The environment department of Delhi has prepared a draft Delhi State Action Plan on Climate Change (SPACC) 2.0, which has been submitted to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change for approval. The previous plan came into force in 2019 and was based on data up to 2011.
Updated Climate Science and Targets
Officials stated that the new plan incorporates updated climate science, recent data sets, and district-level vulnerability assessments. It defines sector-specific mitigation and adaptation actions with measurable targets extending to 2030. The city has been experiencing extreme weather events in recent years.
An official explained that SAPCC 1.0 served as Delhi's foundational climate framework aligned with the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), focusing on sectoral assessments, greenhouse gas inventories, and broad strategies. In contrast, SAPCC 2.0 is more comprehensive, action-oriented, and aligned with national and global climate commitments, including India's updated Nationally Determined Contributions, Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement, and the Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy.
Enhanced Governance and Financing
The revised plan strengthens institutional governance through enhanced monitoring and evaluation systems, climate finance mechanisms including green budgeting, and innovative financing approaches for effective implementation. It also aligns with the Global Biodiversity Framework under the Convention on Biological Diversity. SAPCC 2.0 integrates ecosystem restoration, urban afforestation, wetland conservation, and nature-based solutions into climate action.
Key priorities include urban afforestation initiatives such as the development of city forests and plantation drives like the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign, as well as sustainable land-use planning. These measures contribute to broader biodiversity goals while embedding nature-based solutions into urban planning, water resource management, and climate adaptation strategies.
Background and Research Findings
The central government launched the first National Action Plan on Climate Change in 2008, and states prepared their own action plans based on the national strategies. The ministry later directed states to revise their plans. Delhi's first SPACC was launched in 2019, and the environment department announced in 2023 that it would revise the plan with the latest data and changing climate patterns.
A 2023 research titled 'Lethal heatwaves are challenging India's sustainable development' found that 100% of the city was at 'danger' heat index levels, contrary to the Delhi government's assessment that south Delhi and northeast Delhi were the most vulnerable. The research indicated that heatwaves would critically hamper progress in implementing sustainable development goals on an urban scale.
