By Dr Subhashree Banerjee, Dr Subramanian S, Dr Manasi Dash Rising temperatures, heatwaves, desertification, droughts, and cyclones have increasingly become the new normal. According to the Global Climate Change Report 2024, the world has already exceeded the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold, affecting flora, fauna, and livelihoods worldwide. Reports suggest that between 2023 and 2025, the world witnessed some of the worst droughts ever recorded in the history of humanity (Drought Hotspot Around the World 2023-2025). The effect of which is seen both in physical (decline and extinction of species, degradation of the ecosystem and its services, agricultural production, etc) and human-centric (well-being, quality of life, food consumption, etc) terms. With just five years remaining to achieve the SDGs 2030, there is a dire need to accelerate the progress and take decisive action. According to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, humanity is destroying biodiversity at lightning speed. Studies suggest that one million species face extinction risk, 75 per cent of land ecosystems have been significantly altered, and two-thirds of marine environments show severe degradation due to human activity. The Red Index of Threatened Species published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reflects a rapid rate of extinction for coral species compared to the average rate for amphibians. Between 1980 and 2024, nearly six times as many amphibians, birds and mammals underwent net deterioration (1,220 species) on the IUCN’s Red List categories than those that showed improvement (201 species). India, home to nearly 8 per cent of the world’s flora and fauna and one among the 17 mega-diverse nations in the world, is also facing a serious biodiversity crisis. According to State of India’s Environment (2025), India has witnessed 255 out of 274 events in the first months of 2024 as compared to 2022 and 2023. Further, the country has lost 90 per cent of its area under the four biodiversity hotspots — the Himalayas, Western Ghats, Indo-Burma and Sundalands — with respect to extreme weather events. Mangrove cover has also been affected, particularly in Gujarat and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with a decline of 7.43 square kilometres since 2021. The world’s largest mangrove ecosystem — Sundarbans —witnessed a loss of 2 square kilometres of mangrove between 2017 and 2019. Wetlands are equally threatened, with 50 per cent loss in coverage due to encroachment, land use change and pollution. The Global Wetland Outlook, 2025, reveals that wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests, with 35 per cent overall global loss since 1970. Meanwhile, the Global Nature Conservation Index (NCI)-2024 ranks India 176 out of 180 countries. Further, a national-level survey conducted in India noted that 1,58,000 plots in 3,58,000 square kilometres of wild area are invaded by alien species, and about 66 per cent of the country’s natural systems are threatened with invasive species. These alarming numbers underscore the need for stronger efforts and call for decisive policy action to protect and restore the ecosystem and the biodiversity, both globally and in India. Future Actions According to the Climate Performance Index 2025, India ranks 10th in the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions and Energy Use categories and has been on track to achieve its Nationally Determined Contribution target of 50 per cent non-fossil capacity. Further, according to the 4th Biennial Update report (2024), GHG emissions declined by 7.93 per cent in 2020 as compared with 2019. Despite this, significant gaps persist in the implementation and monitoring of policies that ensure equitable and fair protection for vulnerable ecosystems and communities depending on them. India’s environmental problems stem from a dynamic interaction between rapid economic growth, climate-related challenges, and weak monitoring, evaluation and implementation systems. India faces an environmental crisis that demands urgent and transformative actions across multiple fronts. India’s four biodiversity hotspots — the Himalayas, the Western Ghats, the Indo-Burma region, and the Sundalands — are under severe threat, with 90 per cent of areas impacted by 255 extreme weather events in early 2024 alone The disconnect between international commitments and domestic implementations continues to undermine the effectiveness of the policies. There is a need to address these through governance reforms and policy integrations, especially with respect to the vulnerable ecosystems and communities dependent on them. India’s ambitious targets depend on its political will – translating promises into action with transparency, accountability and inclusive governance, which ensures that the local communities are taken into account. The Biological Diversity Act of 2002 remains a ray of hope, complemented with ex situ conservation efforts, such as Project Tiger, Project Elephant, and Project Dolphin, which focus on species-oriented programmes. It was introduced to fulfil India’s commitment to the International Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). It aimed to regulate conservation and sustainable use of biological resources, emphasising the “benefit-sharing” approach through multi-stage permissions by the National Biodiversity Authority to access resources for commercialisation. The Disconnect However, the Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) at the village level, the State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) at the State level, and the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) at the Centre have limitations. The BMCs have no decision-making power, the SBBs have inadequate funding and lack technical expertise, and the NBA faces coordination challenges across India’s diverse ecological landscape. Though amendments have been made to the Act, several concerns persist. For example, the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill (2021) mentions that AYUSH practitioners and codified traditional knowledge holders shall be exempted from the principle of benefit-sharing. Since the term “codified traditional knowledge” is not properly defined, it could lead to misuse by corporations and individuals, claiming their knowledge is “codified”, allowing them to bypass benefit-sharing obligations. AYUSH-related industries and practitioners can also be favoured, leading to overexploitation. This also shows that despite emphasising vulnerable communities, the Act ignores the rights of local communities. This disconnect between policy intent and policy implementation calls for a more accountable and inclusive framework. As the world gears up for COP30, India must develop its own comprehensive national climate plan. COP30 offers an opportunity to reaffirm the global commitments, reduce the implementation gaps and help in accountability with respect to climate and biodiversity action. With severe threats to biodiversity and ecosystems, there is a need to align the national efforts with the Paris Agreement (1.5 degrees Celsius). Equally important is India’s commitment to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework of protecting 30 per cent of the planet’s land, oceans and inland water by 2030, along with 23 targets aimed at restoring ecosystems and safeguarding endangered species. Therefore, India must accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy, integrate climate and biodiversity goals into development plans and ensure environmental sustainability and equity. (The authors are Assistant Professors, Department of Economics, CHIRST [Deemed to be University] Bengaluru)