SRINAGAR: The Union Government has said that India’s drop of 13 places to Rank 23 in the 2026 Climate Change Performance Index does not reflect the country’s actual progress on climate mitigation and will not influence domestic policy. Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said the annual index published by Germanwatch is based on that organisation’s own methodology and weightage system, and that India does not recognise any external ranking for internal decision-making. The ministry maintained that India’s climate pathway is driven by national priorities and developmental needs, including a sharp rise in renewable energy capacity, consistent reduction in emissions intensity, and long-term transitions in sectors such as power, transport and industry.
The Government said substantial interim milestones are already in place through national missions and sectoral schemes. These include the National Green Hydrogen Mission, phased transition plans under the Perform, Achieve and Trade energy-efficiency framework, and the continued expansion of both the National Solar Mission and National Wind Energy Mission. States have also been implementing their own climate action plans, while behavioural-change interventions under the LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) initiative are being used to encourage sustainable consumption patterns.
The Government confirmed that India has submitted its updated Nationally Determined Contribution to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The updated targets include a 45 per cent reduction in the emissions intensity of GDP by 2030 compared with 2005 levels, and achieving about 50 per cent of cumulative electric-power installed capacity from non-fossil-fuel sources by the end of the decade. India has also committed to promoting climate-friendly lifestyles as part of its low-carbon strategy.
According to the Government, India is already ahead of schedule on several fronts. It has achieved a 36 per cent reduction in emissions intensity between 2005 and 2020 and has crossed the 50 per cent mark in installed non-fossil-fuel power capacity. The latest India State of Forest Report shows that the country’s carbon stock now stands at 30.43 billion tonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent, representing 2.29 billion tonnes of additional carbon sink compared with 2005 — progress towards the target of creating 2.5 to 3.0 billion tonnes of additional sink by 2030. India has also submitted its Long-Term Low-Carbon Development Strategy to the UNFCCC, reiterating its commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2070.
Reaffirming its climate stance, the Government said it would continue to expand renewable-energy deployment, strengthen energy-efficiency programmes, promote green hydrogen, and accelerate clean-energy transitions across sectors as part of a long-term national strategy rather than in response to international rankings.
