India's carbon footprint expected to rise 8.2% in 2023

An international study forecasts an 8.2% surge in carbon emissions for India and a 4% increase for China in 2023. Conducted by a consortium of over 120 scientists, including the University of Exeter, UK, the research highlights a global rise in emissions from coal, oil, and gas by 1.1%, 1.5%, and 0.5%, respectively. Conversely, projections suggest a decline in the EU by 7.4% and the USA by 3%.

The report, titled the Global Carbon Budget, represents an annual, peer-reviewed assessment integrating established methodologies. It anticipates a total global carbon dioxide (CO2) emission of 40.9 billion tonnes in 2023.

Of this, 36.8 billion tonnes stem from fossil fuels, marking a 1.1% increase from 2022.

Atmospheric CO2 levels are expected to average 419.3 parts per million in 2023, surpassing pre-industrial levels by over 50%, as indicated in the forthcoming report for the journal Earth System Science Data.

However, the report underscores the limited efficacy of current technology-based Carbon Dioxide Removal methods, estimating their impact at about 0.01 million tonnes CO2. This figure remains significantly smaller than ongoing fossil CO2 emissions and excludes nature-based approaches like reforestation.