National Action Plan on Climate Change

On 30 June, India released its first National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) outlining existing and future policies and programmes directed at climate change mitigation and adaptation. The plan outlines eight "national missions" running up to 2017, and ministries are directed to submit detailed implementation plans to the Prime Ministers Council on Climate Change by December 2008. The missions are wide ranging, targeting energy efficiency and renewable energy, as well as improved research capacity on climate change issues. Other missions target water efficiency, agriculture, forestation, and ecosystem conservation. The plan places a strong emphasis on solar energy in the National Solar Misison.Under the National Solar Misison, the plan includes specific goals for increasing use of solar thermal technologies in urban areas, industry and commercial establishments. It sets a goal of increasing production of photovoltaics to 1000 MW per year, and to deploy at least 1000 MW of solar thermal power generation. It also sets the objective of establishing a solar research centre, increased international collaboration on technology development, strengthening of domestic manufacturing capacity, and increased government funding and international support. The plans long-term aim is to make solar competitive with fossil-based energy.The various missions each have a lead ministry, responsible for developing objectives, implementing strategies, timelines, and monitoring and evaluation criteria to be submitted to the Prime Ministers Council for Climate Change. The Council will be responsible for undertaking periodic reviews and reporting on the missions progress. Relevant indicators, allowing assessment of both avoided emissions and adaptation benefits, are also to be developed.

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