Inequality in Carbon Emissions at Sub-National Level in India

Abstract

In this study using standard measures of inequality such as Gini coefficient, Kakwani Index, coefficient of variation and Theil Index we examine inequality in carbon emissions for the years 2000-09 at the sub-national level covering 17 major states of India. At the outset, in order to estimate sub-national inequality in carbon emissions we also estimated total carbon emissions for each state for the above years using IPCC Reference Approach. Our findings showed that per capita carbon emissions were highest in the low income resource rich states and lower in the high income more developed states. The inequality in carbon emissions as demonstrated by Gini coefficients has increased over the years indicating that it is the poorer states which have to bear the burden.