India’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions saw a 7.93% decline in 2020 compared to the previous year, according to the country’s Fourth Biennial Update Report (BUR-4) submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on December 30, 2024. The report, which updates the Third National Communication (TNC), provides the official GHG inventory for 2020 and includes details on India’s national circumstances, climate mitigation efforts, and the financial, technological, and capacity-building challenges it faces.
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, praised India’s progress, highlighting that the numbers reflect Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to aligning economic growth with climate action. In a statement on social media, Yadav emphasized that India is setting an example for sustainable development on the global stage.
In 2020, India’s total GHG emissions, excluding land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF), stood at 2,959 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent (CO2e). When accounting for LULUCF, net emissions were recorded at 2,437 million tonnes of CO2e. The energy sector was the largest contributor to emissions, accounting for 75.66%, followed by agriculture (13.72%), industrial processes (8.06%), and waste management (2.56%). India’s forests and tree cover, along with other land-use practices, sequestered approximately 522 million tonnes of CO2 in 2020—offsetting 22% of the country’s total emissions for the year.
India’s Progress on Climate Targets
India has consistently made strides in decoupling economic growth from carbon emissions. Between 2005 and 2020, the emission intensity of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) decreased by 36%. The country has also made significant advancements in renewable energy, with non-fossil fuel sources accounting for 46.52% of its total installed electricity generation capacity by October 2024. As of that date, the total renewable power capacity, including large hydropower, stood at 203.22 GW. Notably, the non-hydro renewable capacity (excluding large hydropower) has increased more than fourfold, from 35 GW in March 2014 to 156.25 GW in 2024.
India’s forest and tree cover, which now represents 25.17% of the nation’s total land area, has also contributed significantly to carbon sequestration. From 2005 to 2021, India created an additional carbon sink of 2.29 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
Despite contributing minimally to historical global emissions, India continues to lead proactive climate action, grounded in the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR-RC) as enshrined in the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement. This reflects India’s ongoing commitment to sustainable development while meeting its climate and developmental goals.
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