Compliance And Enforcement Of Carbon Emission Targets: Legal Frameworks In India And Australia Under The Paris Agreement

Abstract

The global urgency to mitigate climate change has prompted both developed and developing nations to adopt legal and policy frameworks aligned with the Paris Agreement. This paper undertakes a comparative analysis of Carbon Emission Reduction Framework of India and Australia, highlighting their approaches to carbon trading, renewable energy expansion, regulatory strategies, and compliance with Paris Agreement. India’s framework, rooted in flexibility and equity, emphasises renewable energy development, energy efficiency, and the recently introduced Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) as a scalable market-based mechanism. Australia, by contrast, demonstrates a legally binding approach through the Climate Change Act 2022, the Safeguard Mechanism, and mandatory corporate climate disclosures under the Treasury Laws Amendment (2024). While Australia’s system provides clarity, transparency, and enforceability, India integrates development imperatives with mitigation and adaptation strategies, particularly through nature-based solutions and sectoral programmes. Both nations reveal distinct pathways in operationalising their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), responding to the global stocktake, and preparing for cooperative approaches under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The study concludes that India and Australia represent complementary models: one prioritising scalability and equity, the other bindingness and accountability, collectively contributing to the evolving global climate regime.