India’s Success in Curbing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
India’s greenhouse emissions rate dropped by a faster-than-expected 33% in 14 years as renewable energy generation rose and forest cover increased. The country is well on the way to meeting a commitment to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to reduce emissions intensity by 45% from the 2005 level by 2030. India’s rate of emissions intensity – the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions emitted for every unit increase of gross domestic product (GDP) – fell by 33% from 2005 to 2019. India’s average rate of reduction in emissions increased to 3% annually in the period 2016-2019, from just about 1.5% in the period 2014-2016. It was the fastest reduction so far, and was largely attributable to the government’s push towards renewable energy, even as fossil fuel continues to dominate the energy mix. The progress made in reducing emissions intensity should help India avert the pressure from developed nations to stop using coal.
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