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Global Warming: Indian Estimates of
Greenhouse Gas Emission from different
sectors
Himani Maheshwari1, Kamal Jain2, Ajay Gairola1
1Centre of Excellence in Disaster Mitigation & Management, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India
2Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India
Email: maheshwari.himani1@gmail.com
Abstract--- In today's world one of the biggest issue faces by all of us is global warming. Global
warming refers to an increase in average global temperatures. The main cause of global warming
is increasing in the concentration of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere due to
anthropogenic activities and their level is quantified with the help of global warming potential
(GWP) and expressed as carbon footprint. The present study describes the GHG inventory from
major sectors including energy, industries, and agriculture and aviation sector and computed the
total emissions in terms of carbon footprint using Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) Guidelines and data of World Bank.
Keywords—global warming; GHG; carbon footprint; energy; GWP
1. INTRODUCTION
The frequently changing pattern of land use and industrial growth in India are essentially
responsible for the issues and concerns about environmental risks. In the last two decades in
India, the demand for transportation, energy generation, construction of buildings, residential and
industrial sector grew significantly. This is contribution to air pollution across the countries
(Sharma, R.K., et al. 2013). Global warming is an emerging issue due to the extensive spread of
greenhouse gases (GHGs) across countries, regions or continents. Fossil Fuels and industrial
process are the potent sources of GHGs (Sarkar, A.N. 2011). The global GHG emissions from
industrial process (includes metal and cement production) and fossil fuel combustion in 2013 is
35300 million tones (Mt) which is increased by 0.7 Gt from 2012. According to Figure 1, the
topmost six GHG emitting countries are China, the US, the EU, India, Russia and Japan
(EDGAR, 2014). The total carbon dioxide emission of India in 2013 is 2100 million tones which
is nearly increase by 4.4% from last year which makes it fourth largest GHG emitter country, this
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high ranking is due to its huge population and economy but per capita carbon dioxide emission
of India were much lower than other developed countries and China (World Bank 2014).
The largest source of non-combustion carbon dioxide emissions is through cement clinker
production which contribute about 4.8% to the global total emissions. Globally, it is increased by
4.8% in 2012 and 7.4 % in 2013 mainly due to increase in the production of cement in China
(EDGAR 2014). Approximately, seven hundred five million tons of carbon dioxide are emitted
from global passenger airline operations which represents around 2-3% of global carbon
footprint, within this 95% of emissions are from aircraft industry and the remaining 5% from
airport activities. The distribution of global carbon footprint is given in table 1 (CFIA 2013).
Figure : Distribution of GHG emission Country wise
Table : Distribution of Global Carbon Footprint
Sectors Percentage
Energy Supply 26
Industry 19
Forestry 17
Agriculture 14
Transport 11
Buildings 8
Aviation 2
Others 3
This paper assess the trend in GHG emissions from 1990 to 2011 for India. The emission profile
of GHG includes carbon dioxide (CO2); methane (CH4); N2O and also estimates
hydrofluorocarbons (HFC); perfluorocarbons (CFC) &Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) at the national
level from various sectors, viz. energy, industrial process and agriculture.
2. TOTAL GHG EMISSIONS
The GHG emissions include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and other emissions.
Methane emissions are those stemming from human activities such as agriculture and from
industrial methane production. Nitrous oxide emissions are emissions from agricultural biomass
burning; industrial activities & livestock management. Other greenhouse gas emissions are by-
product emissions of hydrofluorocarbons; perfluorocarbons; & sulfur hexafluoride. Figure 2
shows total GHG emissions in kilotons of CO2 with the help of global warming potential (GWP)
(World Bank 2014).
Figure 2: Total GHG Emissions
3. CO2 EMISSIONS FROM ENERGY CONSUMPTION
The total carbon dioxide emission from the consumption of energy in 2000 was 991 million
metric tons (MMT) which was increased to 1831 MMT in 2012. The total CO2 emission from
energy includes the emission from consumption of coal (661-1280 MMT), petroleum (282-435
MMT) and consumption and flaring of natural gas (48-119 MMT) as shown in figure 3. The per
capita carbon dioxide emissions from the consumption of energy in metric tons of carbon dioxide
per person is given in figure 4 (IES 2015).
Figure 3: CO2 emissions from energy consumption
Figure 4: Per capita emission from the consumption of energy
4. CO2 EMISSIONS FROM FUEL COMBUSTION:
Carbon dioxide emissions are those stemming from the burning of fossil fuels and the production
of cement which includes carbon dioxide produced during consumption of solid, liquid, gas fuels
and gas flaring. This graph shows percentage of CO2 emissions from total fuel combustion
through electricity and heat production, manufacturing industries & construction, transport,
residential buildings and commercial & public services and from other sectors as shown in figure
5 (Word Bank 2014).
