Greenhouse Gas Emissions in India
India Numbers at aGlance (2014)
3,202 MtCO₂e*
Total GHG emissions(6.55% of world total)
World: 48,892.37 MtCO₂e
1,293,859,294
Population

World: 7,268,986,176

2.48
tCO₂e per capita
World: 6.73 tCO₂e

US$ 2,130,703 Million
GDP**
World: US$73,479 Billion

1,503
tCO₂e/million US$ GDP
World: 665 tCO₂e/million US$GDP+2,060 MtCO₂e(+180%)
Change in GHG emissions(1990-2014)
World: +15,069 MtCO₂e(+45%)

Sources: WRI CAIT 4.0, 2017.
Emissions including Land-Use Changeand Forestry. Global Warming Potentials
are from the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change Second Assessment
Report.

*Million metric tons of carbon dioxide
equivalent.

**Gross Domestic Product (GDP) inconstant 2010 US$

This document is based on
information available at the dateof publication, and does not reflect
official views of the U.S.
government. Sources may be
incomplete or contradictory.
Judgment and knowledge of thenational context should be used tointerpret and supplement thisinformation. USAID assumes noliability for the contents or use ofthe information in this document.

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions by Sector
According to the World Resources InstituteClimate Analysis Indicators Tool (WRI CAIT),
India’s 2014 GHG profile was dominated byemissions from the energy sector, which accounted
for 68.7% of total emissions. 1 Within the energy
sector, 49% of emissions were due to electricity
and heat generation, followed by 24% frommanufacturing and construction. Agriculture was
the second highest source (19.6% of totalemissions), with enteric fermentation contributing
45% of agriculture emissions. 2 Industrial processes(IP), land use change and forestry (LUCF), andwaste contributed 6.0%, 3.8% and 1.9% of 2014
total emissions, respectively.
India’s First Biennial Update Report (BUR) to theUNFCCC, submitted in 2015, includes a GHG
inventory for 2010 and GHG trends from 2000 to2010. The BUR shows land use, land use changeand forestry (LULUCF) to have been a net carbon
Sources: WRI CAIT 4.0, 2017, FAOSTAT, 2018
sink in 2010, absorbing 252.53 MtCO₂e more thanwhat was emitted that year. 3 From 2000 to 2010, WRI CAIT also shows LUCF as a net sink,but from 2011 until the most recent year for which data are available, 2014, CAIT shows LUCFto have become an emissions source. The BUR does not present data from 2011 onwards.
However, the GHG Platform – India has published GHG emission estimates for 2005 to 2013,
including for agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU). 4 It shows the land subsector tohave been an increasing carbon sink from 2005 to 2013, with removals increasing from 134.0
MtCO2e in 2005 to 177.7 MtCO2e in 2013. 5 Direct comparison of findings from multiple
sources can be difficult due to the use of different estimation methodologies and data sources. 6The BUR and WRI CAIT show energy to be the highest GHG emitting sector in India, followedby agriculture.

Change in GHG Emissions in India (1990-2014)
According to WRI CAIT, India’s GHG emissions increased by 2,060 MtCO2e (180%) from 1990to 2014. The graph below shows the average annual change in emissions during this period.
Emissions from the two highest emitting sectors are discussed below.

Energy: According to WRI CAIT, energy emissions increased by 1,563 MtCO2e (246%) from1990 to 2014. International Energy Agency data show that total electricity generation
quadrupled between 1991 and 2014, with an increasing share of coal and a decreasing share ofhydropower. 7 As of 2014, 74% of electricity was generated by coal, followed by hydro (11%),natural gas (5%), nuclear (3%), wind (3%), fuel oil (2%), and biofuels (2%). 8 Despite being theworld’s third largest electricity producer, India’s electricity consumption per capita is among theworld’s lowest. 9 Industries consume 42% of the electricity generated, followed by theresidential sector (26%), agriculture and forestry (15%), commercial and public services (10%),and other (8%). 10 From 2000 to 2014, the number of industries almost doubled, increasing
industrial sector fuel consumption by 406%. 11

