The Catholic Church has welcomed India’s revised climate targets for 2035, which aim to reduce emissions intensity, increase the share of non-fossil-fuel-based electricity, and improve its forest and tree cover.
Bishop Allwyn D’Silva, chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) Office for Environment and Climate Change, noted that the updated plan aligns with India’s long-term goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2070 and builds on its progress in renewable energy.
“I commend the government’s updated climate commitments as they build on the success of surpassing renewable energy targets ahead of time and commit to increasing carbon sinks through expanded forest and tree cover,” he told UCA News on March 30.
India last week outlined its updated nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement, setting targets to achieve 60 percent non-fossil-fuel electricity capacity, reduce emissions intensity by 47 percent from 2005 levels, and expand carbon sinks through forests and tree cover by 2035.
The government claims that the revised commitments build on earlier targets submitted in 2015 and updated in 2022, several of which have been achieved ahead of schedule.
While the fresh targets have been described as incremental, they come at a time when global climate momentum faces uncertainty due to geopolitical tensions and shifting energy priorities.
But environmental experts and faith leaders say India’s steady approach offers a measure of continuity.
The emphasis on a “just transition” is an indicator of growing concern among civil society and religious groups that climate policies could deepen social inequalities if not carefully managed.
Experts note that India’s energy shift will affect millions of livelihoods, especially in coal-dependent regions.
“Transitioning away from fossil fuels must be just for men and women workers and communities dependent on the industry. We must have the financial infrastructure and technical know-how for a transition that avoids economic disruptions,” Bishop D’Silva said.
The prelate also stressed the need to ensure that environmental measures do not come at the cost of vulnerable communities.
“Our expansion of forest and tree cover must secure ancestral lands and livelihoods,” he said, pointing to the rights of indigenous and forest-dwelling communities.
D’Silva, the auxiliary bishop emeritus of Bombay (now Mumbai), India’s financial capital, is known as a “green bishop” for his decades of advocacy for environmental protection and social justice.
“As a faith-based leader, I believe in ecological stewardship, sustainable living, and development that is anchored in the sanctity of the deep web of interconnectedness between the Creator, nature, and human beings. This relationship has been disrupted, placing us on the brink of a planetary crisis,” D’Silva told UCA News on March 30.
In India, climate change is already manifesting through extreme weather, erratic rainfall, and rising temperatures.
“India continues to face structural challenges, particularly in securing adequate climate finance. The country has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the level of support from developed nations,” said Faisal Javaid, a research scholar in environmental sciences based in New Delhi.
Despite such constraints, he said, India’s latest climate plan “has hinted at a commitment to progress, even if measured.”
