In today’s quota of good news for the day, India’s carbon dioxide emissions have fallen for the first time in 4 decades.
But it’s not just because of the coronavirus lockdown but also due to drop in demand in various sectors as well as an increase in clean energy generation.
India’s Carbon Dioxide Emissions Fall For The First Time In 4 Decades
According to data revealed in a recent analysis conducted done by Lauri Myllyvirta and Sunil Dahiya of the Centre of Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), CO2 emissions in the country fell by 30 million tonnes in the financial year of 2019-20 compared to the previous fiscal year. While carbon dioxide emissions fell by 15% in March, in April, they fell by 30%.
The analysts looked at the latest consumption figures for coal, oil and gas, and observed that an overall fall in the consumption of fossil fuels has led to the decline in CO2 emissions.
In the power sector, power generated from coal-fired plants fell by 15% in March, and 31% in the first three weeks of April. In the same way, consumption of oil saw a huge decline too. Compared to last year, demand in growth of oil consumption fell by 18% this March.
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Renewable Energy Usage Goes Up In India
Meanwhile, renewable energy supply in the country has increased over the year and has held strong even when the coronavirus pandemic struck the country. According to the report, renewable energy generation increased by 6.4% in March, and saw a slight decrease of 1.4% in the first three weeks of April, which is still significant for India.
While this decline may not last long as India slowly looks to lifts lockdown restrictions and restart industrial activities, experts think that India should buck this trend.
Many environmentalists in the country hope that the clean air and clear skies that Indians have been enjoying since lockdown will increase public pressure on the government and force them to take necessary steps to improve air quality.
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