- India ranks 99 out of 167 nations within the 2025 Sustainable Growth Report, its highest place within the report’s ten-year historical past.
- Whereas entry to electrical energy, clear cooking, and sanitation has improved, water stress and coal dependency proceed to hinder sustainable progress.
- Key environment-related targets, together with local weather motion, clear power, and concrete air pollution mitigation, are stagnating or slipping.
- Consultants warn that with no stronger deal with useful resource sustainability and enforcement, India dangers lacking vital 2030 growth targets.
For the primary time, India entered the highest 100 nations within the annual Sustainable Growth Report, which assesses progress on the 17 Sustainable Growth Targets (SDGs). India ranked 99th out of 167 nations within the 2025 report, up from 109 in 2024 and 112 in 2023, however the knowledge reveals that sustainability challenges stay, particularly in relation to environmental targets.
This yr’s report reveals that solely one-third of India’s SDG targets, meant to be achieved by 2030, are “on observe,” whereas there’s restricted progress on others with some even slipping backwards.
India is firmly on observe with progress on two of the 17 SDG targets, No Poverty (SDG 1) and Lowered Inequalities (SDG 10). Progress on others, together with Zero Starvation (SDG 2), Trade, Innovation, and Infrastructure (SDG 9), Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11), Accountable Consumption and Manufacturing (SDG 12), and Life on Land (SDG 15), is stagnating. Different targets, akin to Inexpensive and Clear Power (SDG 7) and Life Beneath Water (SDG 14), are exhibiting average enchancment.
Most regarding is Local weather Motion (SDG 13), which reveals a worsening pattern, indicating that India’s efforts to take motion to fight local weather change and its impacts should not bettering. The scores sign that with no dramatic coverage shift and vigorous implementation, India dangers falling wanting the 20230 goal to realize the SDG targets.
The annual report, launched since 2016 is ready by the UN Sustainable Growth Options Community (SDSN) which operates below the auspices of the UN Secretary-Common, to drive motion on the SDGs.
Behind common entry, water stress and coal nonetheless loom massive
Nationwide statistics paint a rosy image. India boasts almost common electrification, clear cooking, and protected sanitation. As an illustration, 80% of rural households now have an improved drinking-water supply by faucet water, 100% have entry to electrical energy, and 85% use clear cooking gas.
But international assessments stay cautious. The 2025 report flags India’s efficiency on Clear Water and Sanitation (SDG 6) as solely “reasonably bettering,” citing unsustainable freshwater withdrawals and the hidden toll of water‐intensive imports.
Venkatesh Dutta, a professor at College of Earth & Environmental Sciences (SEES), Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar College (BBAU), factors out that “now we have not progressed a lot on water circularity,” which means the water the nation pulls out isn’t being reused by business, and total, freshwater withdrawals hold rising. He warns that India’s focus must shift to useful resource sustainability. “No person is speaking about useful resource sustainability. Your freshwater is being obstructed and it’s not being returned again to nature within the state through which you took it,” he says, indicating that the nation should take into consideration what occurs to water after industries use it.
Dutta provides that industrial development usually concentrates in areas already brief on water, so coverage should make sure that after use — particularly in huge clusters like energy vegetation — water is cleaned and reused. “Water must be reused,” he says, suggesting guidelines that pressure industries to make use of handled wastewater for cooling and different wants. However on the present tempo, he warns, “we aren’t going to realize the Sustainable Growth Targets in 2030.”
India’s progress in the direction of Inexpensive and Clear Power (SDG 7) paints an analogous image, with the report noting that the nation’s rating on this SDG is reasonably bettering however inadequate to achieve the purpose. Entry to energy is sort of common, and renewable power capability is increasing quickly, but the power combine in India continues to be dominated by coal, and carbon emissions stay excessive. With out a sooner shift to inexperienced power, this purpose will stay off observe.
“We’ve achieved virtually 100% electrification when it comes to connections, however coal nonetheless supplies over 70% of the electrical energy that flows by the grid. Renewables account for round 45% of the put in capability, but their share has hovered round 22%-24% in recent times when it comes to precise era. We count on coal’s share to fall under 50% by 2030 as renewable capability additional expands, ” says Debajit Palit, Centre Head on the Centre for Local weather Change and Power Transition, Chintan Analysis Basis.
