CLIMATE CHANGE AND LEGAL FRAMEWORKS IN INDIA

Abstract

The escalating global climate crisis necessitates a comprehensive re-evaluation of existing legal frameworks, particularly in rapidly developing nations like India, which face a unique confluence of environmental vulnerabilities and developmental imperatives. India's historical framing of climate change as a predominantly diplomatic issue, emphasizing the ethical responsibilities of developed nations due to their disproportionate contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, has gradually evolved to incorporate a more nuanced understanding of domestic climate vulnerabilities and the imperative for internal mitigation and adaptation strategies (Dubash et al., 2018). The evolving discourse surrounding climate change in India encompasses ethical considerations, climate impact assessments, energy transition strategies, sustainability linkages, and carbon sequestration implications for forest policies, reflecting a multifaceted approach to addressing this complex challenge (Dubash et al., 2018). This shift in perspective acknowledges the differential impacts and adaptive capacities at national and sub-national levels, moving beyond the traditional framing of climate change as a global commons problem solvable solely through greenhouse gas mitigation (Nalau et al., 2015). International and national policies reflect the evolving ideas and understanding of the impacts, costs, and benefits of climate action as well as shifts in the global context (Dubash et al., 2018).