Recent Current Affairs related to Climate

According to the “2026 Living Planet Report (LPR): The Science of Hope” released by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in partnership with the Zoological Society of London, an average of 73% of monitored wildlife populations globally declined over the 50-year period between 1970 and 2022.

The report states that freshwater wildlife populations witnessed the sharpest average decline at 85%, while habitat loss and degradation emerged as the most frequently reported threats. Region-wise, Latin America and the Caribbean reported the steepest decline in monitored wildlife populations at 95%.

The Ministry of Rural Development has notified the Schedule of Permissible Works under the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) [VB-G RAM G] Act, 2025. The Act expands permissible rural works from 266 to 375, reflecting a 41% increase across 4 pillars through Gram Sabha-approved Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans.

The expanded works are categorised into Water Security (128 works; 34%), Core Rural Infrastructure (111 works; 30%), Livelihood-related Infrastructure (98 works; 26%), and Disaster Preparedness (38 works; 10%). Additionally, agriculture accounts for 181 works under the updated schedule.

The World Bank has backed the proposal of the Kerala government to set up a Carbon Credit Cell under the Department of Agriculture.

The cell is established as a part of the ₹2,365 crore Kerala Climate Resilient Agri-Value Chain Modernisation (KERA) Project to promote climate-friendly farming practices and provide additional income opportunities for farmers.

The PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) scheme, implemented by the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI), has completed two years.

Launched in 2024 for an initial period of two years, the scheme has now been extended until March 2028. It is to be noted that 26.59 lakh Electric Vehicles (EVs) have been sold under the scheme as of June 2026.

India has highlighted that its forest and tree cover has expanded to 82.74 million hectares, accounting for 25.17% of the geographical area of the country, at the 28th Session of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Committee on Forestry (COFO 28) held in Rome, Italy.

The biennial session of COFO 28, bringing together 128 member countries, was held alongside the 10th World Forest Week under the theme “Forests for food, resilience and prosperity”. The session was chaired by Pierre Taty of the Republic of the Congo.

India and Japan have launched the Operational Manual for the India-Japan Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) to promote advanced low-carbon technologies and mobilize climate finance to facilitate technology cooperation and support high-integrity emission reductions and removals in India.

The 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) was held at the UN Headquarters in New York, USA, presided over by Khalilur Rahman, the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh.

The session was held under the theme “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All”, with the Indian delegation led by Union Minister S Jaishankar.

The assembly unanimously adopted its first-ever declaration on rising sea-levels to provide assurances to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and low-lying coastal countries. During the session, the UN Women launched a new digital, innovation, and AI hub focused on gender equality.

Union Minister S Jaishankar signed the UN Convention against Cybercrime, which serves as the first comprehensive international treaty focused on cybercrime. It is to be noted that India has been officially placed on the “Strategic Partner Stream” in the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).

Furthermore, India and Liberia jointly launched a new international initiative named “The Group of Friends on Safety & Security of Shipping & Seafarers (GoFonS4)” to focus on the safety and security of commercial shipping and maritime personnel.

World Rivers Day

Day - 4th Sunday of September (September 27 in 2026)

Observed by - UN

Observed since - 2005

Proposed by - Mark Angelo, a renowned river advocate from Canada

The Ministry of Power has notified the “Corporate Average Fuel Economy” (CAFE)-III norms for passenger vehicles, to be implemented over 5 years from April 2027 to March 2032. The regulations apply to M1 category motor vehicles (carrying 8 to 9 passengers including the driver, excluding commercial vehicles).

The fuel-consumption benchmark will be tightened from 3.996 litres (L) per 100 km in 2027-28 to 3.3273 L per 100 km by 2031-32, aiming for a 16.7% efficiency improvement. The government has increased the reference vehicle weight for calculations from 1,082 kg to 1,229 kg.

The framework introduces “Carbon Neutrality Factors” (CNF) to reduce the declared Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions of manufacturers. A reduction of 8% is provided for E20 and higher ethanol-blended petrol vehicles (including hybrids), and 22.3% for Flex-fuel ethanol vehicles.

It is to be noted that a 5% reduction in CO2 emissions is allowed for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles or the notified Compressed Biogas (CBG) blending percentage, whichever is higher. The number of efficiency technologies for fuel conservation credits has been increased from 4 to 12.

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav has launched the implementation guidelines for the ‘National Coastal Mission’ (NCM 2.0), a Central Sector Scheme to enhance the conservation of coastal and marine ecosystems of India. The mission has been approved with a total budget of ₹767 crore and will be implemented until FY31.

The mission will cover 9 coastal states (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal) and 4 Union Territories including Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, and Lakshadweep.

The mission framework is organized into 5 thematic categories: climate resilient blue economic growth, coastal vulnerability and risk reduction, climate change adaptation with mitigation co-benefits, capacity building and outreach, and committed liabilities and project management.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) has signed an agreement in New Delhi with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, for the first blue financing loan in India worth $70 million (₹672 crore).

The loan is structured as a 10-year United States Dollar (USD)-linked External Commercial Borrowing (ECB). The funds will be utilized to develop Shore Power Supply (SPS) infrastructure across the terminals of the JNPA in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra.

PM Narendra Modi has inaugurated an international conference titled “The Future of Environment and Climate Dynamics” at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

The event, organised by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), witnessed global participation, including judges and judicial representatives from 17 countries.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has launched GOBARdhan, a Central Sector Scheme for the development of the Compressed Biogas (CBG) sector. The Union Cabinet has approved the scheme with a total outlay of ₹23,731 crore for a period of 10 years, from FY27 to FY36.

The scheme aims to increase the domestic production of CBG by nearly 10-fold to 5 Million Metric Standard Cubic Metres per Day (MMSCMD). To support the implementation, he has also launched the GOBARdhan Handbook and the Unified GOBARdhan Portal.

India International Water Week

Day - September 22 to 26

Theme 2026 - “Climate Resilient Water Management”

Observed since - 2012

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav has launched a workshop on the ‘Capacity Enhancement for Effective Forest Management Project’ in New Delhi, in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to strengthen the capacity of frontline forest personnel.

The 7-year project will be implemented from FY26 to FY32 across all states in India. The project entails a total financial outlay of ₹537.10 crore, consisting of ₹440.42 crore funded by JICA and ₹96.68 crore contributed by the central government.

Indian scientists Roxy Mathew Koll and Neelima Satyam have been named among the 43 awardees of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) 2026.

The awards recognise excellence and leadership in research, education, and innovation in advanced earth and space sciences.

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav has distributed the first PRAMAAN certificates under the Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme (IFWCS) in New Delhi.

The certificates were awarded to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Development Corporation (APFDC) for its plantations covering 33,000 hectares, and to Govind Mohapatra, a farmer associated with the Odisha Bamboo Development Agency (OBDA).

According to the “Electrification Special Report 2026” released by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the electrification rate of India is projected to rise from 19% to 32% by 2035.

Accelerated electrification could reduce global energy import bills by over $400 billion by 2035. The electrification rate of Southeast Asia is projected to increase from 25% to 37% by 2035.

According to the “State of Global Water Resources 2025” report released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), 2025 marked the 4th consecutive year in which every major glaciated region recorded a net loss in ice mass, with global glacier loss estimated at 408 plus or minus 132 gigatonnes.

The report further states that mountain glaciers have lost about 6.2% of their total ice mass between 2000 and 2025.

Tata Steel has extended the Joint Letter of Intent (JLoI) with the Netherlands government and the Province of North Holland for the “Green Steel Project” until March 1, 2027.

The extension aims to facilitate continued discussions regarding the decarbonization of the industrial operations of the steelmaker in the Netherlands.