India and Japan Rank Among Lowest in Global Health-Climate Integration Scorecard

India and Japan rank among the lowest performers in a new global assessment tracking how countries include health in their national climate plans, scoring just two out of 32 points. Released on Wednesday, the 2026 Healthy NDC Scorecard by the Global Climate and Health Alliance evaluated 117 national climate plans across 132 countries ahead of next month's COP31 meeting.

Assessment Findings

The report states that India's climate commitment recognizes health as a vulnerable sector but fails to meaningfully address health impacts, health benefits of climate action, or mention air pollutants despite the country's high air-pollution death rate. In contrast, Colombia topped the ranking with 29 points, followed by Nigeria with 25 points and Cambodia with 24 points. Low- and middle-income countries secured 19 of the top 20 scores globally. The assessment also noted that India's emissions reduction ambition is insufficient to protect health, while the Climate Action Tracker views India's NDC as consistent with a pathway to less than 3 degrees Celsius of warming.

India's Targets

India submitted its updated NDCs for 2031-35, which the cabinet approved in March of this year. These targets include cutting the emissions intensity of the gross domestic product by 47 percent by 2035 compared to 2005 levels. India also aims to raise non-fossil fuel sources to 60 percent of cumulative installed electricity capacity and build a carbon sink of 3.5 to 4 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through forest and tree cover from the 2005 baseline.

Global Trends

The global analysis found limited action on black carbon, a pollutant driving both global heating and air pollution, with only five nations—Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Paraguay—setting reduction targets. The assessment urges highest present and historical emitters to mitigate fastest while calling on developed countries to supply climate finance under the Paris Agreement.

Context

Nationally Determined Contributions are national climate action plans submitted by countries under the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate impacts. Integrating public health into these plans helps governments tackle air pollution and protect communities from rising temperatures and related illnesses.