India’s General Elections have drawn to a close with the swearing-in of Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister and a new Cabinet of ministers. This mandate offers unprecedented opportunities on two fronts.
The incoming government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), can provide continuity on positive measures against climate change. These include policy pushes towards renewables, decarbonising of heavy industries and a switch to electric vehicles.
Regional parties in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) - which supports the formation of government - can also amplify the urgent need to address climate change in their home states.
Dr. Divya Sharma, India Executive Director, Climate Group said on the occasion: “We congratulate the incoming government and look forward to India’s stability on the climate agenda. The net zero commitment by the Government of India and the aspiration to be a developed country by 2047 can no longer be different missions. The incoming government needs to merge the two, to ensure that India’s unstoppable development also means climate progress, is at the forefront of the country’s strategy for growth.
“India must take steady strides to reach net zero soon, in collaboration with state governments and businesses - all are needed to make this a reality. In our work with them over 15 years, we have seen a great willingness among businesses, for example, to source renewable electricity, but policy and regulatory gaps are making this transition challenging.
“The government’s term coincides with another stark reality. The world will have to triple its renewable capacity and double its energy efficiency to cut down emissions by 2030 to keep global temperatures below 1.5 degrees C. We therefore urge the incoming government to do all they can to make their term a period of solving hard problems, rewriting the narrative on climate action.”