Strong, Fair Indian Climate Action Can Save Lives, Cash And Create Jobs: New Reports

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India stands to reap more green jobs, slash deaths from air pollution and save money from avoided fuel imports should the country embrace an ambitious climate action plan.

India’s contribution towards the global Paris climate agreement, known as an Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC), could be revealed as soon as tomorrow and is expected to take the form of commitment to reduce the carbon intensity of the entire economy.  

According to a new study by NewClimate Institute, which is part of a series and was commissioned by Climate Action Network and the Global Call for Climate Action, if India’s contribution is only in line with current policies, the country will gain no extra benefits.

But, the report called Assessing the missed benefits of countries’ national contributions, finds that if the action plan comes in at around 42% reduction in emissions intensity by 2030, then India could:

• Save at least USD 23 billion each year in reduced fossil fuel imports.
• Prevent in the order of 140,000 premature deaths each year from air pollution.
• Create 80,000 additional green jobs in renewable energy by 2030.

Furthermore, if India received money from richer countries, it could scale up its climate action plans, helping to boost global collective efforts to keep warming below 2degC and harnessing more benefits for its people.
Sanjay Vashist, CANSA Director, said it was clear that it is in India’s national interest to lodge a bold climate action plan towards the Paris agreement which is due to be agreed this December.

The NewClimate Institute study shows that if India accelerated action in line with a trajectory towards 100% renewable energy by 2050 (in line with keeping global warming below 2°C and possibly even 1.5°C), it would:

• Save at least USD174 billion annually in reduced fossil fuel imports additional to INDC reductions; a total saving of at least USD197 billion compared to current action.
• Prevent in the order of 1.2 million premature deaths each year from air pollution additional to the INDC, totalling 1.3 million less deaths annually compared to current action.
• Create approximately 600,000 jobs in the domestic renewable energy sector additional to the INDC scenario, totalling approximately 680,000 more jobs than in the current policies scenario.