Decentralized Climate Action in India: The Role of Community-Based Climate Solutions in National Climate Governance with special reference to Solar Energy and Electric Mobility

Abstract

Climate change presents intensifying environmental, economic, and social challenges, particularly for developing countries such as India, where climate vulnerability intersects with pressing developmental priorities including energy access, poverty alleviation, and sustainable urbanization. While global frameworks such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement establish mitigation and adaptation targets, their effectiveness depends significantly on decentralized and community-driven implementation. In this context, community-based climate solutions (CBCS) have emerged as an important bridge between national policy commitments and localized climate action. This paper examines India’s renewable energy transition and electric mobility initiatives as examples of decentralized climate governance. Renewable energy programmes implemented by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, especially rooftop solar expansion and the PM-KUSUM scheme, promote distributed power generation, solar irrigation, and farmer-centric energy systems. These interventions contribute not only to carbon emission reduction but also to rural income diversification, agricultural resilience, and enhanced energy security. By encouraging local ownership and participatory models, such programmes integrate climate mitigation with inclusive development objectives. Complementing these initiatives, electric mobility policies advanced by the Ministry of Heavy Industries, including the PM E-Drive scheme, support the adoption of electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and public transport systems. These measures reduce urban air pollution, lower fossil fuel dependence, and create green employment opportunities within emerging clean energy value chains. The diffusion of electric mobility further demonstrates how local entrepreneurship, cooperatives, and community participation can accelerate low-carbon transitions. By situating these initiatives within a community-based governance framework, the study argues that decentralized renewable energy systems and electric mobility expansion reinforce climate mitigation and adaptation while promoting socio-economic empowerment. The analysis concludes that India’s evolving climate strategy reflects a gradual shift toward participatory and multi-level governance models. Strengthening institutional coordination, expanding climate finance access, and enhancing local capacity-building remain essential to sustaining and scaling community-based climate action in alignment with global climate commitments.