India’s Carbon Emissions On The Rise - International Energy Agency Report

Carbon emissions from India have risen by 4.8% says the International Energy Agency Report – Global Energy & CO2 Status Report.

Emissions :-

The IEA report stated that India had emitted 2299 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in 2018 which is a 4.8% increase from 2017.

As per the report, the growth of emissions from India is much higher than high emitting countries like USA and China.
The major reason for this high emissions is India’s coal consumption for generating power.
The per capita emissions for India were 40% of the global average but had contributed 7% to the global carbon dioxide burden.
As per the report, the US is the largest contributor with 14% to the global burden.
India has committed to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to aggressively reduce its carbon emissions intensity by 2030 compared to 2005 levels.
Also, the country has committed to having 40% of its energy from renewable sources and by 2022 will install100 GW of solar power.

Energy Demand and Consumption :-

In 2018, the energy demand in India outpaced global demand growth.
Energy demand is the key reason for high carbon emissions.
The demand in India rose by 4% or an equivalent of 35 million tonnes of oil which accounts for 11% of global demand.
Overall, 70% of energy demand in the globe came from three countries – the USA, India, and China.
The report states that the growth in demand is due to robust growth in the global economy which rose by 3.5% in 2018.

As per the report, the global energy consumption in 2018 doubled since 2010 due to a robust global economy and higher heating and cooling needs in some parts of the world.

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Other Highlights :-

All fuels saw increased demand. It was led by natural gas even when solar energy posted double-digit growth.
Half of the growth in energy needs came due to higher electricity demand.
As per the report, there is a lacklustre improvement in energy efficiency.
Overall, the carbon dioxide emissions rose 1.7% in 2018 and hit a new record.

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Uncertain Future :-

So much for the Paris Climate Agreement, the aim of reducing carbon emissions to limit the global average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees seems to be falling apart.

With the United States already out of the agreement and have taken many decisions that are detrimental to the environment, the country is adding to climate change.
India, which is a hero in fighting for the environmental causes of developing countries with the report from IEA seems to be stepping away from its stated path.
As the country is developing at a fast pace, it is understandable that the demand for energy will increase.
But, it is the government of the country that has to take steps to arrest the consumption of coal for better and greener energy alternatives.
Already, the solar energy policy that envisions installation of solar parks is faltering owing to low tariffs which are detrimental to the survival of such projects.
But all is not lost for India. The country is aggressively pursuing emission reducing acts like energy efficiency, cleaner fuel for vehicles, usage of biofuels, etc., to reduce its emissions burden.