Global momentum on climate change is waning. The U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, the EU’s cautious stance, and Brazil’s focus on implementation have created a leadership vacuum. India, backed by consistent domestic policies and credible renewable achievements, is being viewed as a stabilising force in climate negotiations.

Current Global Context and India’s Position

• Leadership Vacuum: Developed economies show declining enthusiasm for climate leadership due to economic pressures and energy insecurity.
• India’s Steady Role: India maintains policy continuity and cross-party consensus on climate goals, avoiding divisive politics.
• Emerging ‘Axis of Good’: Expanding partnerships with Europe, Brazil, and developing nations for climate technology and forest cooperation.
• Implementation Emphasis: COP30 expected to focus on execution of existing commitments rather than new pledges.

The Financing Challenge and Implementation Gap

• Adaptation Finance Deficit: Global climate finance needs estimated at $1.3 trillion annually by 2035, highlighting dependence on private and multilateral funding.
• Means of Implementation: Finance, technology transfer, and capacity building remain central to effective execution.
• Blended Finance Approach: Encourages combining public, private, and philanthropic resources for adaptation sectors like agriculture and water.
• Pipeline Creation: Necessitates project, ready mechanisms at the national and state levels to attract investments.

India’s Achievements and Strategic Leverage

• Emission Stabilisation: Power sector emissions plateaued as renewable integration expands.
• Renewable Leadership: Non-fossil fuel sources account for ~50% of installed power capacity.
• Decoupling Trend: Energy demand growth no longer proportional to emissions growth, indicating structural change.
• Green Industry Shift: Corporate groups (Adani, Reliance) invest heavily in green hydrogen, solar, and renewables driven by market value creation.

Adaptation, Driven Growth and Dual Benefit Projects

• Integrated Projects: Initiatives like PM-KUSUM use solar energy in agriculture, reducing diesel dependence and improving income security.
• Co-benefit Design: Projects combining adaptation (resilience) and mitigation (emission reduction) yield long-term sustainability.
• Sectoral Innovation: Solar powered, cold chain storage and electric buses illustrate scalable, cost=efficient climate solutions.
• Aggregation Advantage: National-scale schemes can reduce costs, increase service access, and enhance local resilience.

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Adaptation Planning

• Current Commitment: 50% of power capacity from non,fossil sources by 2030; aligned with Paris Agreement goals.
• Green Hydrogen Linkage: Recognition of renewable energy’s role in hydrogen production can strengthen India’s NDC profile.
• Industrial Decarbonisation: Industry identified as a “hard,to,abate” sector; emphasis on electrification, alternative materials, and carbon markets.
• Adaptation Priority List: Proposal for a “wish list” of adaptation projects under carbon markets, adaptable by States.
• Carbon Market Strategy: Promotes participation in high value areas (solar + storage) rather than single-stream credits.

Should India Lead Globally?

• Moral Credibility: Low per capita emissions and proactive domestic policy lend legitimacy to India’s global stance.
• Strategic Interest: Leadership enhances India’s role in shaping financial flows and green technology frameworks.
• Implementation Expertise: India’s experience with renewable deployment and welfare,linked schemes adds operational credibility.
• Risk and Responsibility: Global leadership must balance ambition with developmental imperatives for energy access and equity.

India as a global leader in climate change efforts

• India’s initiative for Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure is a model and can help other countries in the development of appropriate infrastructure to face the least developed and developing countries with natural calamities.
• Buildings contribute 30-40% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Smart Cities Mission focus on sustainability and climate resilience. In 2019, SCM launched the Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework, a first-of-its-kind public assessment framework on climate-relevant parameters. Thus, India teaches other countries through formulation of greener policies and projects.
• India seeks to strike the perfect balance between growth and development. It simultaneously addresses social progress and environmental conservation. The achievements in the urban space not only reaffirm India’s stature as a global leader around the normative frameworks on sustainability, but also indicate that India is walking the talk on climate action and setting global benchmarks vis-a-vis climate resilience and green growth.
• It’s per-capita emissions are amongst the lowest in the world despite being the third largest economy in the world. Thus, Indian practices can teach a lot to the world about sustainable living.
• India is a conscious aspirant. It has shown leadership in combating climate change and meeting the Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs), as is reflected in many of its developmental schemes.
• India is one of the least wasteful economies. It has frequently been acknowledged by stakeholders for its cooperation and efforts to promote climate change mitigation, and environmental sustainability. This has been through policy measures, dialogue facilitation between nations, and taking decisive steps, especially after India emerged as a key player in shaping the Paris Agreement, along with adopting energy-efficiency measures.
• Sustainability has always been a core component of Indian culture. Its philosophy and values have underscored a sustainable way of life. For example, the yogic principle of aparigraha, which is a virtue of being non-attached to materialistic possessions. Humans and nature share a harmonious relationship, which goes as far as a reverence for various flora and fauna. This has aided biodiversity conservation efforts.
• Yoga and Ayurveda are perhaps among the most well-known ways of holistic Indian living. Sustainable and environmentally friendly practices and psyches still continue to be part of the lifestyle and culture. India should teach world about these practices.
• Things which have absolutely no value, such as old newspapers and books, or utensils, can be easily sold off to a scrap dealers to be re-used or re-cycled. Bucket baths, sun- drying clothes, and hand-washing dishes are other widespread, sustainable practices. Culturally, there is also an aversion to wasting food. Rural communities, which constituted about 70% of the Indian population as of 2011, live close to nature and continue to live a simple and frugal lifestyle.
• Countries can learn through various Indian programs like National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), International Solar Alliance (ISA), FAME Scheme for E-mobility, UJALA scheme etc.
• India has emerged as a global leader in renewable energy, with investments in renewable energy topping fossil fuel investments. After adopting its National Electricity Plan (NEP) in 2018, India remains on track to overachieve its “2˚C compatible” rated Paris Agreement NDC climate action targets.
• India’s INDC goals target to achieve 40% non-fossil-based power capacity by 2030 more than a decade earlier than targeted. Given these positive signals, there is significant potential for the incoming government to increase the ambition of India’s NDC to a 1.5˚C compatible rating.
• India has recently banned complete use of single use plastic in various sectors and industries. This would pave a way not only to tackle air pollution but also would prevent climate change.

India’s leadership on climate change is neither symbolic nor premature, it is pragmatic, equity-driven, and implementation oriented. With stable governance, scalable models, and growing private participation, India can anchor the next phase of global climate action by ensuring that commitments translate into outcomes.