New Delhi, Dec 2 (IANS) Indian officials have calculated that the country will reduce its carbon intensity by 24 percent by 2020, compared to 2005, if the effects of its National Action Plan on Climate Change are quantified, sources in the environment ministry said Wednesday.
Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh is likely to announce this in parliament on Thursday, an official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. With the Copenhagen climate summit starting next Monday, the Lok Sabha is slated to discuss India’s position on Thursday.

The sources said the reduction in carbon intensity could go up to 37 percent by 2030, compared to 2005. Carbon intensity is the amount of carbon dioxide for each unit of industrial activity that goes into the calculation of a country’s gross domestic product.

Officials in the ministries of environment and new and renewable energy, who made the calculations along with colleagues in Planning Commission and statisticians, said the figures were provisional, since all eight missions under the NAPCC had not been firmed up.

As a result, India is likely to present a range of carbon intensity reduction at the Copenhagen talks, rather than a specific figure.

A few days ago China announced a 40-45 percent carbon intensity reduction from 2005 levels while Brazil announced 38-42 percent. India’s scope for reducing carbon intensity is not as high, because it is lower already, and has been going down steadily since the 1980s.

India, the world’s fifth highest emitter of greenhouse gases, has been under pressure from developed countries to announce what it will do to control emissions.

The emission of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, is leading to climate change, which is already affecting farm output, making droughts, floods and storms more frequent and more severe and raising the sea level. India is among the worst affected countries.