Facts for UPSC Mains
The Production Gap Report 2025
- 25 Sep 2025
- 8 min read
Why in News?
The Production Gap 2025 report reveals that countries plan to produce more fossil fuels in 2030 than required to limit global warming to 1.5°C (Paris Agreement). It highlights that production plans have increased since 2023, widening the gap between current policies and the actions needed to meet climate goals.
The Production Gap Report 2025
- It is published by Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), Climate Analytics, and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), and backed by the UN.
- It tracks the discrepancy between governments’ planned fossil fuel production and global production levels needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C or 2°C.
- 2025 Edition marks the fifth edition of the report, which was first released in 2019. This edition updates the analysis presented in the 2023 report.
What are the Key Findings of the Production Gap Report 2025?
- Rising Coal Demand: Coal continues to be the most misaligned, with projected global output in 2030 being 500% higher than what the 1.5°C pathway allows.
- India launched the Coal Gasification Mission in 2020, aiming to gasify 100 million tonnes of coal by 2030.
- Coal gasification is a thermo-chemical process that converts coal into synthesis gas or "syngas", primarily consisting of carbon monoxide and hydrogen.
- India launched the Coal Gasification Mission in 2020, aiming to gasify 100 million tonnes of coal by 2030.
- Rise in Fossil Fuel Production: Planned fossil fuel production in 2030 is set to surpass levels required to limit warming to 1.5°C by over 120% and to 2°C by 77%.
- Governments plan higher coal production to 2035 and gas production to 2050 than in 2023. Oil production is also projected to increase to 2050.
- In 2023, the government provided Rs 726 billion in oil and gas subsidies and aims to increase gas's share in the energy mix from 6.2% to 15% by 2030.
- Major Contributors: China, the US, and Russia accounted for over half of global extraction-based emissions from fossil fuels in 2022, while 20 major producers contributed around 80% of global production.
- Limited Alignment with Climate Targets: Among 20 major producers, 17 plan to increase at least one fossil fuel by 2030, and 11 countries (including China, India, US, Germany) plan higher production than in 2023.
- Only 6 countries are aligning fossil fuel production with net-zero targets (up from 4 in 2023).
How can India Balance Fossil Fuel Production with Renewable Energy?
Mnemonic: GRIDS
- G - Grid Infrastructure Modernization: Invest in energy storage (batteries, pumped hydro) and green energy corridors to store and transmit solar and wind power, reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
- R - Reskill Workers: Reskill coal sector workers in states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha and repurpose former mining areas for solar parks or industrial uses to support a socially acceptable energy transition.
- I - Increase Energy Efficiency: Enforce strict energy efficiency standards and promote demand response programs to reduce overall energy demand and balance the grid with abundant solar power. E.g., Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) Scheme.
- D - Develop Natural Gas as a Bridge Fuel: Increase the natural gas share from 6.2% to 15% by 2030, leveraging flexible gas plants that emit 50% less CO₂ than coal to support renewables and reduce emissions.
- S - Sustainability through Policy Integration: Align fossil fuel reduction targets with renewable energy goals using carbon pricing, renewable subsidies, and phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies.
India’s Initiatives to Reduce Dependence on Fossil Fuels
Conclusion
The Production Gap Report 2025 reveals a dangerous contradiction: despite climate commitments, countries are expanding fossil fuel production, prioritizing short-term energy security and economic growth. This path undermines the Paris Agreement, locks in catastrophic warming, and necessitates an urgent, equitable global transition to clean energy.
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Drishti Mains Question: Q. Discuss the reasons behind continued expansion of fossil fuel production despite the Paris Agreement commitments. |
UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year’s Question (PYQs)
Prelims
Q. The term ‘Intended Nationally Determined Contributions’ is sometimes seen in the news in the context of (2016)
(a) pledges made by the European countries to rehabilitate refugees from the war-affected Middle East
(b) plan of action outlined by the countries of the world to combat climate change
(c) capital contributed by the member countries in the establishment of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
(d) plan of action outlined by the countries of the world regarding Sustainable Development Goals
Answer: (b)
Q. With reference to the Agreement at the UNFCCC Meeting in Paris in 2015, which of the following statements is/are correct? (2016)
- The Agreement was signed by all the member countries of the UN and it will go into effect in 2017.
- The Agreement aims to limit the greenhouse gas emissions so that the rise in average global temperature by the end of this century does not exceed 2°C or even 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
- Developed countries acknowledged their historical responsibility in global warming and committed to donate $1000 billion a year from 2020 to help developing countries to cope with climate change.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (b)
Mains
Q1. Discuss global warming and mention its effects on the global climate. Explain the control measures to bring down the level of greenhouse gases which cause global warming, in the light of the Kyoto Protocol, 1997. (2022)
Q2. Describe the major outcomes of the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). What are the commitments made by India in this conference? (2021)
