Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Global efforts to curb methane fall short as emissions keep rising

Methane emissions from the fossil fuel industry, including coal mining, remain close to a record level set in 2019

Greenhouse gas emissions increases to new record in 2023: WMO report

Greenhouse gas levels surged to a new record in 2023, rising by more than 10 per cent in just two decades, according to a new report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). In the course of 2023, large vegetation fire CO2 emissions and a possible reduction in carbon absorption by forests combined with stubbornly high fossil fuel CO2 emissions from human and industrial activities to drive the increase, according to the WMO's annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin. The globally averaged surface concentration of carbon dioxide reached 420 parts per million (ppm), methane 1934 parts per billion and nitrous oxide 336.9 parts per billion (ppb) in 2023. These values are 151 per cent, 265 per cent and 125 per cent of pre-industrial (before 1750) levels, it said. These are calculated on the basis of the long-term observations within the Global Atmosphere Watch network of monitoring stations. Another year. Another record. This should set alarm bells ringing among decision makers. We are clea

Decarbonisation key to firm profitability, India ahead of global average

Globally, only about 25 per cent of the companies reported annual decarbonisation benefits worth at least 7 per cent of sales

India has decoupled economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions: Survey

India has successfully reduced the emission intensity of its GDP, the Survey said

From algorithms to emissions: Google struggles with AI's energy hunger

Artificial intelligence systems, which need a lot of computing power housed in energy-hungry data centres, have become crucial in Google's operations

CREDAI joins hands with AEEE to promote net zero buildings in India

The building sector accounts for 25 per cent of India's greenhouse gas emissions and is expected to exceed India's total remaining carbon budget by 2070

India's May heatwave peaks 1.5 degree celcius above previous record

Heatwaves similar to those experienced in May in India are almost 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than the warmest heat waves previously observed in the country, according to a new rapid attribution study by an independent group of climate scientists and researchers. The analysts at ClimaMeter said the intense and prolonged heat wave India endured in May was a result of the naturally occurring El Nino phenomenon -- unusual warming of the ocean surface in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean -- and the rapidly increasing concentration of greenhouse gases -- primarily carbon dioxide and methane -- in the atmosphere. The researchers analyzed how events similar to the high temperature in India's May heatwave changed in the present (20012023) compared to what they would have looked like if they had occurred in the past (19792001). "The temperature changes show that similar events produce temperatures in the present climate at least 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than what they would hav

India to spend up to $385 bn to meet renewable energy target: Moody's

India, a major greenhouse gas emitter, has said it aims to ramp up non-fossil fuel capacity set by 50 GW each year to help meet its 500 GW target.

Groundwater to heat over 3 degrees C by century end, risking safety: Report

Groundwater is projected to warm by 2-3.5 degrees Celsius before the turn of this century, potentially risking water quality and safety, apart from threatening ecosystems depending on the resource, a new research has found. The "world's first global groundwater temperature model" predicted the highest warming rates in Central Russia, Northern China and parts of North America, and the Amazon rainforest in South America. A team of researchers, led by those from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany, said while a lot of focus on climate change concerns weather events and water availability, we also need to think about how it impacts groundwater, critical to life on the planet. Warming of groundwater can adversely impact ecosystems relying on them, they said. "Rivers rely on groundwater to keep flowing during dry times. Warm waters hold less dissolved oxygen," explained study co-author Gabriel Rau from the University of Newcastle, UK. The model also estimated that by 2100, 60

Germany likely to miss 2030 climate goal, advisors calls for new policy

Expert Council on Climate Issues, which has independent authority to judge the country's climate performance, said Germany is unlikely to meet its goal to cut 65% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030

Emissions model for aviation fuel will be ready in very near future: EPA

The revisions were delayed from an initial March 1 timeline after disputes among agencies about the changes, sources told Reuters at the time

Buildings sector will exceed country's entire GHG emissions budget

Emissions from India's buildings sector between 2020 and 2070 are projected to reach 90.85 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in the business-as-usual scenario, exceeding the carbon budget allocated for the entire country, according to a report released on Monday. The countries are striving to achieve net-zero emissions (a balance between greenhouse gases emitted and removed from the atmosphere) to limit the rise in global average temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius and prevent further worsening of climate impacts. Becoming a net-zero economy is particularly challenging for India as it must achieve the dual goals of fulfilling developmental aspirations and curbing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC AR6) estimated the remaining global carbon budget (from 2020 onwards) for a 50 percent chance of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius to be 500 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent. According to Climat

