By AFP
November 4, 2025
Non-fossil fuels hit half of India's installed energy capacity, but that has not translated into generation - Copyright AFP/File Money SHARMA
Sara Hussein
India is the world’s most populous country, the third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, and remains deeply dependent on polluting coal to meet soaring energy demand.
It is also a climate diplomacy heavyweight, representing developing economies.
Ahead of the COP30 climate talks in Brazil this month, here is a look at India’s commitments:
– Emissions –
India emitted 4.4 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent — a measure of all planet-warming greenhouse gases — in 2024, according to UN figures, behind only China and the United States.
But with a population of 1.4 billion people, its per capita emissions and historical contributions to global warming are much smaller.
India is committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2070, and is on track to meet and exceed a pledge to reduce emission intensity 45 percent from 2005 levels by 2030.
– Electricity –
India’s emissions are dominated by coal, which generates around 75 percent of the country’s electricity.
This year, non-fossil fuels hit half of India’s installed energy capacity, a target reached five years earlier than planned.
But that capacity has not translated into generation, and India’s remains the world’s second largest coal consumer.
Its electricity needs are expected to more than double by 2047, according to the country’s Center for Science and Environment.
And so far it remains off-track on an ambitious domestic goal to reach 43 percent renewable energy generation by 2030.
Just 2.5 percent of cars sold in the country last year were electric, according to S&P Global.
– Future goals –
Like all parties to the Paris Agreement, which set a goal of limiting long-term global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, India must soon present a roadmap for its climate commitments, with goals to reach by 2035.
Aman Srivastava, climate policy fellow at Sustainable Futures Collaborative, said those targets would likely be cautious, allowing India to meet and possibly exceed them.
One major announcement could be a peak emissions year, perhaps around the 2040-45 range, he told AFP.
That “then allows it to kind of ramp down its emissions over the subsequent 30 years or so” towards its 2070 net-zero target, he added.
India could also increase its emission intensity target, shifting it to the 50 to 55 percent range.
Srivastava said it would also be useful for India to shift from setting renewable energy capacity targets to “speaking about actual generation coming from non-fossil sources”.
– Challenges –
India has led the charge among developing countries seeking more financial assistance to both mitigate climate change and deal with its effects.
A recent report suggests India believes it will need up to $21 trillion to meet climate goals while securing the needs of its population.
“India faces multiple priorities,” including job creation, infrastructure and energy demand, and growth to lift people out of poverty, said Nakul Sharma and Madhura Joshi of climate think tank E3G.
Its “climate agenda is deeply intertwined with its development and energy-security priorities,” added Sharma, senior policy advisor on India, and Joshi, programme lead for Asia.
– Climate diplomacy –
India has positioned itself as a voice for developing countries and was unhappy with the climate funding target set at last year’s COP meeting, deeming it insufficient.
It could even offer two sets of climate targets, with more ambitious goals conditioned on receiving more finance, Srivastava said.
It is likely to push for more support from rich nations, and emphasise their historic responsibility for climate change at COP.
“Restoring trust in multilateralism will be really important” at this year’s meeting, Srivastava added.
Biggest emitter, record renewables: China’s climate scorecard
By AFP
November 3, 2025
China is the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases but is also installing more renewable energy sources than any other country - Copyright AFP STR
Sara HUSSEIN
China is the world’s biggest emitter of planet-warning greenhouse gases but is also installing more renewable energy sources and putting more electric vehicles on its roads than any other country.
Ahead of the COP30 climate talks in Brazil, here is a look at China’s climate commitments:
– Emissions –
China emits over 30 percent of global greenhouse gases — an estimated 15.6 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2024, according to the latest UN figures.
Both its total historical emissions and its emissions per capita are still below those of the United States, but are catching up fast.
Coal, a major source of pollution, accounted for nearly 60 percent of Chinese power generation last year, though massive installations of renewable energy are helping meet new electricity demand.
It is also a leader in the electric vehicle market, accounting for over 70 percent of global production. Almost half of new cars in China were electric battery-powered or plug-in hybrids in 2024, according to the International Energy Agency.
– Reduction targets –
In September, China announced its first numerical greenhouse gas reduction targets, pledging to slash emissions by 7-10 percent by 2035.
But it did not set a baseline year from which to measure those reductions and experts say China needs to cut emissions by closer to 30 percent from 2023 levels to keep global temperatures from rising over 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.
There is hope however that China will “underpromise but overachieve” as it has with some previous targets, including on renewable energy.
Beijing had previously committed to a peak in emissions by 2030 and to achieve net-zero carbon status three decades later.
