NATIONAL ACTION PLAN FOR CLIMATE CHANGE
When India launched an action plan for climate in 2008, we were amongst the first 10 countries with plans to combat this crisis. We were one of the first movers, and with our resourcefulness, the world looked to us.
We failed. The NAPCC was framed with vague objectives and it still feels like a rushed job. Whatever was planned was rarely ever implemented. The Plan was divided under 8 sectors, and as of today, all of them are lagging behind.
In 2018, India was declared as the 12th most vulnerable country to climate change impacts. With thousands of annual deaths at a time which begs for massive and immediate action, it seems important to take a look at the missions under NAPCC and where we stand with each of them.
Issues with the NAPCC
Though the government has introduced new programmes and policies to meet the climate change objectives, it has not aligned or integrated them with NAPCC. Therefore, the missions have lost uniformity and consistency.
The monitoring body is highly inefficient and tracking is beyond difficult.
The budgetary (for climate emergencies) is limited so eventually funds are drawn from different sources.
Lastly, states have to frame their own State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCC), in line with NAPCC. But most of the SAPCCs are vague and are not brought to the people with the right scope so the purpose is defeated by itself.
Timeline
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• Mid-2007: The UPA* government constituted the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change (PMCCC).
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• June 2008: India hastily announced its National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), a month before the G8 Summit.
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• 2014: The new NDA** government formed
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• 2015: NAPCC met only once in the new dispensation.
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• 2018 (Global Climate Risk Index): India listes the 12th most vulnerable country to climate change impacts.
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• Present: No clarity on how NAPCC has fared.
*United Progressive Alliance
**National Democratic Alliance
Demanding urgent and ethical implementation of the National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC)
Send an Email to mefcc@gov.in,
secy-moef@nic.in
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