Lok Sabha Question No. 2402 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-09
Subject: Emission of Greenhouse Gases
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: R. PARTHIPAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2402 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.03.2018

## Emission of Greenhouse Gases

## 2402. SHRI R. PARTHIPAN:

Will  the  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND  CLIMATE  CHANGE  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) whether India emits higher levels of greenhouse gases than any other developing country with the exception of China and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  greenhouse  gas  emissions  in  the  country  are  increasing,  mainly  due  to increase in fossil fuel based industries and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the World Bank has put much of the blame on inefficient investments in energy, in  power  generation  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  steps  taken  to  improve  the situation; and
- (d) whether the Government proposes to implement the 'Polluters pay theory' in the country and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

(a) to (d) India's per capita GHG emission in 2010 was 1.56 tonnes CO2 eq which is less than one-  third  of  the  world's  per  capita  emissions  and  far  below  that  of  most  of  the  developing countries  including  China  (8.22  tonnes  CO2  eq),  Brazil  (14.87  tonnes  CO2  eq),  South  Africa (8.87  tonnes  CO2  eq),  Mexico  (5.46  tonnes  CO2  eq).  India's  gross  greenhouse  gas  (GHG) emissions  at  2.136  billion  tonnes  Carbon  dioxide  equivalent  (CO2 eq)  (excluding  Land  Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry) in 2010 are lower than GHG emissions of developing countries namely China (11.183 billion tonnes CO2eq) and Brazil (2.902 billion tonnes CO2eq).

India's total greenhouse gas emission has increased from 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2 eq in 2000 to 2.1 billion tonnes of CO2 eq in 2010. The energy and industrial process & product use sectors accounted for 73% of the total GHG emissions in 2000 and about 79% in 2010. The World Bank Report titled, 'More Power to India: The Challenge of Electricity Distribution', (2014) inter alia refers to the inefficient and loss-making status of power sector. However, a number of initiatives have been taken to address the issue.

Government  of  India  has  launched  several  initiatives  to  transform  the  energy  sector,  both  on generation  and  demand  side,  to  make  it  efficient,  clean  and  affordable.  On  generation  side,

Government of India is implementing the renewable energy expansion programme with a target of achieving 175 GW by 2022; use of supercritical technology in all new power plants; phasing out of old and inefficient thermal power plants etc. On demand side, a number of policies and programmes  aim  at  introducing  energy  efficiency  measures  like  UJALA  (Unnat  Jyoti  by Affordable LEDs  for All);  Standards  and Labeling Programme  for  appliances  like Air Conditioners,  fridge  etc.  To  reduce  the  emissions  from  industries,  Government  of  India  is implementing the Perform Achieve and Trade Scheme (PAT), which is a regulatory instrument to  reduce  specific  energy  consumption  in  energy  intensive  industries  based  on  the  'Polluter Pays' concept. In the first cycle of PAT, 478 industrial units in 8 sectors (Aluminum, Cement, Chlor-Alkali, Fertilizer, Iron & Steel, Paper & Pulp, Thermal Power, Textile) were mandated to reduce their specific energy consumption (SEC). It has resulted in saving of 8.67 million tonne of oil equivalent (Mtoe) and emission reduction of 31 million tonnes of CO2. The scheme has been  further  deepened  and  widened  to  include  3  more  sectors  viz.  Railways,  Refineries  and Electricity  Distribution  Companies  (DISCOMs).  One  of  the  guiding  principles  of  National Environment Policy 2006 is 'Polluter Pays'.

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