In a significant revelation, India’s total emissions witnessed a surge of 4.56% in 2019 compared to 2016 levels, nearly doubling since the year 2000. As reported in the third national communication and first adaptation communication submitted to the UNFCCC, the energy sector took the lead in emissions at 75.81%, followed by agriculture (13.44%), industrial processes (8.41%), and waste (2.34%).
Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav highlighted that India, amidst this surge, has successfully decoupled economic growth from emissions. The report reveals a commendable 33% reduction in emissions intensity of GDP between 2005 and 2019. Impressively, India has achieved its target of reducing emission intensity by 33-35% by 2030, accomplishing this goal 11 years ahead of schedule.
The ongoing UN Climate Summit (COP28) provides the backdrop for submitting this national communication, emphasizing India’s commitment to addressing climate change challenges. The energy sector’s dominant contribution to emissions calls for strategic measures to further boost sustainability.
Notably, the Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry (LULUCF) sector acted as a net sink, removing 4,85,472 GtCO2e of emissions in 2019. India’s net national emissions for the same year totaled 2.6 billion tons CO2e.
India’s progress is underscored by its share of non-fossil sources based installed capacity in electricity generation, surpassing 41% in 2023. The report also points out the creation of an additional carbon sink of 1.97 billion tonnes of CO2e from 2005 to 2019, reinforcing India’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
The Third National Communication reflects India’s evolving climate strategies, emphasizing adaptation measures and its proactive approach to mitigating climate change impacts. The report calls attention to the country’s unique position, with 18% of the global population but contributing less than 4% of cumulative CO2 emissions from 1850 to 2019.
India’s adaptation efforts are detailed in a special Annexure, emphasizing the need for increased financial support from bilateral and multilateral sources to address the growing impacts of climate change. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of developed nations fulfilling their commitments to provide financial assistance, technology transfer, and capacity building.