Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Environmental Governance

The Sustainable Development Goals outline an exceptionally ambitious and all-encompassing agenda for worldwide development by 2030. India has implemented numerous proactive measures to integrate the SDGs into the policies, schemes, and programs of the government.

Environmental Governance and Sustainable Development: Linkage

Integration of Economic, Environmental, and Social Objectives

Environmental governance seeks to balance economic development with ecological preservation to ensure sustainability for both present and future generations.

For example, the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) integrates environmental concerns across critical sectors such as agriculture, water resources, and energy.

Decentralisation and Participatory Governance

Decentralised governance empowers local communities by involving them directly in resource management and decision-making processes. A key example is Joint Forest Management (JFM), which promotes community participation in forest conservation.

Equity and Intergenerational Justice

Environmental governance addresses both intra-generational equity (such as tribal and marginalised community rights) and inter-generational equity (rights of future generations). The Forest Rights Act, 2006 recognises the rights of traditional forest dwellers, thereby combining environmental protection with social justice.

Polluter Pays and Precautionary Principles

These principles ensure accountability and promote preventive action to minimise environmental harm. The National Green Tribunal plays a crucial role in enforcing environmental accountability in infrastructure and industrial projects.

Role of Governance in Promoting Sustainable and Inclusive Development

Sustainable Infrastructure Development

Investment in Renewables and Green Infrastructure
India added 29 GW of renewable energy capacity in 2024-25, raising total installed capacity to 220 GW—around 46.3% of overall capacity.

The National Green Hydrogen Mission aims to produce 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030.

Strengthening EIAs and Community Engagement
Comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and active involvement of local communities improve transparency, reduce conflicts, and ensure environmentally sound decision-making.

Responsible Resource Extraction

Promoting Efficiency and Enforcing Regulations
The government is re-evaluating a $30 billion sulphur-cutting programme for coal plants after finding limited impact on pollution reduction, and is exploring more cost-effective technologies such as electrostatic precipitators.

Investing in Alternatives and Ensuring Community Benefits
The National Green Hydrogen Mission, along with enhanced allocations under the SIGHT Programme for green ammonia production, aims to reduce reliance on fossil fuels while generating sustainable livelihoods.

Clean Industrial Growth

Adoption of Green Technologies and Pollution Control
The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) targets a 40% reduction in particulate matter (PM) concentrations by 2026 through city-specific action plans implemented across 131 cities.

Community Engagement and Corporate Responsibility
Industries are encouraged to inform communities, comply with environmental standards, and adopt responsible business practices.

Sustainable Land Use Management

Ecosystem Conservation and Community Empowerment
Urban planning policies emphasise green spaces and ecosystem conservation. Cities like Delhi aim to allocate 15–20% of land for green belts and recreational areas.

Smart Urban Planning and Reduced Land Acquisition
Developments such as Palava City near Mumbai highlight sustainable urban planning through walkability, renewable energy integration, efficient resource management, and a long-term goal of net-zero emissions.

Concluding Lines

Effective governance is essential for driving sustainable development and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Transparent, accountable, and participatory governance frameworks enable states to address complex challenges, foster inclusive growth, and ensure citizen well-being.

By promoting partnerships among governments, civil society, the private sector, and international organisations, countries can pool collective expertise to tackle poverty, inequality, climate change, and social injustice in a holistic and sustainable manner.

India’s Transformation: Key Insights from the SDG India Index Report

Presented below are key evidences of India’s multidimensional transformation drawn directly from the SDG India Index Report by NITI Aayog.

These indicators capture structural shifts in social welfare, economic empowerment, and environmental sustainability, reflecting India’s progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

You may strategically integrate these facts, figures, and outcomes into your GS Mains answers, especially while addressing questions on inclusive growth, welfare governance, infrastructure-led development, environmental governance, and SDG localisation, to add empirical depth, credibility, and analytical richness to your responses.

