India?s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions went up by 58% between 1994 and 2007, but the energy intensity showed a reverse trend by going down by more than 30%, according a report released here on Tuesday.

The report, India?s Greenhouse Gas Emissions 2007, released by environment & forests minister Jairam Ramesh, says that India?s emissions went up to 1.9 billion tonne in 2007, up from 1.2 billion tonne in 1994, thanks to hectic activities in cement production, electricity generation and transportation. Pointing out that India is still behind the US, China, the European Union and Russia in terms of aggregate GHG emissions, Ramesh said, ?The US and China emit almost four times that of India.?

Attributing the falling emissions intensity of India?s GDP to the government?s proactive efforts and policies, Ramesh said, ?It is a trend we intend to continue. We have already announced our target to further reduce the emissions intensity of our GDP by 20-25% between 2005 and 2020 even as we pursue the path of inclusive growth.?

India is the first developing country to come out with such updated numbers. Till now, the official emissions figures pertained to 1994. In contrast to industrialised countries, whose data is also available only till 2007, developing countries like India are not required to make annual submissions to the UNFCCC. Saying that India is not bound by any international obligations, Ramesh noted, ?Many of our domestic climate actions have to be taken voluntarily in our own interest.?

Expressing satisfaction with the work done by 80 scientists from 17 institutions for the Indian Network of Climate Change Assessment (INCCA) in bringing out the report, the minister said, ?We must make the ?3 Ms??measurement, modelling and monitoring?the essence of our policymaking and must build indigenous capacity for this.? Going forward, India intends to publish the emission inventory in a two-year cycle.

An earlier government-supported report, India?s GHG Emissions Profile: Results of Five Climate Modelling Studies, had projected that emissions could reach 4 -7.3 billion tonne by 2031, but in terms of per capita emissions, it would still be the half of the world average.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh earlier said that India?s per capita emissions would at no stage exceed those of the developed world.