India’s Climate Policy: Past, Present and Future Strategies

Abstract

India is a country which is severely hit by climate change. Frequent natural disasters, rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns etc. are not new to the country anymore. Research finds that climate change has already begun in South Asian countries including India. The social, political, economic, and environmental conditions of the country determine its response to the challenges posed by climate change. India had made several policy suggestions and targets at various international climate negotiations in the past. But to what extent India has been able to stay committed to such targets needs to be examined. Considering the current scenarios, to what level India has contributed to mitigate and adapt to climate change issues is a question to ponder. India in its earlier days grouped with developing countries to combat ‘carbon colonialism’ by the developed countries. Later, India began to shift its climate policy due to several reasons. This paper tries to explain the evolution of India’s climate policy-its past, present, and future strategies. The paper looks into various elements and contexts that contributed to the shifts in India’s climate policies. The challenges and anomalies in the policies are also discussed here.