Many people were surprised when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a net-zero goal for the country at the Glasgow climate summit, Modi announced five climate goals for India in his speech, four of which are due by the end of the decade.
Here's how they stack up against the country's 2015 goals:
The country's goal of obtaining half of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2030 is the most ambitious of the five targets. Reaching that goal would necessitate a large enough expansion to replace coal as a source of electricity, as well as petroleum-based transportation and cooking fuels, with renewable energy. Coal, oil, and natural gas now account for 75% of total energy consumption.
India's goal of 500 gigawatts of installed power capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030 is similar to its current goal of 450 gigawatts from renewables by the same year. Modi stated that India will reduce its emissions intensity per unit of GDP by 45 percent by the end of the decade, after committing to reduce it by 33-35 percent from 2005 levels at the Paris summit.
Modi also stated that India will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1 billion tonnes from current levels by the end of the decade. He cited the country's massive railway network, which runs primarily on diesel or coal-fired electricity and is on track to become net zero by 2030, reducing emissions by 60 million tonnes per year.
Lastly, carbon-neutral country by 2070.