Climate Transparency Report 2022

What is the Climate Transparency Report 2022

About: The Climate Transparency Report is the world’s most comprehensive annual review of G20 countries’ climate action and their transition to a net zero emissions economy.

Theme for the 2022 edition: G20 response to the energy crisis: Critical for 1.5°c.

Prepared by: The report was developed by experts from 16 partner organizations from the majority of the G20 countries.

Significance: The Climate Transparency Report 2022 report especially highlights the link between the climate emergency and energy crisis.

Climate Transparency Report 2022: Major Findings for India

• Emissions Overview
  • Total emissions: India’s total greenhouse gas emissions (excluding LULUCF) have increased by 182% (1990–2019). The increases were largely due to a sustained increase in energy-related emissions.
  • LULUCF stands for Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry.
  • Per capita emissions: India’s per capita emissions (including LULUCF) are approximately 30% of the G20 average. Total per capita emissions have increased by 12% from 2014 to 2019.
  • Methane emissions: India’s methane emissions (excl. LULUCF) increased by 10% between 1990–2019.
  • The majority of India’s methane emissions came from the agriculture sector in 2019.
  • Agricultural emissions: India has the largest cattle population in the world (38%) and agricultural emissions are primarily from the digestive processes and manure of livestock (mainly cattle).

• Energy Overview
  • Fossil fuels: India’s energy mix was still dominated by fossil fuels (74%) in 2021, around 9% lower than the G20 average. Increased energy supply was mainly driven by increased coal from 1990–2010.
  • Renewables: Solar, wind, geothermal and biomass, excluding traditional biomass, account for 11.6% of India’s energy supply – the G20 average is 7.5%.
  • Carbon intensity of the energy sector: Carbon intensity is a measure of how much CO2 is emitted per unit of energy supply. Emissions intensity in India in 2021 was 58 tCO2/TJ, almost the same as the G20 average.
  • Energy intensity of the economy: This indicator quantifies how much energy is used for each unit of GDP. India’s energy intensity is lower than the G20 average.

• Electricity Generation
  • India is the third-largest producer of electricity after China and the US. India’s electricity generation is dominated by coal, around 72% in 2021.
  • The share of renewable energy has increased around 29% in the last five years (2016–2021) to 20% (including domestic large hydro) of the power mix in 2021.

• Impacts of a Changing Climate
  • Increased temperatures: Between 2017 to 2021, the average summer temperatures experienced by people in India were 0.4°C higher than the 1986–2005 average global mean temperature increase of 0.3°C.
  • Income losses: India suffered an income loss of $159 billion, 5.4% of its gross domestic product, in the service, manufacturing, agriculture, and construction sectors due to extreme heat in 2021.
  • Loss of labour productivity: Heat exposure in the country led to the loss of 167 billion potential labour hours, a 39% increase from 1990–1999.
  • Losses due to extreme events: In 2020, India is estimated to have suffered an average annual loss of about USD 87bn from extreme weather events such as tropical cyclones, floods and droughts.
  • Increased droughts: About 33% of India is drought prone and 50% of these areas face chronic drought. These droughts have not only intensified but also increased in frequency over the last few decades.
• Future Impacts at 1.5°C Warming and Higher
  • Indian rice production could decrease by 10–30%, and maize production could drop by 25–70% with temperature increases in a range of 1°C–4°C.
  • Precipitation is projected to increase by 6% from the reference period of 1986–2006, at 1.5°C of warming. Snowfall in India is expected to decrease under 1.5°C scenario by 13%.
  • The annual damage from river flooding in the country is likely to increase by around 49% at 1.5°C of warming. The damage from cyclones will increase by 5.7%.
  • Labour productivity in India is projected to decline by 5% from the 1986–2006 reference period if global temperatures increase by 1.5°C.

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