The science behind climate change, its impacts, and where India stands in the global response.
Certain gases in the atmosphere — carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and others — trap heat from the sun, warming the Earth's surface (the natural "greenhouse effect"). Human activities, especially burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes, have significantly increased greenhouse gas concentrations since the Industrial Revolution, intensifying this effect — driving anthropogenic (human-caused) climate change.
Under the Paris Agreement (2015), India has committed to reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP, achieving 50% cumulative electric power capacity from non-fossil fuel sources, and reaching net-zero emissions by 2070 — announced at COP26 in Glasgow (2021). India's domestic framework includes the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), comprising eight national missions covering solar energy, energy efficiency, water, and more.
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