India Cuts GHG Emissions by 7.93%, Highlights Climate Leadership

India has reiterated its commitment to climate action, with Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav highlighting the country’s significant strides in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Speaking at the inaugural session of the World Sustainable Development Summit 2025 on Wednesday, Yadav underscored India's leadership in the global climate agenda.

“In 2020 alone, India reduced its GHG emissions by 7.93%—a testament to its unwavering commitment to climate action,” he stated, emphasizing that the Global South is now driving the climate discourse, with the world looking to India for leadership.

India’s fourth biennial report, submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in January, revealed that national GHG emissions declined by 7.93% compared to 2019, while marking a 98.34% increase since 1994. The report further noted that India has successfully decoupled economic growth from emissions, achieving a 36% reduction in the emission intensity of GDP between 2005 and 2020, against the 2030 target of 45%.

Experts have pointed out that the reduction in emissions in 2020 may have been influenced by the economic contraction caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Indian economy shrank by 7.7% in 2020-21 due to disruptions in global supply chains and domestic economic activity. However, the government swiftly implemented measures to revive growth while maintaining its focus on sustainable development.

The summit was also attended by Guyana’s Prime Minister, Brigadier Mark Phillip, and Brazil’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva.

Yadav emphasized India’s commitment to inclusive, ambitious, and collaborative climate action. He called on developed nations to fulfill their financial and technological commitments under the Paris Agreement, ensuring that climate adaptation finance reaches the most vulnerable regions.

Reaffirming India’s long-term vision, Yadav outlined the country’s roadmap to becoming a Viksit Bharat by 2047 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2070. He highlighted key initiatives from the Union Budget 2025, which focus on energy security, expanding clean energy capacity, and strengthening domestic green technology manufacturing.

“The fight against climate change cannot be fragmented. Global governance must be reformed to place equity and justice at the heart of climate negotiations,” Yadav asserted, urging for stronger international cooperation in advancing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).