ABSTRACT
Sub-national climate action in India is often defined through the state action plans mandated under the National Action Plan on Climate Change. Still, while targets and actions are defined and mandated at the centre, sub-national actors are currently only envisioned as implementers of central government policies. Meanwhile, it is important to realise that the states and local jurisdictions are at the epicentre of climate change effects. Also, they have legislative control over natural resources via a state list (e.g. agriculture, water, fisheries, and land use). Given these factors, the need to reconsider sub-national actors from executors to larger, climate policy players is imperative. This transformation should be endorsed through policy, governance, and institutional frameworks that can sustain sub-national autonomy and participation in national climate action and policy. With states having made net-zero pledges post-India’s commitment at the latest Conference of the Parties (COP 26), these frameworks will be crucial to ensure that pathways for achieving these targets are consistent with the spirit of the country’s federal principles. This chapter will explore how sub-national climate actions can be enabled through tools and frameworks to advance climate action in India.
