India And Climate Change | Environment for UPSC CSE PDF Download

India’s Position on Climate Change

• India emitted 2,136.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent greenhouse gases in 2010.
• The energy sector was the prime contributor to emissions and with 71% of total emissions in 2010. Energy sector includes - electricity production, fuel combustion in industries, transport and fugitive emissions.
• Industrial processes and product use contributed 8%; agriculture and waste sectors contributed 18% and 3% respectively to the national GHG inventory.
• About 12% of emissions were offset by carbon sink action of forests and croplands, considering which the national GHG emissions arrived at a total of 1,884.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent.
• India’s per capita GHG emission in 2010 was 1.56 t CO₂ equivalent, which is less than one- third of the world’s per capita emissions and far below than many developed and developing countries.
• A reduction of emission intensity of GDP by about 12% between 2005 and 2010 has been achieved against our voluntary pledge to reduce the emission intensity of its GDP by 20–25 per cent by 2020, compared with the 2005 level.
• India will continue to be a low-carbon economy (World Bank study).
• India’s primary focus is on “adaptation”, with specific focus for “mitigation”.
• India has already unveiled a comprehensive National Action Plan on Climate Change whose activities are in the public domain.