India

With one-sixth of the world population, India is the second most populous country in the world, but with less than three per cent of global land surface area is likely to face significant resource constraints in the near future. India’s gross domestic product and per capita income have been increasing for many decades. At the same time, the gap between expected consumption and potential supply of resources is also steadily increasing along with exacerbation of environmental challenges such as climate variability, poor air quality, over-exploitation of groundwater, water scarcity, increasing inland and coast salinity, and degradation of land.

Against this background, India has taken proactive steps towards inclusive, green economic growth across different sectors of the economy. The government made concerted efforts to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and its Nationally Determined Contributions and has shifted from focusing on select initiatives to embracing large-scale, integrated economy-wide approaches, including resource efficiency, circular economy, and sustainable consumption and production. In 2023, the Prime Minister made India’s global mission LiFE (Lifestyles for Environment) the central theme of India’s G20 presidency, leading to sustainable and responsible consumption and production, along with the provision of finance and technology, being recognized as critical enablers for achieving the international climate goals.

India’s green economic transformation has been advanced through strong collaboration across national counterparts, including the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the National Institution for Transforming India, the Ministry of Textiles, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Ministry of Rural Development, the Environment Planning and Coordination Organization, the Directorate of Environment Protection and Climate Change, the Department of Urban Administration and Development of the Government of Madhya Pradesh, and the Department of Environment of the Government of Uttar Pradesh.