National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)

At a Glance

• Released 30 June 2008
• Coordinating ministry Environment, Forest and Climate Change
• Missions Eight National Missions
• Apex guidance Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change
• State level State Action Plans on Climate Change
• Exam link UPSC Prelims, Current Affairs and Government Schemes: Environment and Climate Schemes

Where Does It Fit?

This is the first topic of the macro on environment and climate. It is the umbrella plan under which the other topics, such as the Green India Mission, sit, and it links to the National Solar Mission covered earlier. Previous topic: FAME India Scheme (Electric Vehicles). Next topic: Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA): Fund Rules and Recent Developments.

What Are the Eight National Missions under NAPCC?

How Is NAPCC Governed and What Are the Related Plans?

• Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change: the apex body, set up in 2007 before the plan, which gives overall guidance
• Nodal ministry: the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change coordinates the plan and reports on India’s progress
• State Action Plans on Climate Change: all States and Union Territories have prepared plans in line with the national plan and their own risks, and many have been revised
• Principles: the plan stresses that economic growth stays a priority and that India follows common but differentiated responsibilities under the climate regime
• Funding: most missions are funded from the budgets of their lead ministries, and there is no single climate fund for the whole plan
• Adaptation fund: the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change supports adaptation projects, as in National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change
• Added areas: proposals were made to add missions on coastal areas, health and waste to energy, but the original number of eight missions is the one asked in the exam
• Monitoring: reviews are done by the Council and through the national communications to the UNFCCC and the Biennial Update Reports

What Else Should You Remember?

• Release and logic: NAPCC was released on 30 June 2008 to give a policy frame for mitigation and adaptation without limits on growth
• Mitigation and adaptation: mitigation cuts emissions, as through solar and efficiency, while adaptation reduces vulnerability, as through water and agriculture missions
• Link with solar: the first mission is the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, as in National Solar Mission (Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission)
• Energy efficiency instrument: the Perform Achieve and Trade scheme sets energy use targets for large industries, who can trade energy saving certificates
• Link with the Green India Mission: the sixth mission aims to expand forest and tree cover, as in Green India Mission
• Link with later pledges: India’s international commitments, including the five points announced at Glasgow, build on this plan, as in Panchamrit Climate Commitments (COP26)
• Criticism of structure: critics say the missions are a collection of existing schemes without a unified target, budget or legal force
• Criticism on adaptation: adaptation received less attention and money than mitigation, though India is highly vulnerable to floods, heat and cyclones
• Criticism on coordination: weak links between ministries and States and poor monitoring of outcomes limited the effect of some missions
• Data gap: climate vulnerability data at district level is limited, so planning is often generic
• Legal frame: India does not have a single climate change law, and the plan works through policy and scheme
• Energy Conservation Act link: the Energy Conservation Act, 2001, and its amendment of 2022, provide a legal base for efficiency and for carbon markets

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

1. Basics: release year, ministry and the number of missions
2. Mission matching: which ministry leads which mission
3. Bodies: Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change and its role
4. Concept: mitigation versus adaptation
5. Common errors: listing the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture under the wrong ministry, or saying there are nine missions

As an analytical point, NAPCC gave India an early climate policy frame, but it works as a collection of missions without a hard budget or a legal target. Adaptation and State level action need more money and data, and clear indicators would let progress be measured.

Why Is This Topic Important?

• Missions Eight missions
• Ministries Lead agency for each
• Criticism Weak adaptation and coordination

What Came Next?

The next topic covers the fund that pays for forest compensation work. Next topic: Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA): Fund Rules and Recent Developments.

Key People and Terms

• NAPCC National Action Plan on Climate Change
• SAPCC State Action Plan on Climate Change
• PAT Perform Achieve and Trade
• Mitigation Cutting emissions
• Adaptation Coping with climate impacts
• CBDR Common but differentiated responsibilities

Exam Corner

Mains Angle

Questions ask whether the plan is effective and how to improve it. These points give a balanced frame.

• Strengths Policy frame, mission structure, State plans
• Weaknesses No budget or legal force, weak adaptation
• Way forward Indicators, climate law, State finance