India recorded a marginal increase in its carbon dioxide emissions in 2025, driven by weather patterns and renewable growth, highlighting progress yet revealing ongoing reliance on fossil fuels and infrastructure bottlenecks.
India’s carbon-dioxide emissions rose only marginally in 2025, marking one of the slowest annual increases in the country’s long-running energy record and underscoring how a mix of weather, renewables growth and weaker fossil-fuel demand altered the emissions picture. According to the Energy Institute’s Statistical Review of World Energy, India’s emissions climbed by 0.6 per cent, or 9 million tonnes, to 2.96 billion tonnes last year. That was far below the 4.4 per cent rise in 2024 and the average annual increase seen over the past decade.
The improvement matters because India remains the world’s third-largest emitter, yet 2025 was its weakest year for emissions growth outside the pandemic disruption of 2020, according to the dataset, which stretches back to 1965. Fossil fuels still accounted for 93 per cent of the country’s energy supply, with coal supplying 59 per cent and oil 28 per cent, highlighting how far the system remains from a structural shift away from carbon-intensive fuels.
The Energy Institute said the subdued rise reflected both weather-driven and structural effects. Lower temperatures reduced electricity demand, while India also posted record growth in wind and solar generation. Good hydro conditions added to renewable output, and behind-the-meter solar capacity jumped 40 per cent year on year to 43.6 gigawatts, the largest increase outside China in 2025. Together, those factors helped drive a 3 per cent fall in coal-fired generation and a 15 per cent drop in gas output. The institute also noted that fossil-fuel consumption as a whole did not grow for the year, with gas use down 5.9 per cent, coal up only 0.6 per cent and oil up 0.3 per cent.
Even so, India’s renewable gains were constrained by infrastructure. The report said a lack of transmission capacity prevented more clean power from being absorbed into the grid, despite rapid expansion in generation assets over the past five years. That is a familiar bottleneck for industrial decarbonisation: generation additions can outpace the wires, flexibility and storage needed to turn capacity growth into actual emissions reduction.
The global backdrop was less benign. The Energy Institute’s review put energy-sector carbon dioxide emissions up 1.1 per cent worldwide to 35.8 billion tonnes, with the United States the largest contributor to that increase and China still the biggest single emitter overall. The International Energy Agency separately estimated that energy-related emissions rose more modestly, by 0.4 per cent to nearly 38.4 billion tonnes, and said India’s emissions fell in 2025 on the back of an earlier and stronger monsoon cycle and continued renewable expansion. However the methodology is framed, both assessments point to the same broad conclusion: India’s emissions trajectory improved in 2025, but the country remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels and still needs faster grid build-out, storage and industrial electrification to lock in the gains.
- https://www.business-standard.com/industry/news/india-s-emission-record-improved-in-2025-global-climate-consultants-126070500873_1.html – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.iea.org/reports/global-energy-review-2026/co2-emissions – The International Energy Agency’s Global Energy Review 2026 provides an analysis of global CO₂ emissions, highlighting a 0.4% increase in energy-related emissions in 2025, reaching nearly 38.4 billion tonnes. The report notes that emissions in advanced economies grew by 0.5%, while in emerging market and developing economies, growth slowed to 0.3%. It also mentions that emissions in India dipped in 2025, driven primarily by weather effects linked to an earlier and stronger monsoon cycle, alongside continued robust expansion of renewable energy capacity.
- https://www.aga.org/research-policy/resource-library/statistical-review-of-world-energy/ – The American Gas Association’s Statistical Review of World Energy 2025, published on June 26, 2025, covers full-year 2024 data on global energy and emissions statistics. The report indicates that nearly 87% of global energy consumption was accounted for by fossil fuels, with natural gas contributing 33% of the incremental increase in global energy supplies in 2024. It also notes that natural gas demand increased by 2.5%, and natural gas-fired electricity generation increased by 2.5%, resulting in a 23% share of global gas-fired electricity generation.
- https://www.csis.org/events/statistical-review-world-energy-2025 – The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) hosted an event on July 7, 2025, featuring Dr. Nick Wayth, Chief Executive of the Energy Institute, presenting the 2025 Statistical Review of World Energy. The event included discussions on the highlights of the report, which provides data on global energy production, consumption, trade, and emissions through the prior year. The review serves as a trusted resource for energy professionals, policymakers, and researchers, delivering objective data to inform strategic decisions and policy development.
- https://www.biee.org/meeting/ei-statistical-review-of-world-energy-2025/ – The British Institute of Energy Economics (BIEE) hosted a webinar on September 2, 2025, discussing the Energy Institute’s Statistical Review of World Energy 2025. The review analyses global energy market data from the previous year and has been providing timely, comprehensive, and objective data to the energy community since 1952. The latest edition presents new global, regional, and country-level data, illustrating how the energy system responded to major geopolitical, economic, and environmental events in 2024.
- https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/science/story/india-fossil-fuel-demand-stalls-renewable-energy-report-2025-2937281-2026-06-30 – India’s fossil fuel consumption remained broadly unchanged in 2025, marking the first time in six decades that demand for coal, oil, and natural gas did not grow overall, according to a new global study. The findings are based on a global dataset maintained by the Energy Institute. The report highlights that while fossil fuels still dominate India’s energy mix, the country has been rapidly expanding its renewable energy capacity to have better and more sustainable control over how it generates electricity and to reduce fossil fuel demand.
- https://www.energyinst.org/statistical-review/resources-and-data-downloads – The Energy Institute’s Statistical Review of World Energy 2025 provides comprehensive data on global energy markets, including production, consumption, trade, and emissions. The review is available for free access and serves as a valuable resource for understanding the evolving energy landscape. The full 2025 edition is available to view at the Energy Institute’s website, offering detailed insights into global energy trends and statistics.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The article was published on July 5, 2026, reporting on India’s carbon dioxide emissions in 2025. Similar information has been reported by other reputable sources, such as the International Energy Agency (IEA) and Carbon Brief, in March 2026. ([iea.org](https://www.iea.org/reports/global-energy-review-2026/co2-emissions?utm_source=openai)) The article appears to be based on the Energy Institute’s Statistical Review of World Energy, which is typically a reliable and timely source. However, the article’s reliance on a single source and the time lag between the original report and its publication raise concerns about freshness.
Quotes check
Score:
7
Notes:
The article includes direct quotes attributed to the Energy Institute’s Statistical Review of World Energy. However, these quotes cannot be independently verified through the provided sources. The absence of direct access to the original report limits the ability to confirm the accuracy and context of these quotes.
Source reliability
Score:
6
Notes:
The article is published by Business Standard, a reputable Indian news outlet. However, the article appears to be based on a single source, the Energy Institute’s Statistical Review of World Energy. The lack of additional independent sources to corroborate the information raises concerns about the reliability of the content.
Plausibility check
Score:
8
Notes:
The claims about India’s carbon dioxide emissions in 2025 align with reports from other reputable sources, such as the IEA and Carbon Brief. However, the article’s reliance on a single source and the absence of additional corroborating information raise questions about the completeness and accuracy of the reported data.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): FAIL
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The article reports on India’s carbon dioxide emissions in 2025, citing the Energy Institute’s Statistical Review of World Energy. However, the lack of direct access to the original report, reliance on a single source, and absence of additional independent verification raise significant concerns about the accuracy and reliability of the information presented.
