Fatih Birol and Amitabh Kant

India’s announcement that it aims to reach net zero emissions by 2070 and to meet 50% of its electricity requirements from renewable energy sources by 2030 is a hugely significant moment for the global fight against climate change. India is pioneering a new model of economic development that could avoid the carbon-intensive approaches that many countries have pursued in the past – and provide a blueprint for other developing economies.

Ambitious targets

The scale of transformation in India is stunning. Its economic growth has been among the highest in the world over the past two decades, lifting millions of people out of poverty. The rapid growth in fossil energy consumption has also meant India’s annual CO2 emissions have risen to become the third highest in the world. However, India’s CO2 emissions per person puts it near the bottom of the world’s emitters, and they are lower still if you consider historical emissions per person.

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