India plans to reduce emissions intensity by 47 percent by 2035 compared to 2005 levels

Ashwini Vashnaw, India's Information Minister, said that the cabinet had?approved an objective to reduce emissions intensity by 47% from 2005 levels by 2035 as part of India's formal climate pledges under?the Paris Agreement.

The intensity of emissions is the ratio between greenhouse gas emission and an economy's size.

Vaishnaw, India's Minister of Energy, said that the country aims to increase the percentage of clean-energy capacity installed to 60% in the next decade, up from the current 52%. It has already reduced its emissions intensity by 36% between 2005 and 2020.

India's absolute emission levels continue to increase along with economic growth. However, it often cites low emissions per capita to argue that "developed nations" must do more to combat climate change.

As a result of President Donald Trump's reversal of climate policies, other countries are now under increased pressure to take action.

The United Nations predicts that global greenhouse gas emission will fall in the next 10 years, if countries keep their climate commitments. However, this won't be fast enough to prevent worsening of climate impacts.

India has updated its climate pledge six months after the deadline for revised national determined contributions (NDCs), under the Paris Agreement.

Critics accuse developing countries like?China and India of setting conservative targets. India achieved its goal of clean energy making up 50% of its electricity capacity by 2025 five years early.

Comparatively, the European Union is aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 by 90% by 2040. (Reporting from Sudarshan Varadhan. Andrew Heavens, Mark Potter and Mark Potter edited the report.

(source: Reuters)