Power sector CO2 emissions down for only second time in half a century

The power sector accounts for over half of India's total emissions. CO2 emissions from power generation added up to around 724 million tonnes (mt) in H1 2025

India’s devastating monsoons have had an unexpected silver lining this year, much like the Covid-19 pandemic did in 2020. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the country’s power sector declined for the first time in the first half (H1) of 2025 in nearly half a century — excluding the pandemic period — according to a new research. Record additions of renewable energy also helped reverse emissions growth.

 

India’s CO2 emissions from its power sector, which is dominated by coal-fired generation, fell by 1 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) in the January-June period of 2025 and by 0.2 per cent in the July