The State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCCs) are a policy concept and a framework of action for sub-national climate planning in India. They are not an act, institution, or judgment, but a mandated planning document for states and Union Territories. The SAPCCs originated from a top-down directive in 2009 when the Prime Minister of India asked all state governments to prepare a plan to implement the national climate framework. This was a necessary next step following the launch of the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) on June 30, 2008, which provided the country's blueprint for addressing climate change. The SAPCCs were created to solve the problem of translating the national strategy into region-specific, actionable plans that account for the unique vulnerabilities of each state.
The mechanism of the SAPCCs requires each state to follow a uniform structure that outlines its specific vulnerabilities to a changing climate and its approach for adaptation and mitigation. Key provisions involve conducting baseline assessments, evaluating climate vulnerability, and framing actionable strategies across key sectors like agriculture, water, energy, transport, and forestry. Most SAPCCs primarily emphasize adaptation measures, with limited attention to mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, though some include a GHG inventory. Most states completed their initial plans between 2010 and 2011.
The SAPCCs are directly connected to the overarching NAPCC, which is governed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). The NAPCC is built around eight National Missions (e.g., National Solar Mission, National Water Mission). The SAPCCs align with the NAPCC's objectives and India's international commitments, such as the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. Recently, the process has seen changes, with 34 States/UTs having prepared their SAPCCs as of recent updates. Furthermore, some states, like Delhi, have begun to overhaul their plans, with the Delhi government revising its plan, originally adopted in 2019, due to intensifying extreme weather. The core concept of a state-level, context-specific action plan remains the same, but the plans are being updated to reflect current climate realities and improve implementation.