Lok Sabha Question No. 188 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-21
Subject: High Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Dilip Saikia

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 188

TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.07.2025

## High Carbon Dioxide Emissions

## 188. SHRI DILIP SAIKIA:

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

- (a) whether India is currently included in the list of countries emitting high carbon dioxide;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  of  the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  prevent  high emissions of carbon dioxide;
- (c) whether any roadmap has been prepared by the Government for high carbon dioxide emitting industries; and
- (d) if so, the targets set for their assessment?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a) to  (d) India is an emerging economy where greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are set to increase, albeit from a low base, in pursuit of its development and poverty eradication goals. India's share of historical cumulative emissions from 1850 to 2019 amounts to less than 4 percent of global cumulative carbon dioxide emissions, despite being home to more than 17 percent  of  the  world's  population.  India's  responsibility  for  global  warming  thus  has  been minimal; even today, its annual per capita emissions are only about one-third of the global average. Despite this, India is committed to addressing climate change with firm adherence to multilateralism  and  based  on  the  principles  of  equity  and  common  but  differentiated responsibilities and respective  capabilities (CBDR-RC), as enshrined in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The Government is combating climate change through several programs and schemes. This includes implementation of the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), which comprises missions in specific areas of solar energy, energy efficiency, water, agriculture, the Himalayan ecosystem, sustainable habitat, green India, strategic knowledge on climate change, and human health. The NAPCC provides an overarching framework for all climate actions. Thirty-four States/Union Territories (UTs) have prepared their State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) in line with NAPCC, considering the state-specific issues relating to climate change.

India  submitted  its  Nationally  Determined  Contribution  (NDC)  under  the  Paris Agreement  in  2015  and  updated  it  in August  2022,  setting  enhanced  targets  i.e,  reducing emissions  intensity  of  GDP  by  45% by  2030 from  2005 levels,  achieving 50%  cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel sources, and creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent through increased forest and tree cover. The NDC also promotes sustainable lifestyles under the  'LIFE'  initiative,  cleaner  development, climate adaptation, and capacity building.

India has achieved its NDC goal of the share of non-fossil fuel-based power generation capacity,  which  stands  at  50.07%  as  of  June  30,  2025.  From  2005  to  2020,  the  emission intensity of the GDP declined by 36%, and between 2005 and 2021, India created an additional carbon sink of 2.29 billion tonnes CO₂ equivalent from forests and tree cover, reaffirming its commitment to equitable climate action.

In  addition,  India's  Long-Term  Low-Carbon  Development  Strategy  (LT-LEDS), submitted to the UNFCCC in November 2022, provides a framework with seven key strategic transitions for achieving net-zero emissions by 2070 based on the principles of CBDR-RC, equity, and climate justice. These include (i) low-carbon development of electricity systems consistent  with  development,  (ii)  develop  an  integrated,  efficient  and  inclusive  transport system, (iii) promote adaptation in urban design, energy and material efficiency in buildings, and  sustainable  urbanisation,  (iv)  promoting  economy-wide  decoupling  of  growth  from emissions  and  development  of  an  efficient,  innovative  low  emission  industrial  system,  (v) development  of  carbon  dioxide  removal  and  related  engineering  solutions,  (vi)  enhancing forest and vegetation cover consistent with socio-economic and ecological considerations, and (vii) economic and financial needs of low-carbon development.

The industrial system strategies in India's LT-LEDS, inter alia, includes promotion of energy  efficient/low  carbon  technologies;  process and fuel  switching,  and  electrification  in manufacturing, based on availability and access to technology and the provision of climate finance; sector-specific material efficiency technologies and strategies enhanced through value chains; R&D in technology and infrastructure for green hydrogen to be given a boost, ramping up electrolyser manufacturing capacity; explore low carbon options in hard-to-abate sectors such as steel and cement; and strengthen financial support, knowledge sharing, and awareness of low carbon options and sustainable technologies.

The Ministry of Steel has released the Taxonomy for Green Steel to provide standards for defining and categorizing the low emission steel. Further, Ministry of Steel has released a report titled "Greening the Steel Sector in India: Roadmap and Action Plan" to provide roadmap for green steel and sustainability towards net-zero emissions by 2070.

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