STEEP RISE IN INDIA GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

India is one of the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases

India's annual greenhouse gas emissions increased by nearly 60% between 1994 and 2007, a government study says.

The government says that emissions grew from 1.2bn tonnes in 1994 to 1.9bn tonnes in 2007, confirming India as one of the world's biggest emitters.

India argues its per capita emissions are far lower than that of most industrialised nations.

The jump is attributed to the growth of industries such as cement production, electricity and transport.

Over the last 15 years India's economy has developed at breakneck pace.

Correspondents say that developing nations such as India and China are under pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

But at climate change talks in Copenhagen in December, India did not sign up to binding targets.

Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh maintains that India's emissions are not comparable with those of the US and China.

“The emissions of the United States and China are almost four times that of India in 2007,” he told the AFP news agency.