India has, finally, announced its voluntary greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments, called intended nationally determined contributions (INDC), two months ahead of the major climate negotiations meeting, the Conference of Parties-21, which is to be held in Paris.

India has said it would reduce emissions by 33-35 per cent, aim for 40 per cent of total electricity generation from non-fossil fuels, and create ‘carbon sinks’ (or, plant trees) to absorb 2.5-3 billion tonnes of Carbon dioxide, all by the year 2030.

When India announced its INDC on Friday afternoon, it was the 147{+t}{+h} country to do so, among the 196 members of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Clearly, India has adopted a wait-and-watch approach, advocated by people like Jairam Ramesh, the former environment minister who was involved in the thick of the Copenhagen negotiations of 1990.

The almost all the INDC of big countries have come in for sharp criticisms by climate activist organisations for their inadequacy to meet the global warming limit - 2 degrees Celsius over the pre-industrialisation levels (i.e., mid 1800s). The limit is a matter of consensus among scientists and represents a target, exceeding which will lead to climate consequences that will be unmanageable.

Against the INDC of major polluters, India’s appears to be understandable. Even the hawkish Climate Action Network, a body of 950 NGOs, has observed that India has “demonstrated its willingness to play an important role”, even while noting that “India’s signal could no doubt be stronger.”

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