Why states must take lead on climate action

While the world awaits decisive action against erratic climate at the 29th Conference of Parties (COP29) in Baku, Madhya Pradesh is aggressively pursuing climate crisis mitigation plans, addressing sustainable development goals.

- Mohan Yadav

With an 80 million-plus population in a geographical area equivalent to Germany, the challenges are certainly bigger, but solutions are well-devised too.

Madhya Pradesh hosted India's first state-level pre-COP consultation, bringing together environmental experts, policymakers, and local stakeholders to develop regional solutions aligned with India's climate action framework, Panchamrit. This action plan, introduced by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi at COP26 in Glasgow, has five key components—achieving 500 GW of non-fossil energy capacity by 2030, ensuring 50% renewable energy, reducing carbon emissions by one billion tonnes, lowering the economy's carbon intensity by 45% by 2030, and achieving net zero emissions by 2070.

The consultation in Madhya Pradesh, held on October 28, concluded with a collective resolve to implement recommendations that strengthen regional climate action.

As the state with the largest forest cover in the country, and with a rich tribal heritage deeply rooted in environmental stewardship, Madhya Pradesh has taken up responsibility to safeguard our natural resources.