At this year's UN climate summit (COP30), underway in Brazil's Belem city, all eyes are on India - the world's third largest carbon emitter.
India has not yet submitted a key climate plan that countries are required to do every five years, even as international assessments have deemed India's climate action as being 'worryingly inadequate.' Delhi has argued otherwise.
Known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the updated plan from each member country to the UN Framework Climate Convention (UNFCC) is expected to have more ambitious carbon reduction targets as the world has failed to make the required level of cuts to avoid dangerous global warming.
So far, around 120 of the 196 member countries of the UNFCCC have submitted their updated plans, and India is among the remaining ones.
The Paris climate agreement signed in 2015 seeks to limit average global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius and strives for 1.5 degrees Celsius to avert drastic climate change.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) states that by 2035, annual emissions will need to be reduced by 35% to 55% compared to 2019 to align with the goals of the Paris agreement.
Yet, emissions have continued to rise almost every year since the Paris accord, and a synthesis report to the UNFCCC suggests that emissions reduction will only be around 12% by 2035, should countries fully implement their policies.
UNEP warns that current emission policies put the world on track for a 2.8 degrees Celsius rise this century, underscoring the need for far more ambitious carbon-cutting targets.
The first deadline for the updated climate plan (NDC3) was February, later extended to September, as over 90% of member countries failed to submit on time.
Top emitters like China, India and the European Union are under pressure, especially after former US President Donald Trump announced his country's exit from the Paris agreement.
During COP30, environment minister Bhupender Yadav indicated that India would submit its plan only by the end of December, keeping the global community guessing.
The delay raises questions regarding India's climate strategy at a time when developed nations are urging for stronger commitments from emerging economies.
India asserts that it should not be pressured for a more ambitious climate plan as it has already met a crucial pledge: to ensure 50% of its installed electricity capacity comes from non-fossil fuel sources ahead of the 2030 deadline.
Despite this achievement, criticisms focus on India’s heavy reliance on coal for energy, which currently constitutes about 75% of its electricity generation.
As discussions at COP30 push for a roadmap to transition from fossil fuels, it remains uncertain how India's updated climate plan will address its coal dependency, especially in the face of rising emissions and increasing international scrutiny.
