In News : India’s Progress on Climate Targets
Analysis
- India committed at Paris Climate Summit (COP21) to reduce emissions intensity of GDP by 33–35% by 2030 (from 2005 levels), increase non-fossil power capacity, expand renewable energy, and create an additional forest carbon sink of 2.5–3 billion tonnes CO₂e.
- Emissions intensity target achieved early: By 2020, emissions intensity declined by ~36%, driven by:
- Rapid expansion of non-fossil power (solar, wind, hydro, nuclear).
- Structural shift of the economy towards services and digital sectors.
- Energy-efficiency schemes such as PAT and UJALA.
- Despite intensity gains, absolute emissions remain high:
- India’s GHG emissions stood at ~2,959 MtCO₂e in 2020.
- GDP growth has outpaced emissions growth, leading to partial decoupling, not absolute reductions.
- Emissions continue to rise in cement, steel, and transport sectors.
- Renewable energy capacity vs generation gap:
- Non-fossil capacity reached ~51% by June 2025, meeting the revised 2030 target early.
- However, renewables contributed only ~22% of actual electricity generation in 2024-25 due to intermittency.
- Coal (~253 GW capacity) still provides over 70% of electricity generation, maintaining fossil baseload dominance.
- Energy storage is a critical bottleneck:
- Projected storage requirement: 336 GWh by 2029-30.
- Operational battery storage (as of Sept 2025): only ~500 MWh.
- Forest carbon sink target numerically on track, but ecologically weak:
- India has already added ~2.29 billion tonnes CO₂e since 2005.
- Forest cover definition includes plantations and monocultures, masking actual ecosystem health.
- Implementation gaps under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016, with low utilisation by States.
- Climate stressors such as warming and water stress are reducing actual carbon assimilation despite apparent “greening”.
Static Background (Relevant)
- Emissions Intensity: Emissions per unit of GDP; reduction does not necessarily imply lower total emissions.
- Non-fossil Capacity: Includes renewable energy and nuclear power.
- Baseload Power: Continuous power supply, currently dominated by coal in India.
- Carbon Sink: Natural systems (forests, soils) that absorb more carbon than they emit.
Updated – 08 January 2026 ; 09:00 AM IST | News Source:
The Hindu