The Center for Study of Science, Technology & Policy notes that coal has continued to dominate the electricitygeneration mix due to developmental aspirations, increased demand, and economic development policies, but that coalbased power generation emissions are expected to gradually decrease due to improved efficiency in newly introduced
technologies such as super-critical boilers for thermal power generation. The government has doubled the coal tax(Clean Environment Cess) to Rs 400 per tonne of coal with proceeds channeled to set up the National Clean Energy
and Environment Fund to finance clean energy
technologies. At the sub-national level, the State Action
Plan on Climate Change includes strict regulations toward
reducing coal footprints. 12 Renewable energy is being
promoted, with the 2003 Electricity Act and the 2005
National Electricity Policy providing the regulatory
framework through tariffs, renewable purchase obligations(RPO), grid connectivity, and market development. In
2015, India set a target to install 175 GW from renewableenergy sources by 2022, of which 100 GW will be fromsolar photovoltaic (PV), 60 GW from wind, 10 GW frombiomass, and 5 GW from small hydropower stations. 13
However, other government policies, such as more thandoubling the coal consumption limit and the one billion
tonne coal production target, could increase power
sector emissions by an estimated 1,427 MtCO2e. 14 Civil
society experts have noted that the next focus of India’semission mitigation policy, centered largely on electricity
generation, must be expanded to the industrial sector andthat it is critical to devise ways for the sector to reducedependence on fossil energy while ensuring rapid growth
Source: WRI CAIT 4.0, 2017
in manufacturing and associated jobs and enhancing
international competitiveness. 15Agriculture: WRI CAIT data show that agriculture emissions increased 25% from 1990 to 2014, driven by emissions
from synthetic fertilizers (47%) and enteric fermentation from livestock (30%). 16 FAO data show that from 2002 to2014, use of nitrogen fertilizers (total N) increased 62%, potash (K2O) 59%, and phosphates (P2O5) 51%. 17 The BUR
notes that growth in total fertilizer consumption has been significant over the 2002-2012 decade and contributed (alongwith irrigation and availability of seeds) substantially to increased food grain productivity. It also notes that severaltechnologies to reduce GHG emissions with sustainable crop and livestock management have been developed under theNational Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture. The government has also proposed complementary actions toreduce methane emissions from ruminants, including modifications of diet, and from rice paddies. Between 1990 and2014, FAO data show that the number of cattle decreased 8%, but buffaloes, sheep, and goats increased 37%, 29% and
17% respectively. 18 Emissions from enteric fermentation grew 30% during this time frame. The overall contribution ofthe livestock sector to total GDP was nearly 4.11% during 2012-2013, while the agriculture sector share of GDP was
17.6% in 2014. 19Carbon Intensity: GHG Emissions Relative to Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
According to WRI CAIT data, India’s GDP increased 357% from 1990 to 2014, while GHG emissions increased 180%. In
2014, India emitted more than twice the GHGs relative to GDP than the world average. 20 However, India has takensignificant steps towards initiating a low carbon economy across various sectors, 21 and pledged in its Intended Nationally
Determined Contribution (INDC) to reduce GDP emissions intensity by 33-35% by 2030 from 2005 levels.

Climate Change Mitigation Targets and Plans
In its INDC, India pledged to achieve electric power installed capacity of about 40% from non-fossil fuel-based energy
resources by 2030 with the help of technology transfer and low-cost international finance, create an additional carbon
sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030 through additional forest and tree cover, mobilize domestic andadditional funds from developed countries to implement mitigation actions, and build capacity, create a domestic
framework and international architecture for quick diffusion of cutting edge climate technology in India, and for joint
collaborative research and development for future technologies. Upon India’s ratification of the Paris Agreement inOctober 2016, the INDC became its first NDC.
September 2018

