India's fight against air pollution could increase greenhouse gas emissions

India’s fight against deadly air pollution may come with an unintended consequence: increased emissions of greenhouse gases.

Government-mandated pollution control devices for coal-fired power plants, which reduce deadly sulfur-dioxide pollution, could also boost carbon dioxide emissions at individual plants, according to a report by the US Environmental Protection Agency. 

That may impede India’s ability to meet international commitments to reduce carbon-emissions intensity.

“It’ll come down to a trade-off between local health impacts versus global warming,” said Deepak Krishnan, a Bengaluru-based associate director with World Resources Institute India.

India has committed to cutting its emissions intensity -- the amount of greenhouse gases released for each