India readies updated climate targets for COP30, aiming to lead emerging economies while major emitters delay, amid rising global climate risks

India is set to finalise and submit its updated climate action plan, or Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), ahead of the COP30 climate conference in Brazil this November, even as several major emitters have yet to release theirs.

The NDCs, first submitted under the Paris Agreement in 2015 and updated in 2020, outline national greenhouse gas reduction targets and climate mitigation measures through 2030. Each successive submission is expected to demonstrate progress over previous commitments. The updated plan will reinforce India’s climate ambitions in the context of mounting global concern over extreme weather events, including heatwaves, floods, and prolonged droughts that have battered communities worldwide.

Other major emitters, including China and the European Union, are still in the process of finalising their domestic targets. The EU recently issued a statement of intent indicating a proposed greenhouse gas reduction of between 66.25 per cent and 72.5 per cent by 2035 relative to 1990 levels, but analysts warn the communication could generate mixed signals, affecting investor confidence and energy-sector planning.

Countries that have announced domestic targets, such as Australia and Japan, have faced criticism for lacking sufficient ambition. Meanwhile, the United States remains a point of uncertainty. At the UN General Assembly on September 23, President Donald Trump dismissed climate change as “the greatest con job,” highlighting continued political resistance in some quarters.

Over 100 nations are expected to present their positions at this week’s UN Climate Summit in New York, convened on the sidelines of the General Assembly. Senior UN officials have underscored the urgency of ambitious climate action, noting that “the stakes could not be higher” as the planet faces intensifying environmental and socio-economic impacts.

India’s timely submission of its third-generation NDCs could position the country as a climate leader among emerging economies, signalling both commitment to the Paris Agreement and readiness to mobilise investments for renewable energy, low-carbon technologies, and sustainable development initiatives.