Badri Narayanan Gopalakrishnan & Somya Mathur
As per the Paris Accord, India committed to reduce carbon emissions’ intensity by 33–35 percent of its economy by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. A variety of sectors emit different intensities of Greenhouse Gases and air pollutants and it is not clear whether Greenhouse Gas reductions may automatically lead to reduced air pollution or the other way round. There are huge health hazards associated with air pollution. In India with its vast population base, it is more important to curb air pollution than to focus more on Greenhouse Gas emissions policies. In our study, we model the impact of the reduction of Greenhouse Gases based on Paris Accord commitments as well as air pollutants in India. From this analysis, we infer the economic mechanisms that determine the potential complementarities and conflicts involved in reducing Greenhouse Gases and air pollutants, and thereby arrive at nuanced policy implications for the environment in India.