Black Carbon Emissions in India

Black Carbon Emissions: India’s Pollution Challenge

Source: Times of India
GS II: 

Originally Published : 27 March 2024
Last updated on          : July 2026
Update Note                 : The article has been updated following recent developments reported in July 2026. Link provided Above

---

Overview

1. News in Brief
2. What is Black Carbon?
3. Gaps in India’s Black Carbon Governance
4. Existing Measures That Can Reduce Black Carbon

Why in the News?

A recent assessment by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has identified West Bengal as a major industrial black carbon hotspot in the Indo-Gangetic Plains.

News in Brief

---

• According to the assessment, West Bengal emits around 95,901 tonnes of industrial black carbon annually under uncontrolled conditions, making it the second-largest emitter in the Indo-Gangetic Plains after Uttar Pradesh, which was estimated at 186,449 tonnes annually.
• The broader Indo-Gangetic Plains region generates roughly 4.5 lakh tonnes of industrial black carbon each year under uncontrolled conditions.
• The study mapped 5,995 industrial facilities across 38 categories in West Bengal and linked high emissions to sectors such as iron and steel, chemicals, foundries and rolling mills, paper and pulp, food processing, brick kilns and distilleries.
• The findings have renewed calls for a national strategy on black carbon, including better monitoring, cleaner industrial fuels and dedicated action in the Indo-Gangetic Plains.

About West Bengal black carbon

• West Bengal has emerged as the second-highest industrial black carbon emitter in the Indo-Gangetic Plains.
• The state is estimated to emit 95,901 tonnes annually under uncontrolled conditions.
• Uttar Pradesh is the largest emitter in the region at about 186,449 tonnes annually.
• Nearly 49,594 industrial facilities across the Indo-Gangetic Plains were mapped in the CSE assessment.
• India currently lacks a dedicated national policy framework and standardised monitoring system specifically for black carbon.
• CSE has called for an Indo-Gangetic Plains Black Carbon Action Plan and integration of black carbon into mainstream air-quality governance.

What is Black Carbon?

---

• Black carbon is a dark carbonaceous particle formed through the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biomass and other carbon-containing materials.
• It is commonly known as soot.
• Black carbon is not a greenhouse gas like carbon dioxide. It is an aerosol and a component of fine particulate matter, especially PM2.5.
• It has three important characteristics:
  • It strongly absorbs solar radiation.
  • It remains in the atmosphere for only days to weeks.
  • It contributes simultaneously to air pollution, public-health risks and near-term climate warming.

Because of its short atmospheric lifetime, reducing black carbon can produce relatively quick environmental benefits compared with long-lived greenhouse gases such as CO₂.

Importance of Latest West Bengal Finding

• The new assessment is important because it provides facility-level data rather than relying only on broad global emission inventories.
• CSE found wide variation in existing global estimates for black carbon emissions in the Indo-Gangetic Plains, ranging from about 1.3 lakh tonnes to 8.4 lakh tonnes.
• Its mapping of industrial facilities is intended to create a more practical baseline for regulators and policymakers.
• This has three major implications.
• First, black carbon is not only a transport or household-fuel issue. Industrial combustion is a major contributor.
• Second, emission hotspots are highly localised. State-level and cluster-level intervention may therefore be more effective than relying only on broad national averages.
• Third, black carbon remains weakly integrated into existing environmental governance, despite its health and climate impacts.

Black Carbon and Public Health

• Black carbon is a component of PM2.5 and is therefore closely linked to harmful combustion-related air pollution.
• Exposure to fine particulate pollution can contribute to:
  • Respiratory diseases
  • Cardiovascular diseases
  • Asthma
  • Reduced lung function
  • Premature mortality
  • Increased health risks for children and elderly persons

Industrial black carbon is especially important because major industrial clusters may expose large populations living nearby. Thus, reducing black carbon is both a climate policy measure and a public-health intervention.

Black Carbon as a Short-Lived Climate Pollutant

• Black carbon belongs to the group known as Short-Lived Climate Pollutants, or SLCPs.
• Other major SLCPs include:
  • Methane
  • Tropospheric ozone
  • Hydrofluorocarbons
• These pollutants remain in the atmosphere for much shorter periods than carbon dioxide but can have strong warming effects.
• Reducing SLCPs can therefore help slow near-term warming.
• However, black carbon mitigation cannot substitute for CO₂ reduction.

