India rises five places to 45th in green transition ranking as emissions fall despite economic growth
Down To Earth · Published 6 November 2026 · Last updated
India’s first emissions decline amid 7.6% growth lifts its green transition rank to 45, but rising coal use threatens sustainability.
Key points
- Allianz Green Transition Tracker 2026 released on 5 Nov 2026 shows India climbing five places to 45th among 65 economies.
- India’s greenhouse gas emissions fell 0.2 % in 2025 to 4,508 MtCO₂e despite 7.6 % GDP growth, the first decline outside a recession in 25 years.
- The share of low‑carbon electricity rose from 22.4 % (2024) to 26.6 % (2025), the largest annual increase since 1985.
- Solar output grew 37 %, adding 53 TWh, while wind increased 28 %, adding 23 TWh in 2025.
- Coal‑fired generation fell 2.9 % in 2025 – its first annual drop since the pandemic – reducing power‑sector emissions by about 3 %.
- In 2026, coal generation rebounded ≈10 % (Apr‑Aug) and 13 % in September, raising doubts about sustained emissions decline.
- Per‑capita territorial CO₂ emissions rose 3 % to 2.2 t, and consumption‑based emissions rose 8 % to 1.8 t in 2025.
- Fossil‑fuel subsidies climbed to $67.5 bn, more than double the 2015 level, according to the report.
Background
- The Allianz Tracker assesses 65 economies accounting for 81 % of global emissions and measures progress toward net‑zero by 2050.
- India’s progress score improved by 4.5 points to 14.6, outpacing the global average gain of two points.
- Historically, India’s emissions have risen with growth; the last decline occurred during the 2020‑21 pandemic‑induced contraction.
- Renewables globally overtook coal in electricity generation for the first time in 2025, reaching 33.5 % of output.
- The International Energy Agency projects India’s electricity demand to grow 6.4 % annually through 2030, pressuring coal capacity planning.
UPSC relevance, Prelims facts and Mains angle for this issue are in the full SWAदेSH note.
Original report: Down To Earth