GS Paper 3
Syllabus: Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation
Source: DTE
Context: According to a new study, India is responsible for 0.08 degrees Celsius of warming from the 1850s through 2021.
Overall findings:
- Contribution to warming:
| CO2 | 1.11°C |
| Methane | 0.41°C |
| Nitrous oxide | 0.08°C |
- Ranking Of Countries as per their contribution to the Rise in temperature:
| Rank | Country | Contribution in % to rise in temperature/warming |
| 1 | USA | Nearly 17% |
| 2 | China | Nearly 12% |
| 3 | Russia | Nearly 6% |
| 4 | Brazil | Nearly 5% |
| 5 | India | Nearly 5% |
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India-specific findings:
- Overall, India ranks fifth among the top 10 contributors to warming.
- India’s emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) – CO2, CH4 and nitrous oxide (N2O) from 1851-2021 have resulted in 0.04°C, 0.03°C and 0.006°C of global warming over pre-industrial levels, respectively.
Causes of warming:
- Fossil fuel remains the biggest culprit.
- Land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF) accounted for 38% of the total warming from CH4 and 72% from N2O emissions between 1851-2021.
- The contribution of India, China and Brazil towards warming due to CH4 and N2O increased by 110%, 56% and 55%, respectively, compared to CO2-related warming alone.
Significance:
- These 3 GHGs are included in most countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions. Hence, the dataset is uniquely positioned to inform climate policy and benchmarking.
- It would help in tracking contributions to climate change and understanding the burden of responsibility carried by each country → pursuing equitable decarbonisation pathways.
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