The central government has reaffirmed its commitment to addressing environmental challenges and climate change through a series of legislative, regulatory, and administrative measures aimed at conservation, pollution control, and sustainability. The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC) has been spearheading these initiatives, implementing key policies and programs to protect the environment and enhance India’s green cover.
Tree Plantation Initiative
One significant initiative was launched on World Environment Day, celebrated on June 5, 2024. The Prime Minister introduced the campaign ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ (#Plant4Mother), encouraging people to plant trees as a tribute to their mothers and to Mother Earth. MoEFCC has collaborated with central and state governments, institutions, and organizations to facilitate the planting of 140 crore trees by March 2025, with 109 crore saplings already planted by January 2025.
Expansion of Protected Areas
The number of protected areas in India has grown significantly, from 745 in 2014 to 1,022, now covering 5.43 percent of the country’s total geographic area. The number of community reserves has also risen from 43 in 2014 to 220. The country also has 57 tiger reserves under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, aimed at conserving tigers and their habitats, while 33 elephant reserves have been designated to ensure safe habitats for elephants.
Conservation of Wetlands
Since 2014, India has added 59 wetlands to the list of Ramsar sites, bringing the total to 89 and covering an area of 1.35 million hectares. India now has the largest Ramsar site network in Asia and the third-largest globally in terms of the number of sites. Udaipur and Indore have also been recently included in the Wetland Accredited Cities list under the Wetland City Accreditation Scheme of the Ramsar Convention.
Tiger Population and Conservation Efforts
The All India Tiger Estimation 2022 report estimates India’s tiger population at 3,682, accounting for 70 percent of the world’s wild tiger population. The total area under the tiger reserve network is now 82,836.45 square kilometers, or about 2.5 percent of India’s total geographical area.
India’s Climate Action Strategy
India’s climate action is guided by its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and a long-term strategy to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070. The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) provides a framework for various missions targeting solar energy, energy efficiency, sustainable habitat, water conservation, the Himalayan ecosystem, sustainable agriculture, human health, and strategic climate knowledge. MoEFCC has also implemented key programs such as the Climate Change Action Programme (CCAP) and the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC) to support climate resilience efforts.
Progress in Renewable Energy and Emission Reduction
As a result of these measures, India has significantly reduced the emission intensity of its GDP by 36 percent between 2005 and 2020. By October 2024, non-fossil sources accounted for 46.52 percent of the country’s installed electricity generation capacity. The total renewable energy capacity, including large hydropower projects, has reached 203.22 gigawatts, with renewable power alone increasing 4.5 times from 35 gigawatts in March 2014 to 156.25 gigawatts. India’s forest and tree cover has also expanded, now accounting for 25.17 percent of the country’s total geographical area, contributing an additional carbon sink of 2.29 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent from 2005 to 2021.
India’s Global Climate Commitment
Despite its historically low contribution to global emissions, India has taken proactive steps to align with the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement.
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