Editor:Vaishali Verma, Delhi 21, October, 2026:
India has scored just 2 out of 32 in a global assessment of how effectively countries integrate public health into their climate action plans, highlighting major gaps in addressing air pollution climate related health risks and the health benefits of emissions reductions.
The Healthy NDC Scorecard assessed the climate commitments of 132 countries under their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which outline national targets and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change under the Paris Agreement.
The assessment found that India’s latest climate plan, submitted in April 2026, gives limited attention to health. India ranked joint bottom with Japan and New Zealand, while Colombia topped the list with 29 points out of 32, followed by Nigeria with 25 and Cambodia with 24.
The findings raise concerns about India’s climate preparedness given its substantial air pollution burden and vulnerability to climate-related illnesses and premature deaths.
The scorecard was published by the Global Climate and Health Alliance a network of more than 300 health professionals, civil society organisations and related groups working at the intersection of climate change and public health. It is the third assessment in a series that began in 2021.
Air pollution and climate policy remain disconnected
India’s low score reflects the limited integration of health considerations into its national climate commitments, particularly the absence of explicit references to air pollution and the health benefits of climate action.
The scorecard evaluates eight indicators: health impacts, air pollution, action in the health sector, health co-benefits, a just transition, integrated governance, economics and finance and monitoring and evaluation. Each indicator carries a maximum of four points.
India scored zero on six indicators and one point each for health sector action and integrated governance.
The report estimates that India experiences 186.2 air pollution related deaths per 100,000 people. It also warns that the country’s climate commitments are insufficiently aligned with efforts to limit global warming to the goals of the Paris Agreement.
India is among the countries whose climate plans do not explicitly address air pollution, despite the pollutant’s serious consequences for public health. This omission is particularly significant in a country where polluted air contributes to a substantial burden of illness and premature mortality.
The assessment also identifies shortcomings in other major economies. Japan and New Zealand, like India, received very low scores for incorporating health into their climate plans. The European Union China, Brazil and the United Kingdom refer to health in their commitments but have not matched those references with emissions reductions considered sufficient to protect public health.
Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment in Delhi said India’s climate plan overlooks both air pollution and the health benefits of climate action, despite the country’s heavy pollution related mortality burden.
She argued that climate policy cannot be effective without closer integration of air quality measures energy policy and action against short lived climate pollutants such as black carbon. Produced by incomplete combustion, black carbon contributes to global warming while also harming human health.
Roychowdhury also highlighted the gap between India’s climate commitments and its endorsement of the COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health, which recognises the links between climate change, air pollution and public health.
Jeni Miller, executive director of the Global Climate and Health Alliance said governments must recognise that improving air quality is an essential part of effective climate action, with direct consequences for people’s health and lives.
Global climate commitments show major gaps
Colombia led the scorecard with 29 points, followed by Nigeria with 25, Cambodia with 24, and Paraguay and Timor Leste with 22 points each. Nineteen of the 20 highest scoring countries were low and middle-income economies.
Several major emitters performed poorly. South Korea scored four points, Russia six, and Brazil seven. Australia, China and the United Kingdom each received nine points. Indonesia scored 11, the European Union 12, South Africa 13, Türkiye 14, Canada 16 and the United Arab Emirates 19.
According to the assessment many of these countries have not committed to emissions reductions proportionate to their responsibilities and capabilities. Inadequate mitigation could also undermine their efforts to protect public health from climate related risks.
Among the major emitters assessed, the European Union was the only one identified as having a specific air pollution reduction target. Its climate commitments also include phasing out hydrofluorocarbons by 2050.
The United States whose climate plan was not considered active following its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement received seven points.
The report notes that only five countries Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and Paraguay have established targets to reduce black carbon. The pollutant contributes to both air pollution and global warming making it an important target for policies seeking simultaneous climate and health benefits.
Health experts call for stronger Indian commitments
Anjal Prakash a professor of public policy at FLAME University in Pune and a contributing author to reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said climate policy must be closely connected to public health.
He recommended that India’s next NDC include measurable health indicators, assess climate risks facing vulnerable populations, strengthen the resilience of healthcare infrastructure and introduce more effective measures to tackle worsening air quality.
Such measures could help ensure that climate investments also deliver improvements in public health particularly for communities exposed to extreme heat, polluted air and other climate related hazards.
Integrating health considerations into climate planning would also allow governments to assess the broader benefits of emissions reductions rather than evaluating climate policies solely through their effect on greenhouse gas emissions.
Cutting short lived pollutants could deliver immediate benefits
The scorecard’s research lead, Nova Tebbe a postdoctoral researcher at the Global Climate and Health Alliance said the assessment helps compare governments’ health related climate commitments with their emissions reduction ambitions and national air pollution mortality burdens.
Tebbe highlighted the importance of rapidly reducing short lived climate pollutants, including black carbon, methane, hydrofluorocarbons and tropospheric ozone. Action against these pollutants can slow warming, reduce immediate health risks and generate economic savings.
These benefits are particularly important because the effects of climate change on health are intensifying. The report also warns that conditions associated with El Niño could contribute to further climate related health pressures.
However, implementing more ambitious climate plans will require substantial financial resources, particularly in developing countries.
Jess Beagley, policy lead at the Global Climate and Health Alliance said financial support from wealthier nations would be essential for developing countries to carry out their commitments. She also stressed that countries responsible for a large share of historical and current emissions have a responsibility to reduce them more rapidly.
For India, the scorecard points to an opportunity to strengthen its next climate plan by connecting emissions reductions with cleaner air, more resilient healthcare systems and measurable improvements in public health.
Addressing these priorities together could help the country reduce climate risks while delivering immediate benefits to millions of people exposed to air pollution and other environmental threats.