(CNN) India has seen its first year on year reduction in carbon emissions for the first time in four decades, new analysis released Tuesday shows. Over the past year, India had already been seeing weakened demand for thermal power generation because of lower demand and competition from renewable energy, researchers said. However, lockdown measures introduced to curb the spread of coronavirus caused a further, steeper "drop off" in March, pushing thermal power generation growth below zero for the first time in three decades. Carbon emissions fell by an estimated 15% in March, and a likely 30% in April, analysts said. Studying oil, gas and coal consumption, researchers estimate that CO2 emissions fell by 30m tons in the fiscal year ending March, in what they say could be the first such annual decline in four decades.

Source: CNN May 12, 2020 14:26 UTC