Jayant Sinha Warns Delhi Could Face 50°C Summers Without Urgent Decarbonisation
Former Union Minister Jayant Sinha warned that New Delhi could experience extreme temperatures around 50 degrees Celsius if India does not urgently implement decarbonisation measures. He highlighted deteriorating air quality due to fossil fuel emissions and stressed the need for clean energy, green infrastructure, and electric mobility to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070, aligning economic growth with sustainability goals.
At the Transition Accelerator event organized with BCG and CII, Jayant Sinha emphasized that New Delhi’s air quality index exceeds 300 primarily due to fossil fuel-based vehicular emissions, resulting in rising temperatures and changing climate patterns. He cautioned that without immediate climate action and decarbonisation, Delhi could see maximum temperatures exceed 50 degrees Celsius in future summers. Sinha called this a critical moment demanding India to dramatically reduce carbon emissions and achieve net zero by 2070 while ensuring development continues sustainably. He argued that India's economic aspirations should coincide with environmental goals, advocating investments in clean energy, green infrastructure, and electric vehicles as essential for a resilient, prosperous future. Sinha also highlighted the importance of collective responsibility involving industries, policymakers, and citizens to sustain India’s growth while protecting clean air and water. Additionally, ITA managing director James Schofield outlined a pipeline of 65 green industrial projects representing over USD 150 billion, aiming to unlock India’s clean industrialization and contribute to significant emissions abatement and job creation. The discourse stresses integrating sustainability deeply with India’s development to avoid catastrophic climate impacts and ensure long-term prosperity.
