Climate Action Review 2025: India’s Progress Towards Net-Zero 2070

As 2025 concluded, India’s climate action reflected a pragmatic and differentiated approach—advancing mitigation and green growth while accommodating developmental imperatives. Progress was recorded across renewable energy expansion, electric mobility, green hydrogen, and energy efficiency, even as structural challenges persisted in coal dependence, climate finance, and adaptation funding.

Key Achievements in 2025

1. Renewable Energy Expansion

• Continued growth in solar and wind capacity, reinforcing India’s target of 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030.
• Improved grid integration and storage initiatives enhanced renewable reliability.

2. Electric Mobility

• Rising adoption of electric two-wheelers, buses, and urban fleets.
• Policy support through FAME incentives, charging infrastructure expansion, and state-level EV policies.

3. Green Hydrogen Mission

• Operationalisation of the National Green Hydrogen Mission, targeting decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors such as steel, fertilisers, and refining.
• Positions India as a potential export hub for green hydrogen and derivatives.

4. Energy Efficiency Measures

• Strengthening of schemes like UJALA (LED lighting), PAT (Perform, Achieve, Trade), and efficient appliance standards.
• Delivered cost-effective emissions reduction while lowering household energy bills.

Persistent Challenges

• Coal Dependence: Coal remains central to baseload power generation, complicating rapid decarbonisation.
• Climate Finance Gaps: Limited access to affordable global climate finance and technology transfer.
• Adaptation Deficit: Insufficient funding for climate-resilient infrastructure in coastal, Himalayan, and drought-prone regions.
• Just Transition Concerns: Employment and livelihood risks in coal-dependent regions.

Global & Strategic Significance

• Reinforces India’s stance of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) under the UNFCCC.
• Enhances India’s credibility as a bridge between developed and developing countries in the COP process.
• Aligns domestic initiatives with global climate governance, including NDCs and Long-Term Low Emissions Development Strategy (LT-LEDS).

Way Forward

• Accelerate energy storage, grid modernisation, and green finance instruments.
• Strengthen adaptation planning and disaster resilience.
• Ensure a just and inclusive energy transition, balancing growth, equity, and sustainability.

Conclusion

India’s climate action in 2025 demonstrates that development and decarbonisation need not be mutually exclusive. While significant progress has been made towards the Net-Zero 2070 goal, sustained policy coherence, global cooperation, and climate finance will be crucial to translate ambition into durable outcomes.