India committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2070 on Monday, in a blow to the Government’s ambitions for mid-century targets at Cop26.

One Cop26 official said they were “surprised” by the deadline in the announcement, which is ten years after pledges by China, Russia and Saudi Arabia.

The UK fears that the lack of ambition from the world’s third largest polluter could push other countries that have yet to come forward with net zero plans to delay their aspirations.

Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, also committed the coal economy to significant new emissions cuts in the next nine years, including generating half of its energy from renewable sources and reducing its projected carbon emissions by 1bn tonnes.

The Cop26 official suggested the net zero move was a political gambit in India’s longer term negotiations over climate financing, and suggested the target could be met well ahead of 2070.

But it is a blow to the UK Government’s hopes for countries to reach mid-century net zero targets, and for momentum toward a positive outcome at the end of the two-week negotiations in Glasgow.

It follows disagreements at the G20 over the wording of the final ambition, which ultimately ended with a commitment to “achieving global net zero greenhouse gas emissions or carbon neutrality by or around mid-century.”

China declined to update its own emissions targets, with President Xi Jinping sending only a written statement to the talks on Monday.  

Russian president Vladimir Putin also declined to attend, and is expected to send a video message on Tuesday.

Mr Xi also called on richer countries to “provide support to help developing countries do better”, while Mr Modi said there needed to be $1tn in extra funding made available by developed countries “as soon as possible today”.

A study by Oxford Economics earlier this year said India would need $170bn a year until 2030 in funding to move away from fossil fuels, a gap of around $150bn from current funding levels.

Frustration from developing countries over international financing had long threatened to disrupt the negotiations, after it emerged that a pledge to reach $100bn in annual funding from developed countries would not be met until at least 2023.

Prince Charles, Boris Johnson and Alok Sharma have called for more ambitious private sector funding in their comments in Glasgow.

‘The rich world must respond to Modi’s challenge’

The Prime Minister met with Mr Modi in Glasgow before India’s 2070 announcement, where they discussed a new bilateral agreement for the UK to guarantee a £750m green loan form the World Bank.

India’s “serious and significant” updated 2030 targets were welcomed by the UK team, which said a target to reach 500GW of renewables in its energy sector in the next nine years was “huge”.

Officials also pointed to net zero by 2050 commitments from Vietnam and Brazil, as areas of optimism for the outcome of Cop26.

Responding to India’s updated targets, London School of Economics climate expert Nicholas Stern said it was “a very significant moment for the summit.”

“This demonstrates real leadership, based on a track record of action and ambitious targets, that can deliver on both economic development and climate change, from a country whose emissions per capita are about one-third of the global average.

“The rich world must respond to Prime Minister Modi’s challenge to deliver a strong increase in international climate finance.”