India's Biannual Transparency Report (BTR) and Climate Commitments
India is finalizing its first Biannual Transparency Report (BTR) as part of its obligations under the 2015 Paris Agreement. This report will outline India's greenhouse gas emissions inventory, improvement in energy efficiency, and transition to renewable energy sources.
Background
- Paris Agreement (COP-21): An international agreement obligating countries to submit BTRs to enhance transparency in climate action.
- Previous Submissions: India has submitted information via "national communications" and "Biannual Update Reports" (BUR), the latest being in December 2024.
- Technical Review: BTRs undergo a review by accredited non-Indian experts from the UNFCCC.
Current BTR Features
- Data Inclusion: The upcoming BTR will include data up to 2022, unlike previous BURs which only included data till 2020.
- Emission Trends: India's greenhouse gas emissions fell by 7.93% in 2020 due to reduced energy consumption during COVID-19 lockdowns.
- However, emissions are expected to rise in the upcoming BTR, mirroring global trends.
Emissions Details
- 2020 Emissions Data:
- Total emissions (excluding LULUCF): 2,959 million tonnes of CO2e.
- Net emissions (including LULUCF): 2,437 million tonnes of CO2e.
- Sector Contributions:
- Energy sector: 75.66% of total emissions.
- Agriculture: 13.72%.
- Industrial processes and product use: 8.06%.
- Waste: 2.56%.
- Carbon Sequestration: Forest and tree cover in India sequestered approximately 522 million tonnes of CO2 in 2020, offsetting 22% of total emissions.
