This research paper aims to provide a comparative trend analysis of CO2 emissions from the two largest emitters, India and China. The analysis focuses on the main sources of CO2 emissions-coal, oil, cement, and gas and their annual data and global share percentages from 1960 to 2019. The study uses non-parametric trend analysis methods, which do not rely on assumptions of normality, outliers, or data length. Pettitt's test, a well-established non-parametric method, was used to detect sudden shifts in the data. The Mann-Kendall (MK) test and Sen's slope estimator were then applied to identify the presence or absence of monotonic linear trends and assess the magnitude of the slopes. In addition, the innovative trend analysis (ITA) method was used, which is particularly effective in detecting and visualizing monotonic, non-monotonic, and sub-trends. The ITA method has the advantage of presenting these trends in a graphical format. According to the results of Pettitt's test, an abrupt change was detected in India in 1989 for all sources of CO2 emissions. In China, however, an abrupt change was detected in 1989 for coal and gas-related sources, while other sources showed a change point in 1990. The results of the MK test and the ITA method showed that all sources show only monotonic increasing trends. Based on the results of Sen's slope estimator, the average rate of change of CO2 emissions is significantly higher in China than in India in all categories after the detection of the abrupt change point. Policymakers should promote the adoption of renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal, and also implement strategies to control deforestation to counteract the abnormal increase in CO2 emissions. Finally, this research lays a solid foundation for future studies on CO2 emissions.
Read full abstract