2070. It’s the most distant net-zero target of any G20 nation, but, as one climate activist in Kolkata, India, told Sky News: “At least it’s a start, although I’ll be dead by then.”

Coming into Glasgow’s COP26 climate summit, India hadn’t updated its previous carbon reduction commitments (or NDCs, Nationally Determined Contributions) pledged during the 2015 Paris climate talks.

It had, also, never set a date for net-zero – achieving a balance between the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

COP26 latest updates as climate summit begins in Glasgow

But amidst bullish chatter from Indian senior ministers last week that the country didn’t need to bow to international pressure of “setting a date”, the sense from New Delhi was that a target would still come.

And so it was. For 49 years from now.

“Greta has another leader for the blah blah blah club,” reacted one youth activist on social media.

COP26: The Queen says ‘none of us will live forever’ as she urges leaders to act for ‘our children’s children’

Biofuels, climate pledges and electric cars: Your COP26 questions answered

COP26: James Bond, a climate ‘death sentence’ and ‘gasping for survival’ – who said what in Glasgow

But even a far-seeming target like 2070 will be a huge task for the world’s third-biggest carbon emitter, requiring a massive overhaul of its economy and making enormous demands on its people.

There was no explicit mention of coal in India Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech but really that’s the issue that the net-zero target is addressing.

To make this happen, researchers in India say there will have to be a cap on coal at some point in the next two decades.

And that’s massive. Around 60% of India’s current electricity demand is met by burning coal.

For many poor families, coal is the cheapest fuel they can find for the very basics.

The coal industry itself provides incomes and livelihoods for many hundreds of thousands.

Plus, as the country seeks to lift many of its 1.3 billion out of poverty, energy demands are just going to grow.

India has made a significant domestic investment in renewable energy sources, especially solar and some will hope that, based on current trajectories, maybe that 2070 date could edge forward.

Follow the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

But that will need investment and Mr Modi set the price tag in his COP26 address.

He called on developed nations for $1trn of climate financing, to help developing nations go green.

India has given the world a date; it’s now asking the world for the dollars.

For full coverage of COP26, watch Climate Live on Sky channel 525.

Follow live coverage on web and app with our dedicated live blog.

Get all the latest stories, special reports and in depth analysis at skynews.com/cop26

Related posts:

Top Chinese official admits efficacy of China’s vaccines is low Universal sorry after dubbing trans actress with man’s voice The three days in April that may have fuelled UK outbreak of Indian variant Israeli warplanes bomb new targets in Gaza, and Palestinian militants fire salvo of rockets back Three bodies found and five more people feared dead as helicopter crashes into Russian lake ‘What should I be scared of?’: Kabul residents remain defiant as Taliban approaches city Long queues for vaccines in Ireland as 12 to 15-year-olds able to get coronavirus jab Afghanistan must not become ‘breeding ground for terror’ once again , PM says North Korea fires two ballistic missiles – days after testing ‘weapon of great significance’ Doping watchdog to review cannabis ban after top US athlete forced to miss Tokyo Olympics Pfizer’s experimental COVID pill appears to work against Omicron variant, firm says Russian murdered Chechen man in Berlin on orders from Moscow, court rules