India’s power sector has kept its carbon dioxide emissions almost flat for two years, new analysis shows. Emissions in the first half of 2026 were broadly unchanged from the first half of 2024, even as electricity demand grew.

Clean energy met the entire 7 per cent rise in demand, the analysis by Carbon Brief found. About 63 terawatt-hours of new clean power were added, including roughly 77 gigawatts of solar capacity.

The finding matters because India’s power sector is the country’s largest source of emissions. A flat trend for two years suggests renewables are now growing fast enough to cover new demand on their own.

But the picture is mixed. Overall Indian emissions still rose 3.7 per cent year on year, driven by other sectors such as industry and transport. Experts say deeper cuts across the whole economy are needed to bend the curve down.

India has set a target of 500 GW of non-fossil power capacity by 2030. Analysts say the flat emissions trend shows the target is within reach if the current pace of solar and wind additions continues through the decade.