India, March 26 -- Though long delayed, India has approved enhanced climate targets for the 2031-2035 period under the Paris Agreement, raising its commitments on emissions, clean energy, and carbon sinks. It has also approved five qualitative goals, among them "climate-friendly and cleaner path of economic development". India's revised nationally determined commitments (NDCs) may seem modest given the progress already made. Trends suggest that the targets may be reached before 2035. Yet, they are significant for two reasons.

One, New Delhi, with its new NDCs, has restated its commitment to addressing the climate crisis when climate action is losing traction globally. The US, the largest historical emitter, has withdrawn from the global ...