Meghalaya joins Under2 Coalition as seventh Indian subnational signatory

Meghalaya has joined the Under2 Coalition, the world's largest network of states and regions committed to net zero by 2050, becoming the seventh Indian state signatory. The move strengthens India's subnational climate diplomacy and offers a working template of nature-based economics for other ecologically sensitive Indian states.

Meghalaya has become the seventh Indian state in the Under2 Coalition, a network of over 170 subnational governments pursuing net zero emissions by 2050. The Climate Group, founded in 2004, serves as Secretariat for the coalition, which now counts 270 member governments representing over 1.75 billion people and 50% of the global economy. Meghalaya joins under its 'Environment State' doctrine, built around nature banking, nature markers, and a conservation-led economy tailored to ecologically sensitive regions.

The development affects Indian subnational governments and forest economies seeking peer learning on climate action. Existing Indian signatories include Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Telangana, Tripura, West Bengal, and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. With Meghalaya added, these eight signatories collectively represent over 29% of India's population and contribute nearly 30% of national GDP. State agencies such as the Meghalaya Basin Development Authority and the State Climate Action Council coordinate the green development doctrine that frames the membership.

States and forest economies should monitor the coalition's government-to-government peer-learning mechanisms for transferable adaptation and resilience models. Meghalaya has implemented a Conservation Basic Income program, trained 14,000 youths in forest management, and is developing a Climate Emergency Framework establishing new rights for nature. It is also creating a Climate Change Museum and has launched a Biodiversity Heatmap and a Payment for Ecosystem Services pilot. Other states can track these initiatives as scalable precedents for nature-based economic structures.

Key figure — Indian Under2 signatories' GDP share: nearly 30% of India's GDP across eight signatories