is planning a future based on greater energy efficiency. And it’s perhaps small and medium sized enterprises, who are championing the cause.

These achievements and commitments are a testament to India’s resolve to be a strong leader on climate action. The country has often played crucial role, bringing many countries together to negotiate on a common platform. India has made compelling arguments about the need for nations to bridge development and climate action on issues of equity, finance and technology.

The Bonn summit will be crucial in determining the continued success of the Paris agreement. The essential foundation for how international climate action will be advanced was laid in Paris. Now the strategy on how countries can be held accountable to their NDCS and incentivised to do even more will be written in Bonn. This means making significant progress in some of the more knotty issues in international climate diplomacy, such as financing and technology transfers from developed countries to developing nations.