India Ups Climate Ambition: Proving Carbon Gains Key

India has raised its climate ambitions by targeting an additional carbon sink of 3.5 to four billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2035. This revised Nationally Determined Contribution, submitted in April 2026, surpasses the previous target of 2.5 to three billion tonnes by 2030.

Achieving this requires a fundamental shift from merely reporting forest cover to implementing precise land-carbon accounting. India must differentiate between various land categories and track transitions since 2005, combining satellite data with field measurements for accurate biomass and soil carbon assessment.

States will need to develop land-carbon balance sheets to track additions and losses, moving beyond simple metrics like saplings planted. A national registry is crucial to prevent overlapping claims from different carbon initiatives, ensuring each intervention's location and environmental claim are recorded.

Ultimately, this commitment is about demonstrating that additional carbon has been verifiably absorbed and retained, without compromising biodiversity or livelihoods. India's credibility by 2035 will hinge on its ability to clearly show where these removals occurred and how they were measured.