CSIR‑IIP Hosts 3‑Day Workshop on Strengthening India’s GHG Inventory and BTR Preparation with MoEFCC

<p>The <strong>Ministry of Science &amp; Technology</strong>, together with the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) — the central government ministry responsible for environmental policy, forest management and climate change mitigation (GS2: Polity)">MoEFCC</span>, organised a three‑day knowledge‑sharing workshop on the national <span class="key-term" data-definition="Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventory — systematic accounting of emissions and removals of gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, essential for climate policy (GS3: Environment)">GHG inventory</span> at the <strong>CSIR‑Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR‑IIP)</strong>, Dehradun, from <strong>20‑22 May 2026</strong>. The event aimed to build capacity for preparing the next <span class="key-term" data-definition="Biennial Transparency Report — a report submitted by Parties to the UNFCCC every two years detailing their greenhouse gas emissions and climate actions (GS3: Environment)">BTR</span> and to develop India‑specific emission factors.</p> <h3>Key Developments</h3> <ul> <li>Participants included experts from <strong>CSIR‑CIMFR</strong>, <strong>CMPDI</strong>, <strong>CII</strong>, <strong>IIT‑ISM</strong>, <strong>NIAS</strong>, <strong>AEEE</strong> and <strong>Jadavpur University</strong>.</li> <li>The workshop was inaugurated by <strong>Dr Harender Singh Bisht</strong>, Director, CSIR‑IIP, who stressed the link between accurate emission accounting and sustainable technology.</li> <li>Sessions chaired by <strong>Mr Sharath Kumar Pallerla</strong> (Advisor, MoEFCC), <strong>Mr Ajay Raghava</strong> (Additional Director, MoEFCC), <strong>Prof Amit Garg</strong> (IIM Ahmedabad) and <strong>Dr Sunil Kumar Pathak</strong> (Chief Scientist, CSIR‑IIP) highlighted the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Enhanced Transparency Framework — a set of rules under the UNFCCC that requires countries to provide detailed, comparable, and consistent information on climate actions (GS3: Environment)">Enhanced Transparency Framework</span> and identified gaps in current reporting.</li> <li>Technical sessions focused on preparing <span class="key-term" data-definition="Biennial Transparency Report — a report submitted by Parties to the UNFCCC every two years detailing their greenhouse gas emissions and climate actions (GS3: Environment)">BTR‑2</span>, and on creating sector‑specific emission factors for the Energy and <span class="key-term" data-definition="Industrial Processes and Product Use (IPPU) sector — part of the emissions inventory covering emissions from manufacturing, processing, and use of products (GS3: Environment)">IPPU</span> sectors.</li> <li>Discussions covered emissions from iron‑and‑steel, road and pipeline transport, fugitive and process emissions, and the role of <span class="key-term" data-definition="Ethanol blending — mixing ethanol with gasoline to reduce fossil fuel use and emissions; part of India's strategy to cut fuel imports (GS3: Economy)">ethanol blending</span> in reducing fuel imports, aligning with the vision of <em>Viksit Bharat by 2047</em>.</li> </ul> <h3>Important Facts</h3> <ul> <li>India submitted its first <span class="key-term" data-definition="Biennial Transparency Report — a report submitted by Parties to the UNFCCC every two years detailing their greenhouse gas emissions and climate actions (GS3: Environment)">BTR‑1</span> to the <span class="key-term" data-definition="United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change — global treaty that sets out the framework for international climate action, under which countries submit periodic reports on emissions (GS3: Environment)">UNFCCC</span> earlier in 2026.</li> <li>The workshop set a target to file <span class="key-term" data-definition="Biennial Transparency Report — a report submitted by Parties to the UNFCCC every two years detailing their greenhouse gas emissions and climate actions (GS3: Environment)">BTR‑2</span> by the end of <strong>2026</strong> and <span class="key-term" data-definition="Biennial Transparency Report — a report submitted by Parties to the UNFCCC every two years detailing their greenhouse gas emissions and climate actions (GS3: Environment)">BTR‑3</span> by <strong>2028</strong>.</li> <li>Country‑specific emission factors for sectors such as iron‑steel, transport and fugitive emissions will be developed to improve the accuracy of the inventory.</li> <li>A selfie point was inaugurated at CSIR‑IIP as a symbolic closure of the event.</li> </ul> <h3>UPSC Relevance</h3> <p>Understanding India’s <span class="key-term" data-definition="Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventory — systematic accounting of emissions and removals of gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, essential for climate policy (GS3: Environment)">GHG inventory</span> process is crucial for GS‑3 (Environment) and GS‑2 (Polity) questions on climate commitments, reporting mechanisms, and inter‑ministerial coordination. The role of the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) — the central government ministry responsible for environmental policy, forest management and climate change mitigation (GS2: Polity)">MoEFCC</span> and the scientific community (CSIR institutes) illustrates the collaborative governance model required for international obligations under the <span class="key-term" data-definition="United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change — global treaty that sets out the framework for international climate action, under which countries submit periodic reports on emissions (GS3: Environment)">UNFCCC</span>.</p> <h3>Way Forward</h3> <ul> <li>Accelerate the development of sector‑specific emission factors and integrate them into the national inventory.</li> <li>Strengthen capacity building for state and industry stakeholders through regular workshops and technical training.</li> <li>Ensure timely submission of <span class="key-term" data-definition="Biennial Transparency Report — a report submitted by Parties to the UNFCCC every two years detailing their greenhouse gas emissions and climate actions (GS3: Environment)">BTR‑2</span> and subsequent reports to meet the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Enhanced Transparency Framework — a set of rules under the UNFCCC that requires countries to provide detailed, comparable, and consistent information on climate actions (GS3: Environment)">Enhanced Transparency Framework</span> requirements.</li> <li>Leverage <span class="key-term" data-definition="Ethanol blending — mixing ethanol with gasoline to reduce fossil fuel use and emissions; part of India's strategy to cut fuel imports (GS3: Economy)">ethanol blending</span> and other low‑carbon technologies to achieve emission reduction targets while supporting the broader goal of a self‑reliant, sustainable India.</li> </ul>