Report: India Reduces GHG Emission Intensity by 36% in 2020
- India takes proactive and preemptive measures to fight against climate change.
- Increased forests and tree cover, sequestered around 522 million tonnes of CO2, and created additional carbon sinks.
India has recently submitted its 4th Biennial Update Report (BUR-4) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), highlighting its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction for 2020, climate actions, challenges, technology, needs for finance, and capacity building.
Reduction in GHG
The South Asian giant's total emissions in 2020 were 7.93%, lower than in 2019. The main sources of emissions were from the energy sector (75.66%), agriculture (13.72%), industrial processes and product use (8.06%), and waste management (2.56%).
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Emission Intensity and Energy Transition
The report says that emission intensity (emissions per unit of GDP) reduced by 36% between 2005 and 2020, showing the country's economic capability to grow while lowering emissions.
India is undergoing a massive shift to non-fossil energy sources. By October 2024, 46.52% of its power generation capacity came from renewable energy sources. This has grown exponentially (excluding large hydropower) from 35 GW in 2014 to 156.25 GW in 2024.
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Forest and Tree Cover
In 2020, 522 million tonnes of CO2 were absorbed by the nation's natural carbon sinks—forests and tree cover—reducing its overall CO2 emissions by 22%. In addition, between 2005 and 2021, forests and tree cover created an additional carbon sink equivalent to 2.29 billion tonnes of CO2. They now constitute 25.17% of India’s land area.
Bhupender Yadav, India's Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said: "India is leading by example in sustainable growth. As compared to 2005, India cut down its GHG emission intensity of GDP by 36% in 2020. These numbers reflect Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to aligning economic progress with meaningful climate action."
To study more about the report, click here.
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Source: PIB
