Consider the following statements:
- I.Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in India are less than 0.5 t CO2/capita.
- II.In terms of CO2 emissions from fuel combustion, India ranks second in Asia-Pacific region.
- III.Electricity and heat producers are the largest sources of CO2 emissions in India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) II and III only
India emits about 2 tonnes of CO2 per person, four times the 0.5 t in Statement I. It is the world's third-largest emitter, behind China and the United States, so within Asia-Pacific it is second after China. Power and heat generation is the biggest emitting activity, so II and III are correct.
- ✗ I The IEA puts India's per capita emissions at around 2 tonnes, less than half the world average of 4.6 tonnes, but far above 0.5 t.
- ✓ II India is the third-largest source of global energy-related CO2 (after China and the US). China is the only bigger emitter in Asia-Pacific, which makes India second in the region.
- ✓ III India's own report to the UNFCCC shows energy industries (mainly electricity and heat generation) as the largest contributor within the energy sector, with a 56.53% share of the sector's 2020 emissions.
Remember · India's CO2: about 2 t per person (world about 4.6 t); third-largest emitter globally, second in Asia-Pacific after China; power and heat generation is the largest source.
Sources
- IEA: CO2 Emissions in 2023 (per capita) ↗ · reference work “However, India’s per capita emissions remain very low, at around 2 tonnes, less than half the world average of 4.6 tonnes. … India surpassed the European Union to become the third largest source of global emissions in 2023.”
- Government of India: India's Fourth Biennial Update Report to the UNFCCC (BUR-4), GHG inventory 2020 ↗ “Within the energy sector, energy industries are the largest contributor with a 56.53 per cent (12,65,328 GgCO2e) of total emissions”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2025, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·