The Government of India released in 2008 India’s first National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) outlining existing and future policies and programs addressing climate mitigation and adaptation. The plan identifies eight core “national missions” running through 2017. Emphasizing the overriding priority of maintaining high economic growth rates to raise living standards, the plan “identifies measures that promote our development objectives while also yielding co-benefits for addressing climate change effectively.”

National Missions

1. National Solar Mission: The NAPCC aims to promote the development and use of solar energy for power generation and other uses with the ultimate objective of making solar competitive with fossil-based energy options. The plan includes:

• Specific goals for increasing use of solar thermal technologies in urban areas, industry, and commercial establishments;                                                
•  A goal of increasing production of photovoltaic to 1000 MW/year; and
• A goal of deploying at least 1000 MW of solar thermal power generation.
• Other objectives include the establishment of a solar research centre, increased international collaboration on technology development, strengthening of domestic manufacturing capacity, and increased government funding and international support.

2. National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency: Initiatives based on increasing the energy use efficiency were expected to yield savings of 10,000 MW by 2012. Building on the Energy Conservation Act 2001, the plan recommends:

• Mandating specific energy consumption decreases in large energy-consuming industries, with a system for companies to trade energy-savings certificates;
• Energy incentives, including reduced taxes on energy-efficient appliances; and
• Financing for public-private partnerships to reduce energy consumption through demand-side management programs in the municipal, buildings and agricultural sectors.

3. National Mission on Sustainable Habitat: To promote energy efficiency as a core component of urban planning, the plan calls for:

• Extending the existing Energy Conservation Building Code;
• A greater emphasis on urban waste management and recycling, including power production from waste;
• Strengthening the enforcement of automotive fuel economy standards and using pricing measures to encourage the purchase of efficient vehicles; and
• Incentives for the use of public transportation.

4. National Water Mission: With water scarcity projected to worsen as a result of climate change, the plan sets

• a goal of a 20% improvement in water use efficiency through pricing and other measures.

5. National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem: The plan aims to

• conserve biodiversity, forest cover, and other ecological values in the Himalayan region, where glaciers that are a major source of India’s water supply are projected to recede as a result of global warming.

6. National Mission for a “Green India”: Goals include the

• afforestation of 6 million hectares of degraded forest lands and
• expanding forest cover from 23% to 33% of India’s territory.

7. National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture: The plan aims to

• support climate adaptation in agriculture through the development of climate-resilient crops,
• expansion of weather insurance mechanisms, and agricultural practices.

8. National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change:

• To gain a better understanding of climate science, impacts and challenges,
• the plan envisions a new Climate Science Research Fund, improved climate modelling, and increased international collaboration.
• It also encourages private sector initiatives to develop adaptation and mitigation technologies through venture capital funds.