India and Japan have ranked among the lowest-performing countries in a global assessment of how national climate commitments incorporate public health, scoring just two out of 32 points each. The findings come ahead of COP31 next month and highlight gaps in addressing the health consequences of climate change and air pollution.
The 2026 Healthy NDC Scorecard, released by the Global Climate and Health Alliance on Wednesday, assessed 117 national climate plans covering 132 countries. It found that India’s climate commitment gives limited attention to health impacts and the health benefits of climate action, while making no mention of air pollutants despite the country’s high air-pollution-related death rate.
Global Rankings and Assessment Findings
The scorecard evaluated countries across eight categories, including health impacts, air pollution, action within the health sector and climate finance.
Colombia ranked first with 29 out of 32 points, followed by Nigeria with 25 and Cambodia with 24. According to the assessment, low- and middle-income countries secured 19 of the top 20 scores.
The findings highlight differences in how countries incorporate public health considerations into their climate strategies, including measures to reduce pollution and protect populations from climate-related health risks.
India’s Climate Commitments and Health Concerns
The assessment noted that India’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) recognises health as a vulnerable sector but does not adequately address the health impacts of climate change or the potential health benefits of emissions reduction.
It also highlighted the absence of references to air pollutants in India’s climate plan, given the country’s substantial burden of air-pollution-related deaths. Climate Action Tracker assesses India’s NDC as consistent with a pathway to less than 3°C of global warming.
India’s updated climate commitments, known as NDC 3.0, for 2031–2035 were approved by the Union Cabinet in March 2026. The targets include reducing the emissions intensity of gross domestic product by 47% from 2005 levels by 2035, increasing the share of non-fossil fuel sources in cumulative installed electricity capacity to 60%, and creating an additional carbon sink of 3.5–4 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent through forest and tree cover compared with the 2005 baseline.
The scorecard argued that India’s limited emphasis on health is reflected in the ambition of its emissions-reduction commitments, raising concerns about the extent to which the country’s climate strategy will protect public health.
Limited Global Action on Black Carbon
The assessment also identified inadequate global action on black carbon, a pollutant that contributes to both air pollution and global warming.
Only five countries—Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and Paraguay—have established targets to reduce black carbon emissions, according to the report.
The assessment called on countries with the highest current and historical emissions to accelerate mitigation efforts to maximise domestic health benefits and limit the growing health consequences of climate change worldwide.
It also emphasised the responsibility of developed countries to provide climate finance in accordance with the Paris Agreement, enabling developing nations to implement their national climate plans and strengthen protections for public health.
