 "The Forest Survey of India drew different scenarios for what would be India's ask depending on how the government clarifies the fine print of its commitments under the Paris Agreement, which was signed in 2015 Photo: Reuters")
How much forest cover will India have to grow between 2020-2030 for the country to meet its emission reduction targets under the Paris Agreement? Nearly four years after it submitted its targets under the global compact on climate change to the UN, the government has realised it is yet not sure of the answer. The reason: One of the targets it took on – to create an ‘additional’ carbon sink of 2.5-3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through ‘additional´ forest and tree cover by 2030 - lacks definitional clarity.
The difference between choosing a relatively liberal interpretation of the target
