India’s population can be an asset in the world’s war against climate change

India, now the world’s most populous country, sits at the confluence of two big shifts: climate vulnerability and demographic opportunity. Could this deliver not a contradiction, but indeed a strategic advantage? What we do with our population and not just how many we are will shape not only India’s future, but also the world’s climate trajectory.

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A global population puzzle: Population trends are disparate. Many countries—like China, Japan and some in Europe—are wrestling with falling birth rates and ageing populations. There is an increasing chorus actively encouraging citizens to have more children.

At the same time, quite a few entire nations or specific population segments still contend with large family sizes and poor access to reproductive healthcare. The dilemma here is not the number of people alone, but their agency and access to planned parenthood—choices shaped by societal norms, education, healthcare, financial independence and physical access, plus the affordability of birth control.

So, yes, population still matters. But not in the shrill tones sometimes employed. It matters because well-being, equity and sustainability are interwoven, and that’s where India’s size and scale come to the fore.

Scale is a lever, not a load: India’s population of over 1.4 billion is often seen as a challenge. But our size is also a powerful handle. It enables climate solutions to be deployed at costs and speeds that smaller nations simply cannot match. Whether it’s electric mobility, distributed renewables or climate-resilient agriculture, if India gets it right, it would shift global economics, trajectories and expectations.

This is already happening. Today, India leads the world in solar irrigation, energy-efficient lighting and electric two- as well as three-wheelers. These gains didn’t occur despite our population, but because of it.

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Vulnerability as a catalyst: Indian demography is young, mobile and increasingly urban. These dimensions create pressures, but also gameness for change. Unlike older economies with deep-set infrastructure, India has the conditions and will to become the first major economy to industrialize without carbonizing. This would mean leapfrogging to cleaner, more efficient systems—low-carbon cities, resilient agriculture and a skilled green workforce.

At the same time, climate pressures—from heatwaves to inconsistent rainfall—are more frequent and severe. The vulnerability is real. But that urgency also fuels innovation. Some of India’s most promising climate solutions are emerging not from boardrooms, but from communities on the front lines of change.

Our population can drive climate action: India has the natural resources to grow and thrive, whether it is to grow all the food we must or to generate all the renewables we need. However, we do also require a step change in resource efficiency and productivity—higher yields, better incomes and lower environmental impact. From green cooling technologies to sustainable construction materials, India’s scale generates the addressable market size to commercialize solutions that can lower the ‘green premium’ for India and potentially for the rest of the world too.

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Having said all this, population is non-discriminating; it can amplify both our strengths and weaknesses. To turn it into a climate asset, we must invest in the foundational building blocks that still need strength: education, healthcare, skilling, female labour force participation and low-carbon infrastructure, as well as policy frameworks.

Scale across the board: India’s population is not a uniform monolith. Climate risk and the ability to adapt to it are unevenly distributed across various demographic segments. If we want our scale to work for India, it has to work for everyone. A climate strategy that ignores inequality won’t just be unfair, it will be ineffective.

Ensuring that those who are most vulnerable to climate stress are afforded the ability to adapt has to be a critical foundation of our climate strategy. Only then will our full population potential be directed towards a transformation that yields us benefits. Else, exclusion could let us down.

Looking at the Indian economy, investments are required in sustainability innovations that millions of small and medium enterprises can afford. Tens of millions are employed by these businesses and we cannot afford to leave this sector behind.

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A frame for the future: Population dynamics are slow to change but long in consequence. They outlast conventional cycles and plans. That’s why it’s crucial to get the framing right—now.

If we see or portray India’s 1.4 billion-plus people as a crisis that still needs to be contained, our response will be narrow and unimaginative. But if we view our large size as a platform for bold and inclusive climate action, India could move from being the ground zero for climate vulnerability to centre-stage for climate leadership.

The author is director, Environmental Defense India Foundation.