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Stream/Area:
-
Subject:
-
Paper ID:
IJSREM62838
Volume:
10 |
5 |
May 2026
Pages:
1-45
Publication Frequency:
Monthly (12 issues per year)
License:International Journal of Scientific Research in Engineering and Management follows the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) License, allowing free use and distribution with proper attribution.
Department of Commerce
Maharaja Agrasen College
Department of Commerce
Maharaja Agrasen College
Environmental sustainability remains one of the most pressing policy challenges for India, a nation balancing rapid economic growth, high population density, and acute climate vulnerability. This study critically examines the issues, policies, developments, and prospects of environmental sustainability in India from the launch of the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) in 2008 to the latest available data (2025–2026). Drawing on government reports (Economic Survey, India State of Forest Report, SDG India Index, CPCB), peer-reviewed literature, and international assessments (IPCC, IEA, UNFCCC), the research provides an updated, integrative synthesis. It highlights notable achievements, including the early attainment of the 50% non-fossil fuel power capacity target, significant growth in renewable energy (solar and wind additions), reduction in emissions intensity of GDP, and incremental gains in forest and tree cover. These advances align with key Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy). However, persistent and interconnected challenges undermine overall progress. Air pollution continues as a severe public health crisis, with many cities recording PM2.5 levels far exceeding WHO guidelines. Water stress and pollution affect hundreds of river stretches, while groundwater over-exploitation and gaps in sewage treatment persist. Land degradation, biodiversity loss, and uneven policy implementation—particularly at subnational levels—further compound vulnerabilities. Structural issues such as coal dependency, institutional fragmentation, fiscal constraints, and enforcement gaps limit effectiveness despite ambitious frameworks like updated NDCs, Mission LiFE, and NCAP. Employing a descriptive-analytical approach with thematic document analysis and quantitative trend examination of key indicators (renewable capacity, forest cover, SDG scores, pollution levels), this study assesses progress, identifies implementation gaps, and offers evidence-based policy recommendations. It underscores that sustainability is not an optional add-on but a prerequisite for India’s long-term growth, equity, and resilience in the face of climate risks.
KEYWORDS
The environmental narrative of the mid-2020s is not one that is uniformly triumphant, nor is it one of paralysation, but one of a series of challenges that India must meet. The country has proven that ambitious environmental goals are achievable along pathways of renewable energy and carbon sinks, while maintaining high economic growth and equity-based climate diplomacy. Likewise, it also has one of the world's worst levels of air, water and waste pollution and its climate vulnerability is highly socialized. The policy architecture has been established, the empirical record is growing and the research base is expanding. The task that lies at the heart of the challenge is one of implementation not aspiration: bridging the subnational capacity gap; scaling demand-side and circular-economy reforms; funding adaptation at the magnitude needed by science; and ensuring that the green transition is also a just transition. India's policy practice needs to match its policy ambition for the decade 2025–2035, if it does, then it will not only deliver its NDC commitments, but also provide a good template for sustainable development for the Global South as a whole.
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Publication Date
5/8/2026
Peer Review Type
Double-Blind Peer Review
Review Rounds: 2
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The authors declare no conflict of interest related to this research work.
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