India’s per capita emissions are one-third of the world average, while developed countries have three times the world average.

Minister of Union Power and New & Renewable Energy R. K. Singh declared on Tuesday that India will responsibly expand its generation capacity while refusing to give in to the country’s mounting energy demands.

Speaking at the opening of the India International Trade Fair 2023’s power pavilion, Singh highlighted that industrialised nations must first reduce their emissions.

Singh emphasised India’s lead over the COP28 by claiming that industrialised nations’ industrialization process is responsible for over 85% of the carbon dioxide burden in the atmosphere. India accounts for under 3.5 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, despite having 17 percent of the world’s population.

He made the point that whereas wealthy nations have three times the global average for emissions per person, India only has one-third of that amount.

The minister emphasised that India will responsibly meet its demands for electricity while refusing to back down. Nine years ahead of schedule, India has already met the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) target of having 40% of installed power capacity come from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030.

Singh stated that India accomplished its goal of reducing its emissions intensity by 33 percent by 2030, as it had committed to do at the 2015 COP-21 conference, by 2019.

India’s commitment at COP26 is to have 50 percent of its capacity from renewables by 2030 and reduce emission intensity by 45 percent. Singh expressed confidence in achieving these targets, stating that the availability of power in rural areas is now 21 hours, and in urban areas, it is 23.5 hours.

(Inputs from PTI)