Growing India infrastructure sees GHG emission rise

India's infrastructure creates GHG

India has one of the fastest growing economies and infrastructure in the world, seeing a growth of eight percent or better over the past three to four years. Despite criticisms over an outdated transport network, the country's rapid industrialisation has seen its infrastructure boom, but at a cost. According to a new report, India's annual greenhouse gas emissions have increased by nearly 60 percent between 1994 and 2007, a growth of 1.2 billion tonnes to 1.9 billion tonnes, making the country one of the world's biggest emitters.

While India has had great success in developing its economy and infrastructure, its most successful industries haven't been the greenest. The country has seen a rapid growth in sectors such as cement production, electricity and transport over the past 15 years, but it is energy production in particular that has produced the most emissions, accounting for over half (58 percent). 22 percent of emissions were attributed to industry while an addition 17 percent was produced by agriculture.

Global emitter

India is now fifth globally in terms of the amount of GHG emissions it produces, behind the United States, China, the European Union and Russia. The emissions of the United States and China are four times that of India in 2007. Despite the alarming increase, India's emissions per unit national wealth (or gross domestic product), a measure of GHG intensity, still fell by 30 percent during this period.

In terms of cutting its emissions, India stated, ahead of the Copenhagen Conference in November last year, that it would aim to "reduce its GHG emission intensity by 20-25 percent" over the next decade.

Despite this pledge, the country did not sign any binding agreement, with Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh maintaining that India's emissions are not comparable with those of the US and China.

Despite growth in certain areas, India's infrastructure is still lacking in other parts of the country. Inadequate transport links are hampering further expansion due to poor connectivity in rural areas. As such food processing, pharmaceuticals, and consumer durables industries, which have a possibly huge consumer base in these areas, aren't reaching their full potential.

The report that was compiled by the Indian Network for Climate Change Assessment (INCCA), is the most comprehensive study of India's emission profile in the past six years. The last time India carried out such an exercise was in 2004 when it reported its emission profile for 1994 as required by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

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Why does India need to improve its infrastructure? | India's daunting census | The rise of the mega-region

Timon Singh

Timon Singh is a graduate of Liverpool University where he received a degree in Social and Economic History. He has previously worked for BBC Magazines on BBC Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine, the publication for the popular genealogy show.

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