New Delhi, Feb 27 (.) India’s industrial growth is being driven by cleaner fuels from the outset, unlike historically high carbon emitting nations that industrialised through coal, oil powered mobility and large scale deforestation, Environment Secretary Tanmay Kumar said on Friday.
Addressing a gathering at TERI’s World Sustainable Development Summit 2026 in Delhi, Kumar highlighted the country’s development model. He said India is pursuing growth, urbanisation and industrialisation alongside poverty eradication and decarbonisation.
Referring to the first Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement, he noted that it calls for a 43 per cent reduction in global emissions by 2030. However, he said current global trajectories reveal a significant gap, particularly due to inaction by developed nations.
Kumar pointed out that between 1850 and 2019, developed countries contributed nearly half of global CO₂ emissions, while India’s historical contribution remains negligible.
Highlighting India’s low emissions footprint, he said the country accounts for nearly 17 per cent of the global population, while its per capita emissions stand at about two tonnes annually, well below the global average.
He added that India’s environmentally safeguarded pathway includes transit oriented urbanisation, industries increasingly powered by green energy, a renewable integrated power grid with storage capacity, and a circular economy aimed at reducing material intensity.
. MBJ SSI