Some analysts believe emissions have already peaked or are close to doing so thanks to the rising use of renewables and nuclear power.
– Renewable goals –
China’s official climate roadmap this week confirmed President Xi Jinping’s September target announcements.
The plan was welcomed by UN climate chief Simon Stiell as “a significant moment in our collective climate effort.”
It includes new targets for renewables, including increasing solar and wind power capacity by six times their 2020 levels to 3,600 gigawatts (GW) by 2035.
China said earlier this year it currently has 1,482 GW of wind and solar capacity.
Reaching Beijing’s new goal would require installing around 200GW of wind and solar capacity a year, far less than China added in 2024.
Though renewable energy growth could slow, analysts widely view China as likely to hit and possibly exceed its 2035 target early.
– Fossil fuels, EVs –
China wants to raise the share of non-fossil fuels in its total energy consumption to over 30 percent by 2035.
That too is considered an achievable and unambitious pledge given recent forecasts already project that figure will hit 36 percent in a decade.
The Chinese president also promised to ensure “new energy vehicles”, which include electric vehicles (EVs), become the “mainstream” in new sales.
That is arguably already the case given EVs make up over 40 percent of new purchases.
– Emissions trading, forest cover –
China’s new commitments include a pledge to expand its carbon emissions trading scheme to cover all high-emission sectors.
The scheme is already in the process of expanding from the power sector to cover heavy industry including cement, steel and aluminum, and officials have signalled plans to apply it to even more sectors.
Beijing’s 2035 pledge also targets forest cover of 24 billion cubic metres, up from 20 billion currently, according to official figures.
By AFP
November 3, 2025
China is the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases but is also installing more renewable energy sources than any other country - Copyright AFP STR
Sara HUSSEIN
China is the world’s biggest emitter of planet-warning greenhouse gases but is also installing more renewable energy sources and putting more electric vehicles on its roads than any other country.
Ahead of the COP30 climate talks in Brazil, here is a look at China’s climate commitments:
– Emissions –
China emits over 30 percent of global greenhouse gases — an estimated 15.6 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2024, according to the latest UN figures.
Both its total historical emissions and its emissions per capita are still below those of the United States, but are catching up fast.
Coal, a major source of pollution, accounted for nearly 60 percent of Chinese power generation last year, though massive installations of renewable energy are helping meet new electricity demand.
It is also a leader in the electric vehicle market, accounting for over 70 percent of global production. Almost half of new cars in China were electric battery-powered or plug-in hybrids in 2024, according to the International Energy Agency.
– Reduction targets –
In September, China announced its first numerical greenhouse gas reduction targets, pledging to slash emissions by 7-10 percent by 2035.
But it did not set a baseline year from which to measure those reductions and experts say China needs to cut emissions by closer to 30 percent from 2023 levels to keep global temperatures from rising over 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.
There is hope however that China will “underpromise but overachieve” as it has with some previous targets, including on renewable energy.
Beijing had previously committed to a peak in emissions by 2030 and to achieve net-zero carbon status three decades later.
Some analysts believe emissions have already peaked or are close to doing so thanks to the rising use of renewables and nuclear power.
– Renewable goals –
China’s official climate roadmap this week confirmed President Xi Jinping’s September target announcements.
The plan was welcomed by UN climate chief Simon Stiell as “a significant moment in our collective climate effort.”
It includes new targets for renewables, including increasing solar and wind power capacity by six times their 2020 levels to 3,600 gigawatts (GW) by 2035.
China said earlier this year it currently has 1,482 GW of wind and solar capacity.
Reaching Beijing’s new goal would require installing around 200GW of wind and solar capacity a year, far less than China added in 2024.
Though renewable energy growth could slow, analysts widely view China as likely to hit and possibly exceed its 2035 target early.
– Fossil fuels, EVs –
China wants to raise the share of non-fossil fuels in its total energy consumption to over 30 percent by 2035.
That too is considered an achievable and unambitious pledge given recent forecasts already project that figure will hit 36 percent in a decade.
The Chinese president also promised to ensure “new energy vehicles”, which include electric vehicles (EVs), become the “mainstream” in new sales.
That is arguably already the case given EVs make up over 40 percent of new purchases.
– Emissions trading, forest cover –
China’s new commitments include a pledge to expand its carbon emissions trading scheme to cover all high-emission sectors.
The scheme is already in the process of expanding from the power sector to cover heavy industry including cement, steel and aluminum, and officials have signalled plans to apply it to even more sectors.
Beijing’s 2035 pledge also targets forest cover of 24 billion cubic metres, up from 20 billion currently, according to official figures.
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