Greenhouse gas emissions up 22% between 2010 and 2014

Context:

  • India’s total greenhouse gas emissions grew by more than 22 per cent between 2010 and 2014, reaching a level of 2.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2014 according to latest report submitted in India’s second Biennial Update Report (BUR) to the UNFCC.
  • India had submitted its first BUR in 2016, reporting its emissions data till the year 2010. This time it has submitted data till 2014.

Highlights of BUR Report

  • The BUR report says the energy sector, followed by agriculture, is still the biggest carbon emitter and contributed a majority share to India’s carbon emission in 2014.
  • The sector accounts for 73 per cent emissions, agriculture 16 per cent, Industrial Process and Product Use (IPPU) 8 per cent and the waste sector 3 per cent

India’s obligation towards the convention

  • As part of its Nationally-Determined Contributions (NDC), India has also promised to ensure that at least 40 per cent of its electricity generation in 2030 would happen from non-fossil fuel sources, and that its emissions intensity, or emissions per unit of GDP, would reduce by at least 33 to 35 per cent by the year 2030 from 2005 levels.
  • India has committed itself to substantially increase its forest cover, promising to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes by 2030 as compared to 2005 levels.

Salient Feature for BUR

  • The scope of BUR is to provide an update to India’s first BUR to UNFCCC.  
  • The BUR contains five major components — National Circumstances; National Greenhouse Gas Inventory; Mitigation Actions; Finance, Technology and Capacity Building Needs and Support Received and Domestic Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) arrangements.
  • Submission of India’s Second BUR will fulfil the obligation of India to furnish information regarding implementation of the Convention, being a Party.

Background:

  • India is a Party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
  • The Convention joins upon all Parties, both developed country Parties and developing country Parties to furnish information, in the form of a National Communication regarding implementation of the Convention. Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC in its sixteenth session.

Source:Indian Express

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