Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

India wants developed nations to be carbon negative by 2050

The country is set to make its proposal at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai later this year

India wants developed nations to be carbon negative by 2050

INDIA wants to push developed nations to become carbon negative rather than carbon neutral by 2050, arguing it would allow emerging market economies more time to use fossil fuels for development needs, two official Indian sources said.

The country, which is resisting calls to commit to a deadline for phasing out its own use of coal and other fossil fuels, is set to make its proposal at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai later this year.


“The rich countries should become net negative emitters before 2050 to enable the world to achieve the target of global net-zero by that year, while allowing developing nations to use the available natural resources for growth,” one of the government officials said.

Developed countries – including the US, Britain, Canada and Japan – are targeting net zero by 2050. China has committed to net zero by 2060, while India has committed to reaching that goal by 2070.

Net zero or carbon neutrality means the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere through any activity is offset by an additional activity to remove an equivalent amount.

Carbon negative is a step forward and requires a country to remove more CO2 from the atmosphere than it emits.

COP28 discussions are taking place at a time when extreme weather-related events have led to heatwaves and erratic monsoons, and scientists have called for immediate action.

India intends to continue resisting the push from developed economies to fix a deadline for a fossil fuel phase down. It instead favours shifting focus to reducing overall carbon emissions through “abatement and mitigation technologies,” the two officials and a third government official said.

None of the officials wished to be named as the discussions are private and a final stance has not been firmed up.

India’s environment, external affairs and prime minister’s offices did not reply to emails seeking comment.

The country has committed to operating half of its installed power capacity with nonfossil sources and cutting the ratio of greenhouse emissions to gross domestic product to 45 per cent of its 2005 level by 2030.

At a summit in New Delhi last month, G20 countries accepted the need to phasedown unabated coal power, but stopped short of setting a timeline or emission reduction goals.

The declaration was a step forward in climate negotiations, with the 20 countries accounting for over 80 per cent of global emissions agreeing to phase down coal for the first time. The decision was a surprise as coal-dependent economies, including China, India and Indonesia have, in past negotiations, resisted talks of exiting the black fuel and asked developed economies to instead end their use of gas.

“It’s just not feasible for India to commit to a timeline to end coal. It is going to be the country’s mainstay in the near future even if storage and abatement technologies become viable in a hypothetic situation,” another official said.

Data shows that thermal power stations provide 73 per cent of electricity that is consumed in India, even though the country has increased its non-fossil capacity to 44 per cent of its total installed power generation capacity.

COP28 is scheduled to be held between November 30 and December 12.

More For You

Oyo

With this addition, OYO’s corporate network now includes more than 6,500 clients. (Photo: X/@oyorooms)

X/@oyorooms

OYO adds 3,500 corporate clients in FY25

OYO has added 3,500 new corporate clients in FY25 through its business accelerator division, the global travel tech platform said on Friday. This marks a 20 per cent year-on-year growth in its corporate portfolio, reflecting a rise in business travel in India following the Covid period.

With this addition, OYO’s corporate network now includes more than 6,500 clients.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK EU deal

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission and Keir Starmer stand together, ahead of their bilateral meeting at the 6th European Political Community summit on May 16 in Tirana, Albania.

UK and EU reach deal to 'reset' ties at first summit since Brexit

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer was expected to sign a new agreement with the European Union at a summit in London on Monday, marking the first major step towards closer UK-EU ties since Brexit.

EU and UK negotiators reached agreement on a deal to "reset" their relations post-Brexit, diplomats said, after talks ran into Sunday night to resolve squabbling over key sticking points — with the sensitive matter of fishing rights top of the list.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump

Trump referred to India as 'one of the highest tariff nations in the world.' (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

India ready to cut 100 per cent tariffs; trade deal with US soon: Trump

US president Donald Trump has again said that India is ready to cut 100 per cent tariffs on American goods and that a trade deal between the two countries is expected soon.

Speaking to Fox News, Trump said he is not in a "rush" to finalise the deal.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tesco

Users experiencing ongoing problems have been advised to try again later

iStock

Tesco app crash leaves customers unable to access Clubcards

Tesco has issued an apology after a software problem caused disruptions to its website and mobile app, leaving some customers unable to manage online orders or access digital versions of their Clubcards.

The issue occurred on Friday afternoon, with users taking to social media to report problems ranging from being unable to amend their online grocery orders to difficulties accessing their Clubcard accounts. Some customers also reported being unable to use vouchers or collect points while shopping.

Keep ReadingShow less
iphone-Reuters

In April, Indian minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that iPhones worth £13.22 bn were exported from India in FY25. (Photo: Reuters)

REUTERS

Apple assures India plans intact despite Trump’s remarks: Report

APPLE has assured the Indian government that its investment and manufacturing plans in the country remain unchanged.

This comes after US president Donald Trump said he had asked Apple CEO Tim Cook to scale back manufacturing in India and focus more on the United States.

Keep ReadingShow less