Brazil and India are leading the G-20 countries in the worldwide race toward reducing carbon dioxide emissions in relation to economic activity, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Low Carbon Economy Index.
The amount of carbon Brazil spews has dropped by 5.4 percent in 2009 compared with the previous year according to the index, which measures the needed amount of decarbonization every year until 2050.
India has also emerged as a leading decarbonizing country. Its per capita level of emissions has gone down compared with other emerging economies.
PricewaterhouseCoopers’ index assessed the G-20 based on their carbon intensity, or relation of emissions to gross domestic product, against a fixed carbon budget estimated to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions.
“The climate change agenda has started to shift, from global political cooperation to national economic competition and from a focus on cost sharing to a focus on value creation,” said Leo Johnson, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers for sustainability and climate change activities.
Mr. Johnson said countries have realized the potential for low-carbon growth and the economic risks of falling behind in the international green economy race.
The study noted, however, that with the exception of countries like India and Brazil developed countries improved their carbon reduction only because economic activities slowed down over the last two years.
In fact, many of the world’s largest economies maintained their business-as-usual ways, as shown in the total carbon emissions of the G-20 in 2009. It indicated that global carbon intensity decreased by only 0.7 percent, far from the 3.5 percent reduction per annum required by 2020.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said in 2007 that greenhouse gases must be stabilized at a concentration of 450 parts per million carbon dioxide equivalent by 2100 to curb increases in average global temperature to 2ºCelsius and avoid drastic climate change.
“Globally, by 2050, we need to emit around one-tenth of carbon emissions for every unit of G.D.P. we produce compared to today’s levels,” said Mr. Johnson.
The total annual global greenhouse gas emissions need to dip below 20 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050, or half of today’s global annual emissions, despite a global economy four times greater and a global population one and a half times larger.
But Brazil’s unprecedented economic growth and stronger renewable energy portfolio are expected to boost the country’s decarbonization, though challenges in deforestation and land use still exist.
Brazil also still needs to achieve a 79 percent reduction, or one-fifth of its current levels, by 2050.
The Indian government pledged in 2009 to reduce the country’s carbon intensity by 20 percent to 25 percent by 2020, even with a rapidly growing economy and population.
India intends to meet this target through its national mission drives that aim to scale up energy efficiency and renewable energy in the country.
For instance, India’s Jawaharlal Nehru national solar mission aims to establish 20 gigawatts of solar power in the country by 2020. India will also reportedly amend its common land use and forestry practices for this program.