The Government has been assessing climate change over the years through various Ministries and Agencies. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) brings out the publication ‘Annual Climate Summary’ at the end of every year that features highlights of climate patterns and long-term changes since the year 1901 in all-India temperature and rainfall at annual and seasonal scales. Climate change is a global collective action problem. As per the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) The Working Group I contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report titled, “Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis”, global warming of approximately 1.07°C has already occurred in the decade 2010-2019 since 1850-1900.According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the surface air temperature over India has risen by about 0.7°C during 1901–2018.
Reports from various sources including IPCC highlight that the challenges faced due to global warming are mainly due to cumulative historical and current greenhouse gas emissions of the developed countries. India with more than 17 % of global population has contributed only about 4 % of the global cumulative greenhouse gas emissions between 1850 and 2017.
It may also be noted that the work of scientists on global warming and its impact provides us projections and not forecasts. If the developed countries duly fulfil their responsibilities and commitments for mitigation, adaptation and support in finance, technology and capacity building then both the extent of global warming and its impacts can be reduced.
Since climate change is a global collective action problem, India firmly believes in global cooperation to deal with the challenge through multilateral processes. India is a Party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and its Kyoto Protocol (KP), and the Paris Agreement (PA). Even though, Indiais not part of the problem, it is part of the solution, and has done farmore than its fair share in addressing the climate change.
The Government of India stands committed to combating climate change through its several programmes and schemes including the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) which comprises missions in specific areas of solar energy, energy efficiency, water, sustainable agriculture, Himalayan ecosystem, sustainable habitat, green India, and strategic knowledge for climate change. The NAPCC provides an overarching framework for all climate actions. Thirty-three States /Union Territories (UTs) have prepared their State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) in line with NAPCC taking into account the State-specific issues relating to climate change. These SAPCCs outline sector-specific and cross-sectoral priority actions, including adaptation.
The Government is also implementing National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change to support adaptation measures of States/UTs in areas that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change.