A. Manufacturing industries and construction: According to IPCC Source/Sink Categories 2,
the carbon dioxide emission from manufacturing industries and construction include the
emissions from combustion of fuels in industry and emissions from coke inputs into blast
furnaces, which may be reported either in the transformation sector, the industry sector or the
category 2 Industrial Processes of IPCC Source/Sink sector (EFDB 1996).
B. Electricity and heat production: According to IPCC Source/Sink Categories 1A1a, the
carbon dioxide emission from heat & electricity production include the emissions from the heat
plants; major activities of heat and power generation either these activities are public or privately
owned (EFDB 2006).
C. Residential buildings and commercial and public services: According to IPCC Source/Sink
Categories 1A4b, the carbon dioxide emission from residential buildings; commercial & public
services include the emissions from the combustion of fuel in household activity (EFDB 2006).
D. Transport: According to IPCC Source/Sink Categories 1A3, the carbon dioxide emission
from transport sectors include the emissions from the combustion of fuel for all transport activity
such as domestic aviation; rail; navigation; and road transport except international marine and
aviation sector (EFDB 2006).
E. Other Sectors: According to IPCC Source/Sink Categories 1A4 and 1A5, the carbon dioxide
emission from other sectors include the emissions from fishing; commercial activities;
residential; agriculture/forestry and other those emissions which are not specified anywhere
(EFDB 2006).
Figure 5: Percentage of C02 emission from total fuel combustion
5. METHANE AND NITROUS OXIDE EMISSION FROM AGRICULTURE
SECTOR
Figure 6 shows the percentage of CH4 and N2O emission from agriculture sector. The emissions
produced from animal waste; production of rice; burning of agricultural waste either onsite or
non-energy & savannah burning are agricultural methane emissions and the emissions produced
from burning of agricultural waste either onsite or non-energy; savannah burning; animal waste
& use of fertilizer either synthetic or animal manure are agricultural nitrous oxide emissions
(World Bank 2014).
Figure 6: Percentage of methane and nitrous oxide emission from agriculture sector
6. METHANE AND NITROUS OXIDE EMISSION FROM INDUSTRIAL AND
ENERGY RELATED PROCESS
Figure 7 shows the percentage of CH4 and N2O emission from Industrial and energy related
process. During the manufacturing of nitric & adipic acid and due to the combustion of fossil
fuels and biofuels industrial and energy related nitrous oxide emissions are produced. Due to the
combustion; production; handling and transmission of biofuels & fossil fuels energy related
methane emissions are produced (World Bank 2014).
Figure 7: Percentage of methane and nitrous oxide emission from industrial and energy related process
7. GHG EMISSION FROM AVIATION SECTOR
In 2012, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) presents their first detailed report of
carbon dioxide emission for the year 2011 of the Indian aviation sector. From the reports of the
year 2011, 2012 and 2013, the total carbon dioxide emission in 2013 is 15630 kilo tons which is
very less nearly one percent of the total India’s anthropogenic emissions (CFIA 2013).
Figure 8: CO2 emission from Indian Aviation sector during 2011-2013
8. CONCLUSION
This paper highlights the trends in GHGs emissions from 1990 to 2011 for various sectors as
fossil fuels, energy, industrial process, agriculture. The largest source of GHG emission is energy
supply which contributes about 40% of India’s total carbon dioxide emission and is growing year
by year. Cement and metal production sectors are the next having high growth rates. The major
source of local pollution at city level is transportation sector but do not contribute much too
global warming (Garg, A., et al. 2001). The total CO2, CH4, N2O and other GHG emissions from
1990 to 2010 was: (690577-1950950); (513639-621480); (159463-234136) and (9564-20937) in
kilo tons of CO2 equivalent. The total CO2 emission from energy consumption rose to 1831 MMT
from 991MMT during 2000-2012. The carbon footprint from aviation sector of India is
16327000 tons in 2011, 15389000 tons in 2012 and 15,630,000 tons in 2013 which represent less
than 1% of India’s anthropogenic emissions and it indicates 1.57% change in carbon footprint of
aviation sector of India during 2012-2013.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Content of this paper has been brought out on the basis of the contributions from the World Bank
data and U.S Energy Information Administration websites which are being referred as and where
the contents appear.
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