India needs both:

• Long-term decarbonisation
• Rapid reduction of short-lived climate pollutants

Gaps in India’s Black Carbon Governance

---

The latest CSE assessment highlights an important governance challenge: India currently does not have a dedicated black carbon policy framework or standardised monitoring protocol.

• Existing air-quality programmes largely focus on conventional pollutants such as:
  • PM2.5
  • PM10
  • Sulphur dioxide
  • Nitrogen dioxide
  • Ozone
• Black carbon is often addressed indirectly through measures targeting particulate matter and combustion emissions.
• This creates several gaps.
  • Limited direct monitoring: Black carbon concentrations are not routinely tracked across all monitoring networks.
  • Uncertain inventories: Different global models produce significantly different estimates.
  • Weak sectoral targeting: Industrial black carbon sources may not receive enough attention.
  • Fragmented governance: Air quality, climate policy and industrial regulation often operate separately.

CSE Recommendations

• The Centre for Science and Environment has called for a more targeted national approach.

Indo-Gangetic Plains Black Carbon Action Plan

• CSE has proposed a dedicated action plan for the Indo-Gangetic Plains.
• Such an approach could identify:
  • Major industrial hotspots
  • High-emitting sectors
  • Priority districts
  • Fuel-use patterns
  • Mitigation options

Integrate Black Carbon into Air-Quality Monitoring

• CSE has recommended integrating black carbon measurement into Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Systems.
• This would help policymakers track:
  • Seasonal patterns
  • Industrial hotspots
  • Effectiveness of mitigation measures

Fuel Transition

• Industries should move away from highly polluting fuels toward cleaner alternatives.
• Options may include:
  • Cleaner natural gas where feasible
  • Electrification
  • Renewable energy
  • Cleaner industrial fuels
  • Energy-efficient technologies

Shared Green Infrastructure for MSMEs

• Many small and medium industries cannot independently afford advanced pollution-control systems.
• Industrial clusters can therefore use shared facilities such as:
  • Cleaner boilers
  • Common energy systems
  • Pollution-control facilities
  • Monitoring infrastructure

Facility-Level Emission Mapping

• The recent CSE study demonstrates the value of mapping individual facilities rather than relying only on national averages.
• This allows regulators to prioritise the highest-emitting industrial clusters.

Existing Measures That Can Reduce Black Carbon

---

India does not yet have a standalone black carbon programme, but several policies can indirectly reduce emissions.

• National Clean Air Programme: The National Clean Air Programme seeks to reduce particulate pollution in Indian cities through city-specific action plans. Measures targeting transport, industries and waste burning can also reduce black carbon.
• Bharat Stage VI Norms: BS-VI standards significantly reduce particulate emissions from vehicles through cleaner fuel and advanced emission-control technologies.
• Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana: Access to LPG can reduce dependence on traditional biomass fuels for cooking and lower household soot emissions.
• Cleaner Brick Kilns: Improved kiln technologies, including zig-zag designs, can improve combustion efficiency and reduce particulate emissions.
• Crop Residue Management: Promoting alternatives to residue burning can reduce seasonal soot emissions.
  • Measures include:
    • Happy Seeder
    • Mulching
    • Bioenergy use
    • Biomass pellets
    • In-situ residue management
• Electric Mobility: Electric vehicles eliminate tailpipe black carbon emissions. Their total environmental benefit improves as India’s electricity mix becomes cleaner.

Challenges in Reducing Black Carbon

---

• Large Number of Emission Sources: Black carbon comes from millions of combustion sources, from factories and trucks to household stoves. This makes enforcement difficult.
• Dependence on Coal: Industrial states such as West Bengal remain heavily dependent on coal. Rapid fuel transition may require large investments and infrastructure.
• MSME Constraints
  • Small industries may lack:
    • Capital
    • Technical expertise
    • Cleaner fuel access
    • Monitoring equipment
• Lack of Reliable Data: The wide variation in existing emission estimates shows the need for better ground-level data.
• Regulatory Fragmentation
  • Black carbon sits at the intersection of:
    • Air pollution
    • Climate change
    • Industry
    • Transport
    • Energy
    • Public health

Coordination among ministries, states and pollution-control boards is therefore essential.

---

Daily Current Affairs: Click Here

Rate this Article and Leave Feedback