India's climate policies expected to reduce CO2 emissions, says report

BY AROUND 4 BILLION TONNES BY 2030

NEW DELHI: India's current climate policies are projected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around four billion tonnes between 2020 and 2030, and drive a 24-per cent reduction in coal-based power generation, according to a new report.

This is significant considering the fast-developing South Asian country, now the fifth-largest economy in the world, had committed to reducing emissions by one billion tonnes by 2030 at COP26 in Glasgow.

The study by Delhi-based independent think tank Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) said policies for India's power, residential and transport sectors have already saved 440 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (MtCO2) between 2015 and 2020.

According to the report, in the power sector alone, policies promoting renewable energy are expected to drive a 24-per cent decline in coal-based electricity generation by 2030, relative to a no-policy scenario.