The Challenge of a Low Carbon Economy

A statement by Sunita Narain of the Center for Science and Environment detailing India's national action plan for climate change, the specific missions established to reduce emissions, and the systemic challenges India faces in transitioning to a low-carbon economy while maintaining equity in global negotiations.

• The Indian government has established eight missions as part of its national action plan to address climate change. These include a solar mission aiming for 1100 MW by 2013 with a US$ 20 billion investment over 25 years, an energy efficiency mission featuring the "Perform, Achieve and Trade Scheme" (PAT) and a household CFL installation program, and a Sustainable Urban Development mission targeting public transport improvements in 10 cities under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.
• Additional national missions in India focus on water, forestry, agriculture, and regional geography. These include the National Water Mission for groundwater augmentation and data compilation, the Green India Mission targeting 10 million ha of increased forest cover, a Sustainable Agriculture mission focusing on soil management and water harvesting, the Himalayan Mission, and the Strategic Knowledge Mission.
• India's power sector is currently 67.8% dependent on coal. Under a low-carbon strategy involving increased hydro-power, wind, and solar, this dependency could be reduced to 57.7%, avoiding 3.4 billion MT CO2 in cumulative emissions compared to a 'business as usual' scenario where coal dependency would rise to 69.5%.
• India is expected to exhaust all 'low hanging' options and high-end commercialized technologies by 2020. This creates a requirement for revolutionary technology development and deployment, which the author argues necessitates drastic emission reduction targets in industrialized countries and a negotiation framework based on equity.

APA

Narian, S. (n.d.). The Challenge of a Low Carbon Economy. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/story/the-challenge-of-a-low-carbon-economy

Chicago

Narian, Sunita. The Challenge of a Low Carbon Economy. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, n.d. https://cdkn.org/story/the-challenge-of-a-low-carbon-economy.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Narian |first1=Sunita |title=The Challenge of a Low Carbon Economy |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |url=https://cdkn.org/story/the-challenge-of-a-low-carbon-economy |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{narianndchallenge, author = {Narian, Sunita}, title = {{The Challenge of a Low Carbon Economy}}, publisher = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, url = {https://cdkn.org/story/the-challenge-of-a-low-carbon-economy}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }