India Meets 50% Clean Power Goal 5 Years Ahead of Schedule, Government Tells Parliament
New Delhi, July 21: India has achieved a significant milestone in its climate commitments by reaching its target of 50% installed electric capacity from non-fossil fuel sources, five years ahead of the 2030 deadline. This was stated by Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh, in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
According to the minister, the Government of India has taken multiple initiatives to fulfil its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. These include promoting renewable energy, enhancing energy efficiency, creating carbon sinks through afforestation, and encouraging citizen-led actions through initiatives such as Mission LiFE and Ek Ped Maa Ke Nam.
Singh informed the House that India’s solar power capacity had increased more than 41 times, from 2.82 GW in 2014 to 116.25 GW as of June 2025. He also stated that the emission intensity of India’s GDP has declined by 36% between 2005 and 2020, citing it as evidence of the country’s efforts to decouple economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions.
The minister added that the government is implementing the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), which comprises nine national missions covering areas such as solar energy, sustainable agriculture, energy efficiency, and the Himalayan ecosystem. In alignment with NAPCC, 34 States and Union Territories have prepared their respective State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCCs) to address region-specific climate issues.
He noted that India’s progress is particularly significant in the global context, saying that despite having one of the lowest per capita emissions in the world, India is among the few G20 nations on track to meet or exceed its NDC targets.
The minister emphasized that these achievements reflect India’s commitment to combating climate change and contributing to sustainable development under the broader vision of Viksit Bharat@2047.