“In absolute phrases, although India ranks among the many prime 5 carbon emitters globally, but our per-capita emissions stay extraordinarily low. Over the past decade, our financial system has grown at round 6.5 to eight% yearly, whereas our carbon emissions have risen at solely about 4%, exhibiting we’re bettering the carbon depth of our development,” says Palit.
He additionally highlights the difficulty associated to wash cooking gas. “LPG has helped broaden clean-cooking entry, however it’s nonetheless a fossil gas. The actual purpose is electrical cooking, powered by a greener grid. This shift received’t occur in a single day, however we’re on the appropriate path,” notes Palit.
Development continues, however sustainability falters
India is witnessing speedy urbanisation and the challenges that include it have been documented in a number of reports, together with the current SDG report. It assesses India’s efficiency on Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11) utilizing 4 indicators – the proportion of city inhabitants residing in slums, air air pollution, entry to improved water supply, and public transport. Apart from the entry to public transport, efficiency on the opposite three indicators is both stagnant or worsening. Practically one in 4 city Indians nonetheless lives in slums or casual settlements. Air air pollution additionally stays extreme, and that is corroborated by different studies akin to a current World Financial institution study that discovered that every one of India’s 1.4 billion folks — 100% of the nation’s inhabitants — are uncovered to out of doors air air pollution above World Well being Organisation (WHO) security limits.
Lowering PM2.5 air pollution and upgrading water and housing for city dwellers should change into pressing coverage priorities, says Palit.
He provides that air air pollution sources are deeply embedded inside metropolis methods, from vehicular emissions, development mud, and small-scale industries, to poorly enforced environmental rules. “We’d like a extra holistic, complete reform and steady monitoring of automobiles, industries, and development,” he says, including that “our enforcement may be very weak.”
Citing the instance of Delhi, Palit notes that regardless of bans on older automobiles, 95% of health checks are nonetheless performed manually, making it troublesome to trace real-time particulate emissions. He argues for a shift towards a “data-centric enforcement mannequin” that may precisely monitor and regulate polluters.
Furthermore, shifting polluting industries from metropolis peripheries, akin to Noida or Faridabad, faces political and financial resistance. “The federal government must create an incentive mechanism to allow this shift,” he says.
Efficiency on Accountable Consumption and Manufacturing (SDG 12) additionally stays a vital concern. Whereas India’s financial enlargement has lifted tens of millions out of poverty, it has additionally pushed up useful resource extraction and air pollution. Manufacturing-based air and nitrogen emissions proceed to exceed protected limits, at the same time as municipal solid-waste assortment and e-waste recycling present modest enchancment.
Local weather and biodiversity want pressing consideration
In keeping with the Sustainable Growth Report, India’s efforts in the direction of Local weather Motion (SDG13) are “reducing, with challenges”, particularly with emissions from the combustion and oxidation of fossil fuels and from cement manufacturing rising. India has pledged enlargement of photo voltaic and wind power and participates actively in worldwide local weather talks; nevertheless, its greenhouse fuel emissions are rising because it develops. India’s per capita CO₂ emissions from gas and cement are nonetheless substantial (the nation now emits extra CO₂ in whole than any nation besides China and the U.S.).
Main challenges stay in India’s efforts to guard Life Beneath Water (SDG 14) and Life on Land (SDG 15), notes the report. Marine biodiversity protections and fish inventory administration present restricted progress. Fishing practices, akin to trawling, are placing ocean life below pressure. On land, deforestation, soil degradation, and habitat loss pose a major threat to India’s biodiversity and forest cowl. Conservation applications exist, however they can not sustain with the tempo of habitat destruction.
India’s rise to 99th place is a milestone, however with out swift and enforceable motion on water, power, and air pollution, this achievement dangers being undone.
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Banner picture: A person makes chapatis in Mara village, Morena district, Madhya Pradesh. The SDG on reasonably priced and clear power reveals average enchancment. Picture by Yann Overlook by way of Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
