Delhi Government to implement new 10-year climate action plan by year-end

Delhi Government has planned to implement a new 10-year action plan to combat climate change by this year-end. 

The central government had prepared the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) in 2009 and had requested the states to prepare their own specific plans. Delhi was the last state to submit its climate action plan in 2019. 

However, as per a senior environment department official, the plan remained largely on paper and could not be implemented properly and expired in 2020. Delhi will now submit a new plan. 

Delhi's new action plan

Delhi's new 10-year climate action plan will identify activities that are causing an increase in greenhouse gas emissions and fix responsibilities of the concerned departments. 

The Delhi government is likely to engage a German agency as a knowledge partner for the new action plan. Delhi's environment department has requested for funds worth Rs 20 lakh for the plan's preparation from the Environment Ministry. 

The comprehensive action plan is being prepared after analysing the extreme weather events of the past 10 years.

Key Focus 

•The action plan will focus on combating air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, air conditioning, renewable energy, transport issues, heat islands and agriculture patterns.

•It will identify activities causing the increase in greenhouse gas emissions and set targets to be achieved over the next 10 years. 

•All the consultations regarding the plan are expected to be completed within two months and it will be implemented by this year-end.

•The state's environment department had taken eight years to complete consultations with all the stakeholders while preparing the previous plan.

Background 

Delhi has been breaking weather records every month since August 2020. During the winters, Delhi recorded its coldest-ever day since 1901 on December 30, 2019.