India could check emissions and still record high growth

The Energy and Resources Institute, a New Delhi-based environmental think tank, said that if measures for improving energy efficiency and new technologies were introduced, India could reduce its emission levels about 30 per cent in 2036 than they would otherwise have been, the Times of India reported. The findings in the institute's Technology Vision 2036 report challenged the long-held contentions of the Indian government at international meetings that the country could not afford to reduce emissions because it would reduce its annual economic growth rate of about 9 per cent. Total carbon dioxide emissions from commercial energy production and use in India was estimated to hit 16. 22 billion tons by 2036 if growth in the gross domestic product is 8 per cent and 25 billion tons if it is 10 per cent. But if energy-savings measures and new technology were introduced, those emissions could fall to 11. 5 billion tons for growth of 8 per cent and 17. 5 billion tons for 10 per cent, the report said.

The measures included increasing efficiency of energy production and use and supplementing power production through use of renewable sources, including nuclear energy.

Institute experts who made detailed calculations for major industries, transportation, domestic consumption and production using mathematical modelling said that energy consumption could be reduced by the equivalent of 583 million tons of oil. Reduction in energy consumption would mean fewer emissions and financial savings.

The study was released as developing countries like India and China are fighting emission caps and carbon trading, fearing slowdowns in their booming economies.

India, which is among the fastest growing economies globally, is currently the fifth largest emitter of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas.

According to the government's own data, annual emissions of carbon dioxide would rise from 1 billion tons at present to 5. 5 billion tons per year by 2031, meaning India would overtake Japan and Russia to become the world's third largest carbon dioxide emitter after the United States and China by 2030. dpa sk ls