New UN Report Shows India's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Growth Slowing Down

Greenhouse gas emissions in India slowed down significantly in 2025, breaking a long pattern of rapid annual growth and showing a slight decline according to some major estimates. The United Nations Environment Programme released this finding in its Emissions Gap Report on October 21. Data from the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research and the International Energy Agency point to a small drop, while the Energy Institute notes a tiny rise, but all agree the country has shifted away from its past fast-growing path.

Shift to Renewables

Solar energy overtook hydropower in 2025 to become the country's biggest single source of clean electricity, supplying about 9.4 percent of the total power. Renewable electricity generation went up by about 98 terawatt-hours over the year. Solar grew by 53 terawatt-hours, wind added 22 terawatt-hours, and hydropower brought in about 21 terawatt-hours. At the same time, coal-fired electricity generation dropped by 44 terawatt-hours, lowering coal's share of total electricity generation from about 75 percent in 2024 to 71 percent in 2025.

Weather Effects

Milder weather also played a big part in lowering the need for power. The India Meteorological Department reported that the country's average temperature was 0.28 degrees Celsius above the normal average, which was cooler than the record heat seen in 2024. This milder summer cut electricity demand for cooling by about 32 terawatt-hours. Good rainfall also helped, with monsoon rains reaching 108 percent of normal levels and boosting hydropower output.

Context

Experts note that while these numbers are very promising, clean energy capacity must be backed by better power storage and transmission to keep emissions low in the long run. India remains the world's third-largest greenhouse gas emitter after China and the United States, even though its per capita emissions are well below the global average.