Social Pillar

• Poverty Reduction
  • 135 million people escaped multidimensional poverty between 2015–16 and 2019–21
  • 248 million people escaped multidimensional poverty between 2013–14 and 2022–23
• Food Security
  • Around 800 million people benefit from food security provisions
  • Coverage through Public Distribution System (PDS) and One Nation One Ration Card
  • About 35 million portability transactions occur monthly
• Housing
  • 40 million urban and rural houses constructed
• Sanitation
  • 119.2 million toilets built, improving sanitation coverage
• Clean Cooking Fuel
  • 100 million connections provided for clean cooking fuel
• Child and Maternal Care
  • 1.4 million Anganwadi centres operational
  • Covering 77 million children under six years
  • Supporting 18 million pregnant and lactating mothers
• Immunisation
  • Over 63.1 million mothers and children vaccinated under Mission Indradhanush
• Health Insurance
  • 300 million beneficiaries covered under health insurance
  • Ayushman Cards created under Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana
• Drinking Water
  • Over 149 million households provided with tap water connections
• Maternity Benefits
  • Over 30 million women received maternity benefits
  • Around 40 million women received free antenatal check-ups
• Primary Healthcare
  • 150,000 Health and Wellness Centres providing primary care
  • Availability of affordable generic medicines
• School Education
  • 1.16 million schools, 156+ million students, and 5.7 million teachers
  • Covered under Samagra Shiksha Scheme
• Higher Education
  • Establishment of → 3,000+ new ITIs, 7 IITs, 16 IIITs, 7 IIMs, 15 AIIMS, 390 universities
  • Aimed at promoting higher learning
• Social Inclusion
  • Schemes operational for:
    • Persons with Disabilities (PwD)
    • Transgender persons
    • Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)
  • Objective: No one is left behind

Economic Pillar

• Livelihood Security
  • Over 140 million workers provided livelihood security under MGNREGS (now VB-G RAM G)
• Financial Inclusion & Entrepreneurship
  • 430 million loans disbursed to micro-entrepreneurs
  • Total disbursement: ₹22.5 trillion
  • 300 million Mudra loans issued to women entrepreneurs
• Transport Infrastructure
  • Investments in road transport increased by 500% since 2014
  • Nearly 33,554 miles of national highways built in the last 10 years
• Urban Mobility
  • Rapid expansion of metro networks
  • Metro systems now operational in 20+ cities
  • Network length has quadrupled
• Digital Infrastructure
  • 97% reduction in internet data costs
  • 230% increase in internet users
  • Over 820 million internet users as of 2024
• Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT)
  • ₹2.7 trillion leakages prevented via Jan Dhan–Aadhaar–Mobile (JAM)
  • ₹34 trillion transferred directly to beneficiaries
• Agricultural Support
  • 118 million farmers received direct financial assistance
  • 40 million farmers availed crop insurance
• Urban Informal Sector
  • 7.8 million street vendors provided credit assistance
• Artisan and Craft Support
  • End-to-end support extended to artisans and craftspeople
  • Coverage across 18 traditional trades
• Agricultural Markets
  • e-NAM integrated 1,361 mandis
  • Services extended to 18 million farmers
  • Trading volume of ₹3 trillion
• Skill Development
  • 14 million youth trained
  • 5.4 million youth upskilled and reskilled
  • Under Skill India Mission
• Youth Entrepreneurship
  • ₹22.5 trillion loans sanctioned
  • Support through:
    • Fund of Funds
    • Start-Up India
    • Start-Up Credit Guarantee Schemes

Environmental Pillar

• Emission Intensity Reduction
  • 33% reduction in emission intensity of GDP between 2005 and 2019
  • Achieved India’s initial NDC target for 2030 11 years ahead of schedule
• Energy Transition
  • 40% of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources
  • Achieved 9 years ahead of the 2030 target
  • Between 2017–2023:
    • ~100 GW installed capacity added
    • ~80% from non-fossil fuel sources
• Solar Energy Expansion
  • Solar power capacity increased from 2.82 GW to 73.32 GW in the last decade
• Green Finance
  • Government raised about ₹160 billion through sovereign green bonds
  • During FY 2023