The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released its annual Emissions Gap Report 2025 ahead of COP30, revealing that India recorded the highest absolute increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally. India added 165 million tonnes (MT) of GHGs in the reporting period, more than any other nation in absolute terms.
However, the report provides an important contextual nuance: India's 3.6% growth rate in emissions reflects its rapid economic development and expanding energy access for hundreds of millions of people. Crucially, India's per capita GHG emissions remain among the lowest of all major economies, significantly below the global average and far below the per capita emissions of developed nations such as the United States, Australia, and members of the European Union.
At the global level, the report sounds a stark alarm: the world is currently on track for 2.3 to 2.5°C of warming above pre-industrial levels, far exceeding the 1.5°C target established under the Paris Agreement. Current national pledges and policies are collectively insufficient to bridge the emissions gap needed to limit catastrophic climate change.
The report's release ahead of COP30, scheduled to be held in Belém, Brazil in November 2025, is intended to intensify pressure on major emitters and developed nations to enhance their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and provide greater climate finance to developing countries. The UNEP emphasises that deep, rapid, and systemic transformations in energy, transport, and industry are required this decade to stay on any viable climate pathway.
India has maintained that its per capita emissions benchmark makes it a responsible actor, and that historical cumulative emissions by developed nations — not current absolute additions — should frame the global climate equity debate. India's climate commitments include achieving net zero by 2070 and reaching 50% non-fossil energy capacity by 2030.