India’s carbon emission down by 7.93% from 2019, emissions intensity reduced by 36%: Report  

Between 2005 and 2020, carbon emission was down by 7.93% compared to 2019, while emissions intensity reduced by 36%, according to India’s Fourth Biennial Report.

According to the report, the share of non-fossil sources in the installed electricity generation capacity was 46.52% by October 2024. Total installed capacity of renewable power is 156.25 GW. The report, which is a part of  the United Nations Framework on Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), provides a comprehensive account of India’s climate policies and actions.

“While coal remains the predominant source of electricity generation in India, renewable energy sources have grown by over 10.94 % in generation and over 14.7 % in installed capacity in the year 2023-24. Given India’s growing economy and electricity needs, the challenge of low-carbon development in the power sector is significant,” said the report submitted to UNFCCC on December 30, 2024.

In the FY 2022-23, the industrial sector grew by 6.7%. The manufacturing sector emerged as a key driver of economic expansion. Sectors such as automotive, engineering, cement, textiles, steel, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and consumer durables were key to the growth trajectory.

The industrial sector was the largest energy consumer in the country, accounting for 48.95% of the total final energy consumption in FY 2022-23. The most energy-intensive subsector of the industrial sector was the iron and steel sector, accounting for 15.15% of energy use. Chemicals and petrochemicals accounted for 4.56% of energy use, followed by construction sector which was 1.80%.

“In recent years, there has been a notable increase in the emphasis on energy efficiency within the industrial sector through initiatives like the Perform, Achieve, and Trade (PAT) scheme,” it added, listing out the measures taken for industrial decarbonisation.

Top five emission intensive sectors were energy (75.66%), agriculture (13.72%), industrial process and product use (8.06%); and waste (2.56%).

In 2020, India's forest and tree cover, along with other land use, sequestered approximately 522 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, equivalent to reducing 22% of the country's total carbon dioxide emissions in the year.