1World Resources Institute Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (WRI CAIT 4.0, 2017). GHG emissions are expressed in units of carbon dioxide equivalents. GlobalWarming Potentials (GWPs) are the 100-year GWPs from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Second Assessment Report (SAR).
2Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Statistics Division (FAOSTAT). India, Emissions – Agriculture total, viewed on September 18, 2018.
3India. India’s First Biennial Update Report (BUR) to the UNFCCC, 2015. The BUR uses GWPs from the IPCC SAR. The BUR shows total GHG and sector
emissions in GgCO2e. For this factsheet, the 2010 data were converted to MtCO2e (GgCO2e/1000) for ease of reference: energy (1510.12 MtCO2e), agriculture(390.17 MtCO2e), IP (171.50 MtCO2e), waste (65.05 MtCO2e), LULUCF (-252.53 MtCO2e), total GHGs incl. LUCF (1884.31 MtCO2e).
4
Dhingra, S. Mehta, R. (2017). AFOLU Emissions. Version 2.0 dated September 28, 2017, from GHG platform India: GHG platform
India-2005-2013 National Estimates - 2017 Series http://ghgplatform-india.org/data-and-emissions/afolu.html. The GHG Platform - India shows emissions/removals
from three AFOLU subcategories: Livestock, Land, and Aggregate sources and non-CO2 emissions sources on land. AFOLU emissions are calculated based on GWPs
from the IPCC SAR.
5The GHG Platform – India shows land emissions/removals from settlements, other land, grassland, forest land, and cropland.
6The estimation methodologies and data sources are as follows. The GHG Platform: The land subsector emission estimations follow the 2006 IPCC guidelines, andTier 2 level methodologies. Emission factors are country specific. Estimations of emissions/removals from the land subcategories are based on the following data
sources: the Forest Survey of India (FSI) for forest land, and the land use change matrix prepared by the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) for cropland,grassland, settlements and other land (For more details see: GHG Platform India - National Level Greenhouse Gas Estimates for the Agriculture, Forestry and Other
Land Use Sector (AFOLU) 2005-2013, 2017). WRI CAIT: For LUCF sector emissions, WRI CAIT draws on data from the Food and Agriculture Organization
Statistics Division (FAOSTAT). Land Use Total contains total emissions and removals from forest land, cropland, grassland and burning biomass. The FAOSTATemissions database is computed following Tier 1 IPCC 2006 Guidelines for National GHG Inventories. GHG emissions are provided by country, regions and specialgroups, relative to the period 1990-present (with annual updates). For subcategories including forest land, FAO also provides the implied emission factor as well asactivity data (area, net area difference, total forest area and carbon stock in living biomass).
7International Energy Agency (IEA). Statistics: India, Electricity and Heat, 1991 and 2014, viewed on September 18, 2018. In 1991, 23% of electricity was generated byhydroelectric plants.
8IEA Statistics: India, Electricity and Heat, 2014, viewed on September 18, 2018.
9IEA Atlas of Energy – Total Electricity Generation, viewed on September 19, 2018.
10
IEA Statistics: India, Electricity and Heat, 2014, viewed on September 19, 2018.
11
Government of India. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. Statistical Yearbook India 2017 – Industry – Annual Survey of Industries (FactorySector) - All India & State.
12
The Center for Study of Science, Technology & Policy (CSETP). Policy Note - GHG Emissions from India’s Electricity Sector, October 2017.
13
Government of India, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Press Information Bureau - A target of installing 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by the year
2022, viewed on September 19, 2018.
14
CSTEP Policy Note, 2017.
15
Vaibhav Chaturved, Poonam Nagar Koti and Anjali Ramakrishnan Chordia, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW). Sustainable Development,
Uncertainties, and India’s Climate Policy Pathways towards Nationally Determined Contribution and Mid-Century Strategy, April 2018.
16
FAOSTAT, 2018.
17
FAOSTAT, India – Agriculture Use - Fertilizers by Nutrient (2002-2014), viewed on September 19, 2018.
18FAOSTAT, India – Live Animals, viewed on September 19, 2018.
19
India. India’s First Biennial Update Report (BUR) to the UNFCCC, 2015.
20
WRI CAIT 4.0, 2017.
21
India. India’s First Biennial Update Report (BUR) to the UNFCCC, 2015.

September 2018