India’s economic growth and greenhouse gas emissions: A Kaya identity perspective

Authors

  • Koushik Balamurugan Thompson Rivers University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29173/bcelnfe725

Keywords:

IPAT framework, India, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, economic growth, carbon intensity, energy transition, renewable energy, climate policy, equity, developing economies

Author Biography

Koushik Balamurugan, Thompson Rivers University

Koushik Balamurugan is a Master’s student at Thompson Rivers University pursuing Environmental Economics and Management with a specialty in environmental policy, economic modelling and sustainable business development. His work applies environmental economics, carbon markets, and systems thinking to land rehabilitation, agroforestry, and low‑carbon regional development, while he builds ventures linking agro‑tourism, ecosystem restoration, and carbon‑based alternative investments. Koushik strives to combine research, consulting, and entrepreneurship to help communities in Kamloops and the Nilgiris region (India) create sustainability solutions based on evidence.

References

Climate Action Tracker. (2025). India - Climate action progress. https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/india/

Garg, A., Bhattacharya, S., Shukla, P. R., & Dadhwal, V. K. (2001). Regional and sectoral assessment of greenhouse gas emissions in India. Atmospheric Environment, 35(15), 2679-2695. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1352-2310(00)00414-3

Government of India. (2024). India: National greenhouse gas inventory and mitigation policies. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. https://moef.gov.in/

Grossman, G. M., & Krueger, A. B. (1995). Economic growth and the environment. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 110(2), 353–377. https://doi.org/10.2307/2118443

International Energy Agency [IEA]. (2023). India Energy Transition Report. International Energy Agency. https://www.iea.org/countries/india/energy-mix

International Energy Agency [IEA]. (2023). India: Energy transition, carbon intensity, and renewable energy statistics. IEA Data and Statistics. https://www.iea.org/countries/india/energy-mix

Ohlan, R. (2015). The impact of population density, energy consumption, economic growth and trade openness on CO₂ emissions in India. Natural Hazards, 79(2), 1409–1428. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-015-1898-0

Patange, O., Purohit, P., Avashia, V., Klimont, Z., & Garg, A. (2024). Mitigation of non-CO2 greenhouse gases from the Indian agriculture sector. Environmental Research Letters, 19. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad4e4e

Philip, A., & Kuriakose, N. (2025). Trends and drivers of greenhouse gas emissions in India: A decadal analysis (2010–2020). Current World Environment. http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/CWE.19.3.26

Press Information Bureau. (2025, June 22). India’s energy landscape: Powering growth with sustainable energy [Press release]. Government of India. https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2025/jun/doc2025622575501.pdf

Selvam, P., Natchimuthu, S., Arunachalam, L., & Bastviken, D. (2014). Methane and carbon dioxide emissions from inland waters in India - implications for large-scale greenhouse gas balances. Global Change Biology, 20(7), 2340-2351. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12575

TERI. (2024). Just transition challenges in India’s coal sector. The Energy and Resources Institute. https://www.teriin.org/project/just-transition-0

UNFCCC. (2022). India’s Nationally Determined Contributions. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. https://unfccc.int/documents/611411

World Bank. (2023). India: Population, GDP per capita (constant US$), and greenhouse gas emissions. In DataBank: World Development Indicators. https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators

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Published

2026-02-27

How to Cite

Balamurugan, K. (2026). India’s economic growth and greenhouse gas emissions: A Kaya identity perspective. Future Earth: A Student Journal on Sustainability and Environment. https://doi.org/10.29173/bcelnfe725

Issue

2026: Special Issue: Ambition vs. Action — Growth, Emissions, and Climate Targets in the Paris Agreement Era

Section

Commentaries and Opinions

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