Shifting Sands: India’s New Approach to the Politics of Climate Change

This policy brief examines the evolution of India's approach to climate change, noting a shift from a rigid stance based on historical equity toward a more pragmatic, constructive engagement in international diplomacy. This transition is driven by the desire to enhance international status and strengthen strategic relationships with the United States and China, while domestic climate action remains primarily motivated by development goals, energy security, and poverty alleviation.

• India is emerging as a strategically significant actor in global climate negotiations, driven by its economic growth, geopolitical importance, and increased engagement by its representatives.
• Domestic climate policy, specifically under the 2008 National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), is primarily motivated by development objectives, energy access, and energy security. If these policies are successfully implemented, they may reduce GHG emissions more than the international pledge made in early 2010 to lower GDP emission intensity by 20-25% by 2020 relative to 2005 levels.
• Since 2009, India has shifted its international climate diplomacy toward more constructive engagement and pragmatism, moving away from a long period of stasis. This change is attributed to new leadership, specifically Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh.
• India's climate diplomacy is now integrated into broader foreign policy goals, specifically the pursuit of international status and the strengthening of strategic ties with China and the United States. This has led to increased flexibility in negotiating positions, such as India issuing its own intensity target following a similar announcement by China in November 2009.
• Despite diplomatic shifts, India's ability to commit to international emission reductions is constrained by domestic ideological norms regarding equity and structural economic barriers. These barriers include a heavy reliance on coal for energy expansion and an industrial sector dominated by heterogeneous small and medium enterprises that are difficult to regulate.
• India's participation in the BASIC group (Brazil, South Africa, India, and China), formed in late 2009, aligns with its goals of building international status and economic relationships, while also serving as a response to the fragmentation of the G77 + China group.

APA

Atteridge, A. (2010). Shifting Sands: India’s New Approach to the Politics of Climate Change. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate-mitigation-adaptation/Atteridge - India PB 101122c web.pdf

Chicago

Atteridge, Aaron. Shifting Sands: India’s New Approach to the Politics of Climate Change. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2010. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate-mitigation-adaptation/Atteridge - India PB 101122c web.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Atteridge |first1=Aaron |title=Shifting Sands: India’s New Approach to the Politics of Climate Change |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2010 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate-mitigation-adaptation/Atteridge - India PB 101122c web.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{atteridge2010shifting, author = {Atteridge, Aaron}, title = {{Shifting Sands: India’s New Approach to the Politics of Climate Change}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2010}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate-mitigation-adaptation/Atteridge - India PB 101122c web.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }