Decarbanisation:
The process by which countries, individuals or other entities aim to achieve zero fossil carbon existence. Typically refers to a reduction of the carbon emissions associated with electricity, industry and transport(IPCC)
Emission scenario
A plausible representation of the future development of emissions of substances that are radiatively active (e.g., greenhouse gases (GHGs), aerosols) based on a coherent and internally consistent set of assumptions about driving forces (such as demographic and socio-economic development, technological change, energy and land use) and their key relationships. Concentration scenarios, derived from emission scenarios, are often used as input to a climate model to compute climate projections
BCS/BAU
Baseline Case Scenario/Business-as-Usual Scenario: The BCS or BAU Scenario depicts energy and non-energy sector demand and supply growth in line with current state policies and historical trajectories, in absence of any additional measures to course-correct. In this scenario, improvements in energy efficiency remain constant at current levels throughout the projection period. Similarly, limited potential for fuel switching persists, primarily through the electrification of road transport, supported by initiatives like FAME and state EV schemes, while households and commercial establishments continue to use LPG and biomass for cooking. For other sectors, sequestration remains at current levels, and households continue to use existing practices in waste management. This scenario will be used as the reference scenario upon which the decarbonisation scenario will be built, as discussed next
MES
Moderate Effort Scenario: MES evaluates the impact of current national policies and targets on emissions reduction (i.e., India’s NDC), in addition to partial course-correction in energy and non-energy demand and supply trajectories. This scenario makes moderate assumptions on various sectoral emission abatement interventions. For the energy sector, it entails partial electrification of the transport sector, fuel switching in buildings, industry and transport sector, among other interventions. For other sectors, the scenario sets moderate decarbonisation targets for categories such as waste treatment, fertiliseruse, and enhancing carbon sequestration
AES
Aggressive Effort Scenario: AES outlines an aggressive strategy to achieve decarbonisation of the districts by 2050, prioritising energy security and substantial emission reductions. It emphasises on widespread electrification, implementing energy efficiency measures, and adopting robust strategies for waste management, optimising fertiliser usage, and enhancing carbon sequestration through afforestation and sustainable land-use practices. Behavioural change induced by public and private campaigns, awareness and capacity building is also accounted for under the aggressive scenario, and is expected to accelerate decarbonisation efforts through environmentally sustainable lifestyle choices at individual level.
Carbon Sequestration
Reducing the atmospheric concentration of CO2 could reduce future climate-related damage and would be more beneficial than costly. Options for achieving this goal include reducing future emissions as well as sequestering CO2 that has already accumulated. Carbon sequestration involves "removing C from the atmosphere and depositing it in a reservoir" (UNFCCC 2006). Carbon can be sequestered in two major ways: biological and geological.
Launch Date: 31st October 2025