UltraTech to have 85% green energy mix by 2030 to meet sustainability goals

The largest cement and ready-mix concrete maker Ultratech Cement on Wednesday announced that it plans to increase the overall share of green energy in its total energy mix to 85 per cent by 2030. As an interim target for its sustainability objectives and targets, the AV Birla Group company plans to increase its total green energy share from its current 22 per cent to 60 per cent by FY26. Currently the company has 691 MW of green energy capacity, which includes 262 MW of WHRS (waste heat recovery system) installed capacity and 429 MW of contracted renewable energy. This translates to about 22 per cent of its current energy requirements. "As the country's largest cement maker, it is our responsibility to lead the way in building a more sustainable and green future for the industry by decarbonization. We've been constantly scaling up our green energy mix over the years," said KC Jhanwar, the managing director. Ultratech targets to meet 100 per cent of its electricity requirement throu

Equity, justice must be basis of climate action, says India at COP28

India firmly believes that equity and climate justice must be the basis of climate action and this can be ensured only when the developed countries take the lead in combating climate change, Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav said here at the COP28 on Saturday. Delivering the country's national statement here at the high-level segment at the annual climate conference, Yadav also highlighted India's contribution, noting that New Delhi reduced its GDP emission intensity by 33 per cent between 2005 and 2019, achieving the target 11 years in advance. Yadav also said that India looks forward to the Global Stocktake (GST) outcome for providing meaningful and relevant inputs for deciding enhanced climate action. GST is a two-year review of collective global efforts to achieve the Paris agreement goals, especially the target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Calling the ongoing climate negotiations as a COP28 of action', the Minister said it was evident on the first day

India refrains from signing the COP28 Health and Climate Declaration

India on Sunday refrained from signing the COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health, with sources pointing out that curbing greenhouse gas use for cooling in the health sector, which is one of the points in the document, may not be practical or achievable within the country's healthcare infrastructure in the short term. The declaration calls for climate action to achieve benefits for health from deep, rapid, and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, including from just transitions, lower air pollution, active mobility, and shifts to sustainable healthy diets. On the occasion of the first Health Day at the 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) on Sunday, the declaration expressed grave concern about the negative impacts of climate change on health. The declaration is signed by 124 countries till now with the US and India, which are among the top greenhouse gas emitters, absent from the list of signatories. The declaration, aimed at addressing the critical intersection

Ozone hole largest on record over past 3 years, new research finds

Contrary to public perception, the Antarctic ozone hole has been amongst the largest on record over the past three years, new research has found. The ozone hole above Antarctica has been remarkably massive and long-lived over the past four years and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are not the only things to blame, said researchers in their study published in the journal Nature Communications. CFCs are greenhouse gases containing carbon, hydrogen, chlorine and fluorine and have been studied to contribute to ozone depletion. The ozone layer in the Earth's atmosphere blocks the harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun to protect people from skin diseases. According to the study's lead author Hannah Kessenich, PhD candidate at the University of Otago, New Zealand, the team found much less ozone in the centre of the hole compared to 19 years ago. "This means that the hole is not only larger in area, but also deeper throughout most of spring," said Kessenich. The team analysed the mon

Global emissions predicted to drop just 2% by 2030, shows UN report

Global emissions are predicted to drop just 2 per cent below the 2019 levels by 2030, as compared to a 43 per cent reduction needed to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, according to a new report by the United Nations. The report comes ahead of the 28th UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai, where countries are expected to push for stronger climate action to limit warming to 1.5 degrees. According to the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a body of top climate scientists, greenhouse gas emissions need to be cut by 43 per cent by 2030, compared to the 2019 levels. This is critical to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of this century and avoid the worst impacts of climate change, including more frequent and severe droughts, heatwaves and rainfall. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) analysed the Nationally Determined Contributions of 195 parties to the Paris Agreement, including 20 new or updated NDCs submitted up .

'Net zero goal still alive', says IEA but world still faces major obstacles

Net zero goal still alive, says IEA but the world still faces major obstacles to reach it

Crop burning emissions rose 75% from 2011-2020, finds IISER study

The study pinpointed Punjab as the highest emitter, with 27 per cent of its cultivated area burned in 2020, followed closely by Madhya Pradesh during the same period

How carbon emissions accounting helps in achieving net zero targets

The process of calculating the amount of greenhouse gas emitted directly by operations or indirectly by supply chain and subsidiaries is known as carbon accounting