National Action Plan on Climate Change

Country	India
Year	2008
Policy status	In force
Scope	National
Date Announced	30 June 2008
Policy Type	•Policy Processes   •Enhancement of Existing Policy   •Institutional Creation   •Strategic Planning
Policy Target	•Framework Policy
Agency	•Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change •Various ministries
URL	www.pmindia.nic.in/Pg01-52.pdf
Description	On 30 June, India released its first National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) outlining existing and future policies and programmes directed at climate change mitigation and adaptation. The plan outlines eight "national missions" running up to 2017, and ministries are directed to submit detailed implementation plans to the Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change by December 2008. Several target energy use, promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy, as well as improved research capacity on climate change issues. Other missions target water efficiency, agriculture, forestation, and ecosystem conservation. National Solar Mission The plan includes specific goals for increasing use of solar thermal technologies in urban areas, industry and commercial establishments. It sets a goal of increasing production of photovoltaics to 1000 MW per year, and to deploy at least 1000 MW of solar thermal power generation. It also sets the objective of establishing a solar research centre, increased international collaboration on technology development, strengthening of domestic manufacturing capacity, and increased government funding and international support. The plan's long-term aim is to make solar competitive with fossil-based energy. National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency The plan estimates that current initiatives, based on the Energy Conservation Act of 2001, will yield 10 000 MW of savings by 2012. Building on this, the plan recommends mandating specific energy consumption decreases in large energy-using industries, including a system for companies to trade energy-savings certificates. It also highlights the use of incentives, including reduced taxes on energy-efficient appliances. Finally, it recommends financing for public-private partnerships for demand-side management (DSM) programmes that reduce energy consumption in the municipal, buildings and agricultural sectors. National Mission on Sustainable Habitat The plan seeks to promote energy efficiency as an essential component of urban planning. It calls for extending the Energy Conservation Building Code, and emphasises urban waste management and recycling, including power production from waste. In the transport sector it calls for stronger enforcement of automotive fuel economy standards, using pricing measures to encourage the purchase of efficient vehicles, and providing incentives for the use of public transportation. National Water Mission: The plan sets a goal to improve efficiency in water use by 20% through pricing and other measures. National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem: The plan targets biodiversity, forest cover, and other ecological conservation in the Himalayan region, home to glaciers that are a major source of India's water supply. National Mission for a Green India: The plan sets an afforestation target 6 million hectares or degraded forest lands, as well as expanding forest cover from 23% to 33% of they country's territory. National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture: The plain aims to support adaptation to climate change in agriculture, through the development of climate-resilient crops and adapted agricultural practices, as well the expansion of weather insurance mechanisms. National Mission on Strategic Knowledge of Climate Change: The plan calls for the establishment of a Climate Science Research Fund, improved climate modelling capacities, and increased international collaboration. It also seeks to encourage private sector initiatives to develop both mitigation and adaptation technologies through venture capital funds. The various missions each have a lead ministry, responsible for developing objectives, implementing strategies, timelines, and monitoring and evaluation criteria to be submitted to the Prime Minister's Council for Climate Change. The Council will be responsible for undertaking periodic reviews and reporting on the missions' progress. Relevant indicators, allowing assessment of both avoided emissions and adaptation benefits, are also to be developed.